Adoption Law

St Pauls Chambers’ child care barristers frequently represent parents, local authorities, grandparents, children and carers.

Our child care lawyers regularly represent parties in all manner of care proceedings, including applications for:

• Emergency Protection Orders
• Supervision or Care Orders (interim and final)
• Special Guardianship Orders
• Placement and Adoption Orders

St Pauls’ Barristers recognise that it is the role of the experienced child care lawyer to challenge and test all evidence that arises in such proceedings, ensuring that outcomes such as removal and adoption are only achieved when absolutely necessary, and only ever when in the child’s best interests.

Local Authorities (LA) have a legal duty to make enquiries about a child’s situation if they receive information that a child is at risk of significant harm. Where a Local Authority believes that a child may be safer, or better cared for, living away from their family home and does not receive the consent of their parents to remove the child, the LA will often go to court and seek permission from the court to do so.