In public law children cases, Lucy acts for parents, children, local authorities and extended family and the media. Lucy’s caseload involves cases featuring suspected non-accidental injury, sexual abuse, neglect and domestic abuse, where there are parental mental health, learning disability or capacity issues, concerns around substance abuse and addiction, and involving children with disabilities and complex educational or medical needs. Lucy’s instructions also encompass cases involving suspected trafficking, county lines and gang involvement, honour violence, FGM/c and suspected fabricated or induced illness. Lucy is skilled and experienced in conducting the cross examination of vulnerable witnesses including children, and has completed the FLBA Advocacy and the Vulnerable training (and is an accredited facilitator of the same and delivers this training to other FLBA members).
Lucy’s instructions also encompass complex private law matters, including high conflict intractable private law disputes, and cases involving serious allegations of DA or CCB.
Lucy is instructed in a range of post-care proceedings matters, such as applications for discharge of care or placement orders, leave to oppose adoption orders and complex adoption order applications or other contested adoptions.
Lucy’s practice includes matters with international aspects, including abduction, leave to remove and cross border families and international adoption.
Lucy has a particular area of expertise in cases involving ‘transparency’ issues, such as transparency orders, reporting restrictions, and media applications in both public and private law fields.
Additional information
- Vice Chair Family Law Bar Association
- Member of FLBA National Committee
- Trustee of The Transparency Project
- Member of Transparency Implementation Group
- Member of Bar Council
- Member of Open Justice Board
Alongside her court practice Lucy writes and talks on family law and has particular interests in issues arising from the involvement of litigants in person in family cases, and in issues surrounding the publication of information arising from family proceedings and transparency. Lucy has been writing about family law since 2007 primarily through her popular Pink Tape.
Lucy is the author of The Family Court without a Lawyer – A Handbook for Litigants in Person‘ (4th edition 2022, Bath Publishing), co-author of ‘Transparency in the Family Courts: Publicity and Privacy in Practice’ (2nd edition 2024, Bloomsbury Press), and co-author of ‘Dictionary of Public Children law’ (2nd edition 2025, Class Legal).
Lucy has also produced a series of free self-help videos for Litigants in Person. The three videos are available to view for free on YouTube here or via the website accompanying the book (www.nofamilylawyer.co.uk).
Lucy is involved with local initiatives to develop support for litigants in person, including the www.familycourtinfo.org.uk website.
She is also a trained mediator (non-practising).
