Jonathan Sampson and James Dove in the Family Court in Re S [2020] EWHC 217 (Fam)

24th Feb 2020 | News

Care proceedings stemming from a private law dispute where a mother made allegations against the fathers of her children. Both fathers denied the mother’s allegations that they had either sexually or physically harmed their children during contact. The court concluded that the fathers had not abused their children and that the mother’s pursuit of her allegations of abuse had led to the emotional harm of the children. The court issued guidelines for dealing with similar cases, including: commissioning early expert assessments, mediation, early guidance and support from local authorities, these types of cases must be overseen by fully qualified social workers and their managers, not trainees.

The judgment can be found here.

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We are delighted to announce that Matthew Stott has joined Harcourt Chambers

Matthew is a family law specialist with extensive knowledge and experience across all fields of family law. He is regularly involved in complex care cases for local authorities, parents and guardians. He has been involved in cases concerning infant deaths, shaken babies, fabricated illness, serious sexual and physical abuse, honour based violence including attempted assassination, forced marriage, unlawful removal from the jurisdiction, serious neglect and cases involving breaches of Human Rights.

Matthew’s arrival further strengthens our team of experienced, specialist family practitioners, supporting our growing workload and reputation in the field.

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