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Education: LLB (Hons)
Appointments:
Recorder 2012
Silk 2015
Deputy High Court Judge 2016
Summary
Darren represents parents, children and local authorities across the whole range of children related disputes. Darren specialises in complex cases at High Court level and above involving:
• disputes as to the cause of catastrophic injuries and/or death of children, particularly cases that may involve Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and other metabolic and genetic disorders
allegations of recent or historic sexual abuse
fabricated or induced illness allegations
• disputes as to the deprivation of liberty of a child
• parents with special needs
vulnerable or child witnesses
• contentious private law cases involving allegations of parental alienation, intractable contact disputes, domestic and international relocation.
Profile
Darren has extensive experience in cases of the most complex kind that are heard in the Family Court, the Family Division of the High Court and the Court of Appeal. He is instructed on behalf of parents, children and local authorities and has a keen eye to the detail of a case. He demonstrates a clear understanding of the medical science that the court considers when determining the cause of injury or death of the child with who the court is concerned. Darren also has extensive experience in complex fact-finding hearings concerning allegations of fabricated illness and sexual abuse.
Darren specialises in representing parents and children in cases involving proven or alleged parental alienation. He is extremely familiar with how such cases should be managed by the court, given the unusual features of these cases that require the court to think ‘out of the box’ to achieve the best result of the child.
Darren is instructed in high conflict residence cases, internal and international relocation cases and surrogacy/applications for parental orders.
International family law issues arise regularly in the public law and private law cases in which Darren appears. Darren is very experienced in addressing in international elements of modern family law, particularly relocation issues.
Darren has, for many years, been instructed to represent same sex couples in disputes concerning children. Darren has appeared in reported cases concerning surrogacy arrangements / parental orders.
Darren is also prepared to arbitrate cases outside of usual office hours to assist in reaching the earliest possible solution for the families who instruct him to arbitrate.
Memberships
Member Family Law Bar Association (FLBA), South Eastern
Publications
Enough is Enough: A report on Child Protection and Mental Health Services for Children and Young People (The Centre for Social Justice [June 2014])
Concurrent Planning: Achieving early permanence for babies and young children. BAAF July 2013
Removal of Children at Interim Hearings [2009] Fam Law 321
International Surrogacy – A Country Tale, Family Law January 2008
Expert Evidence in cases of Alleged Non-Accidental Injury, Family Law October 2007
Darren is a co-author of DIY Divorce & Separation: The Expert Guide to Representing Yourself (Jordan Publishing), 2014 http://diydivorce.familylaw.co.uk/1GC-Blog
Seminars and Training
Darren has delivered many lectures within his Principal place of practice – 1 Garden Court Chambers, London – for external providers and local authorities on specialist subjects within his expertise, including such topics as adoption, care planning the Public Law case management protocol, paediatricians as expert witnesses, parenting orders and international surrogacy.
Awards
Recipient of the first ever FLBA ‘Special Contribution Award’ for his significant work in supporting the Bar with paperless and remote working.