Jacqui Gilliatt is a seasoned family law barrister with over 30 years of experience. Her specialisation in children’s cases, including disputes involving parents, family members, and social services, is well-known. What sets Jacqui apart is her willingness to roll her sleeves up and step into the shoes of her clients.
Jacqui hosts her own website, Children in Law Her articles cover essential topics such as Care and Supervision Orders, Fact-Finding in Care Cases, Final Care Orders, Interim Removal, Judicial Reasons, Letters to Experts, and Medical Abbreviations.
Jacqui is a passionate supporter of Biking for Children In Care, an initiative that raises funds for the Become Charity through an annual 210-mile bike ride.
Family Law
Jacqui’s extensive practice encompasses a wide range of complex and sensitive areas, including:
- Baby shaking cases
- Child abduction (including from local authority care)
- Complex or conflicting medical evidence
- Disability and education law
- Disputes involving same-sex couples
- Domestic violence
- Fabricated allegations
- Forced marriage and ‘honour’ violence
- Human rights and human trafficking
- Incest and international law
- Intractable contact/residence disputes
- Mental health and non-accidental injuries
- Cases involving the Official Solicitor
- Parallel criminal proceedings and parental alienation
- Placement outside the jurisdiction
- Sexual abuse, substance misuse, and addiction
- Sudden infant death and unexplained deaths
- Transgender issues
- Jacqui’s expertise allows her to handle highly sensitive and legally complex cases with skill and dedication.
- Jacqui regularly presents seminars on family law topics.
Recent Seminars
- International Placements of Children in Care Proceedings
- Ethics Panel Event: Navigating Ethical Dilemmas and Tricky Customers
- Transparency in the Family Court & the Pilot Scheme
- Updates and Tips on Special Guardianship and Adoption
- Judicial Reasons
- Tackling Expert Evidence
- Fact-Findings and Top Tips for Managing Big Cases
- PLO Relaunch / Wasted Costs Orders
- Dealing with Dodgy Experts
- Early Conclusions to Care Cases
- Trials Within Trials: Fact-Finding in Private Law Cases (December 2019)
- Crossing the Threshold: Back to Basics (2018 LBLA Conference
Selected Cases
- D v London Borough of Bromley and Ors (Special Restrictions – Refusal of Adoption Order)[2026] EWHC 247 (Fam)
- C & A, Re (Children: Acquisition and Discharge of Parental Responsibility by an Unmarried Father) [2023] EWHC 516 (Fam)
- P, H-L (Children) (Mobile Phone Extraction) (Rev1) [2023] EWCA Civ 206
- A (Final Hearing: Threshold not met), Re [2018] EWFC 63
- Y (A Child: Fact Finding: Fabricated Induced Illness) [2018] EWHC 4020 (Fam)
- Medway Council v R & Ors (Rev 1) [2016] EWFC B104
- M-B (Children) [2015] EWCA Civ 1027
- C (A Child) [2013] EWCA Civ 1257
- I-A (Children), Re [2012] EWCA Civ 582
- London Borough of Richmond v B & Ors [2010] EWHC 2903 (Fam)
- A Council v B & Ors [2007] EWHC 2688 (Fam)
- A Local Authority v S [2004] EWHC 1270 (Fam)
- Re C (Care Order or Supervision Order) [2001] 2 FLR 466
- Re C & B (Care Order: Future Harm) [2000] EWCA Civ 3040; [2001] 1FLR 611
Publications
Jacqui Gilliatt: Adoption & Special Guardianship Part 2 | 01st Jun 2024
The second of a two part article in the Family Law Journal (Lexis). Part 2 examines some interesting recent case law, including on leave to revoke placement orders/oppose adoption orders where the two types of placement –adoption or special guardianship – have gone head-to-head and, in passing at least, involved consideration of foster care.
Jacqui Gilliatt – Family Law Journal – Adoption & Special Guardianship Part 1 | 01st May 2024
The first of a two-part article in the Family Law Journal provides a very brief history of adoption and special guardianship, an overview of current policy developments, proposals for future reform, a statistical overview, a summary of some recent research, some comparisons between the two placements, orders and (to a lesser extent with long-term foster care) contact. Part 2 will examine some interesting recent case law, including on leave to revoke placement orders/oppose adoption orders where the two types of placement –adoption or special guardianship – have gone head-to-head and, in passing at least, involved consideration of foster care.
Jacqui Gilliatt – Family Law Journal | 01st May 2024
Contributor to published article in the Family Law Journal on Judicial Reasons: An Analysis [2024] Fam Law 428 April 2024.
September 2023: In Practice Top tips for managing ‘big’ family cases – [2023] Fam Law 1122 | 12th Oct 2023
July 2023: In Practice Relaunch of the Public Law Outline Part II – [2023] Fam Law 864 (Wasted Costs) | 14th Jul 2023
June 2023: In Practice Relaunch of the Public Law Outline Part I [2023] Fam Law 721 | 14th Jun 2023
Can We Have An Early Knockout? Ending Care Proceedings Without Judicial Determination | 24th May 2022
Part 1 of two articles about the court’s power to require or force a local authority to withdraw care proceedings or otherwise restrict the scope of the findings it is willing to consider is published in the May 2022 edition of the Journal. Part 1 focusses on the situation where the local authority actively invites the court to bring things to an early conclusion.
Hair Alcohol Tests: How To Make Sure Your Client Does Not Have A Bad Hair Day | 28th Feb 2011
An article looking at hair alcohol testing.
Testing, Testing: Hair Alcohol Test in the Family Court | 01st Sep 2013
An article for the ALC Newsletter (Summer / Autumn 2011, Issue 48) examining the implications of the decision in Richmond London Borough Council v B, W, B and CB [2010] EWHC 2903. Also available at The Barrister Magazine
Direct Access
Direct Access Trained - training voluntarily refreshed in 2024
