Simon Bickler KC

Simon Bickler KC

Call 1988  | Silk 2011  | Recorder 2012

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0113 2270703
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jd@stpaulschambers.com
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[email protected]
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Simon Bickler KC’s practice encompasses all areas of Children Law.

Simon is a highly regarded KC in the field of Public Law Children . He is described by the Legal 500 as “A silk at the height of his powers” and “A brilliant orator”,  “a consummate silk who builds good relationships with clients” and “A formidable and very astute advocate”

Simon is personable and very good at building relationships. He is particularly good at reassuring and explaining the law to clients, and undertakes direct access work in order to ensure that clients can get access to his expertise for a reasonable cost.

In particular those involving; intractable child arrangement disputes, serious non-accidental injuries and child fatalities with disputed medical evidence, often linked with criminal proceedings; allegations of sexual abuse; including false allegations of Fabricated and Induced Illness (FII), internal relocations and leave to remove from the jurisdiction.

Simon was Head of Chambers between June 2016 and September 2022 and appointed a Deputy High Court Judge in July 2019. He has been ranked by the Legal Directories as a leading silk in family law since 2011. Most notably he was described as a ‘Silk at the height of his powers’.

Simon represents Local Authorities, parents, Children’s Guardians, extended family, foster-carers and prospective adopters.

It is noteworthy that Simon has spent a number of years as an accomplished advocate in the crown court. He is described by The Legal 500 as ‘a formidable and very astute advocate’.

Expertise

Simon frequently appears in high profile care proceedings. In the last 18 months he has acted successfully for parents in 4 cases involving a large scale paedophile ring, harming a child as a result of fictitious disorder, allegations of arranging a forced marriage abroad and causing the death of a baby with congenital brain abnormalities by shaking.

Simon works with a wide range of clients including local authorities, parents and guardians, adopters and foster parents, extended family members, other interested parties or interveners and the Official Solicitor.

Simon sits as a Deputy High Court Judge in family law. He is provided with top-class judicial training and resource that enables him to keep up to date within his specialist field as a Judge and as a practising Silk.

Simon has over 30 years’ experience as a specialist Children Act practitioner, the last 9 years in Silk. Simon often appears for parents of high net worth who have seemingly intractable disputes with their partners over the arrangements for the children. Simon is also instructed on allegations of parental alienation, domestic abuse, coercive control, and allegations of the utmost seriousness at the intersection with public law.

Matters concerning Private Law Children are particularly suited to Public Access clients. A number of Simon’s clients have instructed him on a privately-funded basis to advise and attend court. Instructing a Silk is not always possible under the Legal aid provisions but the Public Access scheme opens a direct link to a specialist Silk.

Instructing Simon not only provides the client with his years of advocacy experience as a barrister in the family and criminal courts, but it is also worth noting that Simon also sits as a part time High Court Judge in the family courts.

Simon has provided training seminars to local family firms of solicitors and has provided lectures to members of the Family Law Bar Association.

Notable Private Law Children cases


Represented surviving child following deaths of two siblings. Overturned historical Coroner’s verdict following further pathology investigation.


Represented father in finding of fact care proceedings concerning baby disfigured by burns sustained in boiling water. Complex medical evidence from burns experts.


Represented father in finding of fact care proceedings involving complex medical evidence of devastating head injury to 5 day old baby sustained whilst in hospital.


Represented father in finding of fact care proceedings. Life threatening rectal injury to 12 year old boy with autism and learning difficulties.


Represented the mother of a six year old child who was on permanent dialysis having had her kidneys removed. Non-compliance with strict dietary regime was potentially life-threatening. The Local Authority sought removal of this child before a transplant was to take place, which Simon successfully resisted.

Simon is committed to defending the rights of families who face issues of children relocating abroad, applications for leave to remove a child, or when clients are faced with an application from an ex-partner.

Simon is adept at handling cases involving Brussels II regulations.  He is experienced in dealing with enforcement and registration of orders made in foreign countries and ‘Mirror orders’ in countries where no international treaty is in force.

Areas of expertise:

  • Applications for permission to remove children to another jurisdiction.
  • Abductions within England and Wales and other British territory.
  • Emergency injunctions to prevent child removal.
  • Brussels II Regulation No 2201/2003, also called Brussels IIA or II bis.
  • Summary return under the Hague Convention 1980.

Notable International Family Law cases


Represented father in resisting mother’s application to return child from Pakistan.  Complex legal arguments on Habitual Residence and Brussels Revised.

News & Insights

Simon is extremely meticulous in his pre-trial preparation and what one could only describe as an expert in his field. The way he commands a court room is impeccable.

Chambers & Partners

"A silk at the height of his powers."

The Legal 500

"A consummate silk, who builds good relationships with clients."

The Legal 500

"A very thorough yet approachable advocate, who gets on well with clients."

The Legal 500

"Provides impartial, professional and realistic advice."

The Legal 500

"Very good at cross-examining medical experts."

The Legal 500

"Noted for his expertise in child cases involving non-accidental injury."

The Legal 500

"Down to earth and communicates well with clients."

Significant Cases Include


Re SK (Perplexing Presentation/Fabricated or Induced illness : PP/FII)

Represented mother in a finding of fact hearing in respect of allegations regarding her parenting of two younger children in a family where the eldest child had challenging and unmanageable behaviour.


AA v ZZ

Mr AA, the Applicant, has applied for a child arrangements order in relation to what he said are his twin sons, MAZ1 and MAZ2, born on a day in February 2021. He said he is the father of the boys and Miss ZZ, the Respondent, is the mother. He wishes to have contact with them.  The Respondent’s case was that she was never pregnant and no twins were ever born. The Respondent and various witnesses gave evidence. They accepted it was their voices in the conversations recorded by the Applicant. The Respondent said that the photographs of a child or children and the ultrasound scans had been doctored by the Applicant and were not authentic. READ MORE FROM THE BBC


LV17C00867 VBC V AGM, AGF, AM, AF, AA, AB & AC (L) and 18 others

Represented a mother in very complex proceedings involving 25 children, over 60 advocates and almost 1 million pages of evidence.


N THE MATTER OF THE CHILDREN ACT 1989 AND IN THE MATTER OF X (A CHILD)

Represented mother in finding of fact proceedings relating to a baby who had suffered injuries found to be due to a babysitter.


Re J (a child): Fact-finding

Represented Special Guardian in proceedings relating to the death of a young baby, found to be a tragic accident. 


LOCAL AUTHORITY -and- I & A THE CHILDREN

The children who were made the subject of these care proceedings initially numbered four: three children who were aged 16, 12 and 10, and a baby, aged six months.  The family came to the attention of the local authority because, late on an evening early in 2023, the parents attended their local hospital with the baby who had swelling to both sides of the head. Scans and x-rays carried out at the hospital established that the baby had sustained bilateral parietal skull fractures with overlying haematomas, known generally as swellings. The parents could not offer any explanation as to how the factures had been sustained.

Appointments

  • Deputy High Court Judge – Family Division (2019)
  • Recorder (2012)
  • King’s Counsel (2011)

Memberships

  • Family Law Bar Association

News & Insights

Contact Us

Chambers is centrally located within walking distance of the train station, secure car parks and the Courts.

Contact Us

St Pauls Chambers
Park Row House
19-20 Park Row
Leeds
LS1 5JF

For out of hours assistance please call the senior clerk on 07854170429.

The switchboard will open from 08:30 until 17:30

Phone: +44 (0)1132 455 866
Email: [email protected]
CJSM: [email protected]

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