Called 1984
Inner Temple
LL.B. (Hons), Leeds University
Pupil Supervisor
Practice
Nancy is a member of the Family team.
She has practised from King Street since 1992 and celebrated ten years as Head of Chambers in June 2008.
Family: Nancy has a very wide experience of all aspects of family law. Whilst she is perhaps known best for her representation of parents and children in complex care cases she also acts for Local Authorities and accepts instructions on matters as wide ranging as criminal injuries claims for children in care to training social workers on how to give evidence. In private law she has acted in specific issue cases including the suitability of competing public schools, change of name and removal from the jurisdiction (including negotiating a handover for contact in a Dubai hotel lobby).
About one third of her practice is ancillary relief, especially complex cases. Recent cases include successfully upholding a Xydhias agreement, advising on the division of a country estate and working with planning and tax consultants to divide property and business holdings lawfully and efficiently.
Nancy undertakes all forms of publicly funded work, including ancillary relief, because she believes that quality of representation should not be restricted to ability to pay.
Cases
Re S (Freeing for adoption order) [2001] 3 FCR 375
Professional Memberships
Family Law Bar Association.
Judicial Appointments
Deputy District Judge of the Principal Registry of the Family Division of the High Court since 2003
Background
Nancy is a member of the De Montfort University Law School Advisory Panel and of the Leicestershire and Rutland Family Justice Council where she chairs the Education and Training sub committee. She organises the annual conference which attracts nationally known speakers. The 2008 conference, on "Diversity" was held at Leicester Racecourse and attracted a large gathering of those interested in family justice from across the county. Nancy presented a workshop on Lesbian and Gay family issues with Nick Herring of Harts solicitors, which covered adoption and fostering, co-parenting, surrogacy and sperm donation together with pre partnership agreements and finance on Civil Partnership breakdown.
In addition, Nancy organises the annual Circuit Family and Civil conference with Richard Adkinson and on-circuit pupil supervisor training. For the last 3 years she has presented the annual private and public child law case update to the conference with Will Tyler of 36 Bedford Row. She frequently lectures on family law to local authorities, ILEX and solicitors and is presenting children law and ancillary relief seminars in Chambers in 2009.
She is married to Tim who lectures at De Montfort University. They live in the Vale of Belvoir and have 2 dogs, 6 cats, hens and four horses. Following a fall from her 17.2hh Irish horse earlier this year Nancy hopes to return to competing in dressage in 2009. In the meantime she has tried to emulate Nigella Lawson by making jam, jellies and chutney. She was runner up in the UKTV food 2008 national "bake a cake" competition with her recipe for Gardener’s Cake.