George specialises in Public Law (care) proceedings, applications under the Inherent Jurisdiction of the High Court including DOLS applications, applications under the changing landscape for the transfer of cases into and out of the jurisdiction under The Hague Conventions, Forced Marriage Protection Orders and the range of orders needed in child abduction cases. 

His practice regularly includes complex cases of sexual abuse, inflicted and factitious injury, parental alienation and child treatment orders. He is regularly instructed to represent Local Authorities, parents and children  at all levels of the family court. He has a particular interest in the psychology of family law and has written and delivered training in this area. 

In the 2024 reported case of Re Z & Anor, a case involving international assessments, LIP’s child abandonment and other complex issues the judge noted that in his judgment that:

'Mr Butler has been present for most of the hearings in these proceedings and I am extremely grateful for the way in which he has navigated what has been a complex situation which has presented various different challenges from time to time.'

Other notable cases include

• Z v Kent County Council [2018] EWFC B65 (18 October 2018) – Late instruction to represent grandmother wrongly excluded from her grandson’s life by way or improperly made order for adoption. Case references legal test for capacity and assessing family members. 
• X and Y (Children) [2018] EWHC 451 (Fam) – Represented Local Authority in leading case concerning declarations under Inherent Jurisdiction of the High Court that an imprisoned father did not need to be consulted about welfare decisions / court proceedings in respect of his daughters. Case addresses Human Rights law and interplay between rights of parents and children when consulting a parent is harmful towards the child. 
• R (on the application of T) v Legal Aid Agency [2013] EWHC 960 (Admin) – Instructed as the only family lawyer in the administrative court for a successful judicial review of the Legal Aid Agency’s decision to refuse to pay the full costs of a parenting assessment within public law proceedings. 
• H (Children) [2011] EWCA Civ 1218 – Successful Appeal to the Court of Appeal against final care orders and placement orders in respect of two children. Held that the orders should not have been made without an assessment of the prospects of success of the adoptions. Appeal allowed.
• LB Richmond v B & W & B & CB [2010] EWHC 2903 (Fam) – Care Proceedings. AT the time the leading case involving how the  court should approach hair strand test evidence for alcohol abuse where there is no supporting evidence to show how much alcohol has been consumed by the person tested.  

Articles include: 

• Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a new diagnosis: Implications for Practitioners and the Family Court. (Family Law Journal Sep 2021) With Dr Ben Laskey
• Emotional harm and interim removal: how psychological thinking can support practice (FLJ Dec 2020) With Dr Ben Laskey