Maria Hancock

Practice Areas

Maria specialises in Public Law Children work and is also a qualified Arbitrator (Children).

A senior junior and experienced leading junior, Maria quickly inspires confidence in professional and lay clients with her thorough knowledge of relevant law and procedure, her excellent oral and written advocacy and calm but authoritative manner.

Maria is known to be extremely approachable.

She undertakes the most serious of matters, predominantly focussing on complex medical issues in cases involving the death of infants and children, allegations of serious NAI, FII/Perplexing Presentation and severe emotional harm and neglect. She appears at all Court levels both with and without a leader, often alongside silks, and represents all parties.

Her experience and interest in cases involving death of children has led her into Inquest work. She represents any potential Interested Person, including but not limited to, Local Authorities and bereaved families in standard and Article 2 Inquests, with multiple experts, lay and professional witnesses.

Maria has additional expertise and experience in cases with an International children element.

Maria has appeared in a number of seminal and recent cases including:

Re F (A Child) (Placement Order) [2008] EWCA Civ 439

Re F (A Child) (International Relocation) [2015] EWCA Civ 882

WSCC V K [2022] EWFC 170

H v B (Enforcement of Domestic Return Order) [2020] EWHC 961 (Fam)

Career

Call 1995.

Deputy Head of Chambers

Qualified Arbitrator (Children)

Certificate of Qualification in Social Work

FLBA/ICCA trained in cross examination of vulnerable witnesses

Professional Memberships

CIArb

FLBA (Former Chair of Kent and Sussex)

ALC