Fourteen

Heads of Chambers: Michael Glaser QC and Ronan O’Donovan

Senior Practice Manager: Joe Lamb

Practice Managers: Dan Lee, Tyler Woodyatt-Butwell, Lewis Witt, Ben Brotherton

Chambers Manager: Julie Clarke

Executive Consultant: Robin Jackson

Number of members: 35

THE CHAMBERS

FOURTEEN is a leading family law set in London with a national reputation for excellence. It is a dynamic and forward-thinking set of chambers and offers an approach that is both specialist and personalised. Members of chambers have appeared in many leading cases in recent years, including cases that have attracted the attention of the national media. FOURTEEN has occupied a prominent position in the legal marketplace for many years and is continuously recognised for excellence in the legal directories.

Work Undertaken

With dedicated practice teams in children law, family finance, the Court of Protection and international family law, their barristers provide specialist representation and advice. They also have a team of trained mediators and arbitrators who work with private individuals and local authorities in a range of family law disputes. FOURTEEN offers a range of dispute resolution services, including mediation, arbitration and early neutral evaluation. FOURTEEN welcomes public access instructions in all areas of practice.

Family Finance

FOURTEEN provides first-rate specialist advice and representation in all claims relating to family finances, including: the financial consequences of the breakdown of marriages and civil partnerships, financial provision following divorce overseas, property disputes between cohabitees, pre- and post-nuptial agreements and separation agreements, financial provision for children and Inheritance Act disputes. Whether brought pursuant to the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984, the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989, the Child Support Act 1991 or the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, FOURTEEN has the expertise to advise and represent at every stage of proceedings.

Children Private Law

FOURTEEN has been at the forefront of the development of private law disputes relating to children for many years, including in the areas of alternative family structures and surrogacy. Chambers' barristers appear at all levels of court, including cases before the Supreme Court and represent parents, step-parents, grandparents and other family members as well as children. They are regularly instructed in cases involving disputes over child arrangements – where a child lives and with whom (s)he spends time – including where a parent seeks to relocate with the child within this jurisdiction and abroad. FOURTEEN provides assistance in applications for Specific Issue Orders regarding a child’s name, choice of school and medical treatment, and in the discrete areas of private law adoption, forced marriage, surrogacy, fertility and same sex parenting. FOURTEEN's barristers have particular experience acting in cases where there are allegations of significant harm and where a local authority has become involved.

Children Public Law

FOURTEEN has a national reputation for its expertise in public law proceedings. Their barristers have acted in many of the landmark cases, regularly appearing at all levels of court, including the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. It acts in care proceedings, adoption matters, special guardianship applications and in judicial review cases and the barristers represent not only parents, children and local authorities but also adopters, foster parents and other interveners or interested parties. FOURTEEN's members are experts in cases involving non-accidental injury, factitious illness, neglect and physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Their public law barristers are also experienced in representing vulnerable clients with mental health and/or learning difficulties. They have considerable experience in representing professional bodies such as CAFCASS, NYAS and the Official Solicitor in the more complex cases that arise in this area.

Increasingly, FOURTEEN's barristers are being instructed in public law areas with an international focus, including international adoptions and matters involving the European Convention on Human Rights. In addition, they are often instructed in relation to the growing number of cases involving alleged radicalisation of children, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

Court of Protection

FOURTEEN's Court of Protection team has a growing reputation in this dynamic area of the law, both in health and welfare cases and in matters pertaining to property and financial affairs.Their barristers also often appear in cases concerning the Mental Health Act 1983 and provide advice and representation in community care law.

International

FOURTEEN's international family law team has extensive experience dealing with cross-border disputes involving the movement of children, jurisdictional conflicts, international family finance and forced marriage and ‘stranded spouses’ cases. FOURTEEN’s barristers regularly appear in cases involving international assets, on- and off-shore trusts, companies and partnerships and cases with the need for injunctive relief and enforcement action. They are also regularly instructed in cases involving child abduction and relocation as well as claims following a foreign marriage or divorce, international adoption (in both private law and public law proceedings) and forced marriage and surrogacy cases.