David practices in all aspects of family law, including the following areas:

• Adoption
• Ancillary relief (financial remedy), in both high and modest net worth cases;
• Child abduction, both domestic and international;
• Children (Private Law), including contact and residence disputes, parental responsibility disputes, and relocation applications;
• Children (Public Law), including supervision order, care order and special guardianship applications;
• Civil partnerships, and all financial matters arising;
• Divorce and nullity, including recission of decree applications, and bigamy and public policy matters;
• Domestic Violence & Injunctions, particularly occupation order and non-molestation order applications under the Family Law Act 1996, and applications under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997; and
• Modern Families

David strives to bring a positive and pragmatic approach to all his cases; and has considerable experience in working with vulnerable clients.

Direct Access

David regularly undertakes Direct Access work: providing advice in conference, drafting, through to representation at Court.

Mediation

David has been an SPC-accredited mediator since 2011, mediating in civil and family disputes. He has a particular expertise in multi-party disputes.

Education

MA Oxon, Philosophy and Theology, Oxford University
Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL / CPE), City Law School

Scholarships

The City University Scholarship 2002
The Lord Denning Scholarship 2003

Memberships

Family Law Bar Association
The Lord Denning Society
Lincoln’s Inn

Interests

David’s primary interest is music: he has trained to play several musical instruments and has performed his own compositions in concerts. He enjoys travelling Europe to hear performances: especially opera festivals. His favourite composer is Wagner, though he will happily listen to anything except Mozart.

Publications

Some of David’s paper publications include:

Non-matrimonial Property and Spousal Maintenance: H v H [2007] Fam Law 618
Variation of Nominal Periodical Payment Orders [2007] Fam Law 1009
L v L: Sharing Non-Matrimonial Assets [2007] Fam Law 1105
Forum Shopping and the Closed Shop: Agbaje [2009] Fam Law 602
Coping With the Litigant In Person: Tips for Early Ancillary Relief Hearings [2013] Fam Law 1031

Professional Activities

David works with the Bar Standards Board in setting and marking the Pupillage Ethics Exam for all new barristers.

Charitable Activities

David is a committee member of Cancer Research UK (Mayfair and St James’s), having organised many fundraising events; also providing legal advice.

Civil

• Mediation

Family

• Adoption
• Ancillary relief
• Child abduction
• Children (Private Law)
• Children (Public Law)
• Civil partnerships
• Divorce and nullity
• Domestic violence
• Modern Families

Some of David’s reported cases are listed below, by area of law.

Children (Public Law)

Re N (Children: Care Orders) [2014] EWFC B194

OCC v K (Care Orders) [2021] EWFC B52

Re X [2021] EWFC B85

Children (Private Law)

H v R (Habitual Residence in Pakistan) [2021] EWHC 2024 (Fam)

Children (Parental Responsibility)

Re C & A (Acquisition and Discharge of Parental Responsibility by an Unmarried Father) [2023] EWHC 516 (Fam)

Financial Remedy

Seiden v Fularon [2008] EWCA Civ 1548