Francesca Wiley KC MCIArb

Francesca practices at the very highest level in both Private and Public Law Children Act cases, particularly where there are profoundly serious allegations against the parties.

Prior to joining the Family Bar, she specialised in Criminal and Human Rights Law and as a result, much of her work covers the crossover between the family and criminal jurisdictions. This includes very many cases where there is a need for fact-finding and consequential or concurrent applications and investigations in criminal proceedings. Francesca specialises in cases where clients or other parties have been accused of murder, attempted murder of their children or partners, sexual abuse, paedophile rings, trafficking, radicalisation, and other very serious offences. Such cases often require medical and factual cross-examination of the highest calibre.

Francesca has a further interest in matters involving underlying medical issues for children and adults, ranging from underlying genetic, bone and vascular disorders to factitious disorders and cases where an opposing party may have profound, yet undiagnosed personality and mental health difficulties.

She is also regularly instructed in cases where addiction is an issue within a family and instructed in cases of parental alienation where recruitment of children against a parent has led to false allegations. Francesca is well known for her expertise in fact finding in private law cases.

Francesca also undertakes inquests-based work internationally as well as having a significant on-going interest in human rights-based work in the UK and internationally and has been instructed in Kenya, The Falkland Islands and Mozambique.

Francesca specialises in cases both in Private and Public Law which have an international element.

Awarded the grade of MCIArb by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and able to also provide Early Neutral Evaluations, Francesca readily commends these alternatives to litigation and welcomes all instructions in the same.

Francesca is qualified to undertake work through public access and is very experienced in the same.