- Date of qualifications: September 2006
Expertise
Maria is a member of the Law Society Children Panel and represents parents and children in public law and private law children cases. Maria is also a member of the Association of Lawyers for Children and specialises in the area of children law.
Maria represents parents, children and extended family members in public law care proceedings, private law children proceedings, emergency protection orders and secure accommodation and recovery orders.
Maria’s cases involve a wide range of issues including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect, non-accidental injury, drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, psychological disorders and physical disabilities. Maria represents clients who have been victims of domestic abuse and supports them to obtain urgent protective court orders.
Maria undertakes as much of her own advocacy as possible, representing clients both in the office and at court hearings in relation to all aspects of family law issues including care proceedings, social services’ involvement including child protection conferences and PLO meetings, domestic abuse, urgent applications for child arrangements orders, prohibited steps orders and specific issue orders.
In June 2022, Maria was promoted to Associate Solicitor in recognition of her outstanding dedication to her work, her clients and to the company.
Re P (permission to withdraw care proceedings) [2016] EWFC B2
Maria represented the parents in care proceedings to successfully challenge the Local Authority’s application for a care order by arguing that the Local Authority had failed to prove that the Threshold Criteria had been met on the basis of the child being beyond parental control.
The Judge found that the Threshold Criteria had not been met and granted the Local Authority permission to withdraw their application.
I wanted to thank you for the support, professionalism, and wonderful advice you’ve given me throughout these difficult times. I also wanted to thank you for your time and work you have recently helped me with your family matter! Knowing you have a lot of clients and your prompt responses and attention to detail during the most vulnerable and challenging time really meant a lot to me. Thank you once again for your amazing services and help!O.H. January 2022