Julie Stather

Julie qualified as an Arbitrator in 2014. She is keen to encourage litigants and potential litigants to investigate this method of dispute resolution because of the benefits of speed and convenience as well as the significant savings in costs. She is a calm presence in an arbitration, putting parents at their case and gives fully reasoned, clear written Determinations in a timely manner.

Julie is instructed in serious public law cases on behalf of local authorities, parents, grandparents, children, interveners and Guardians. In 2021, she was lead Counsel in a 25 day Finding of Fact hearing revolving around FII (Factitious and Induced Illness). She also acts in cases involving allegations of unexplained injury, sexual abuse, and neglect including medical neglect.

Selected Cases

• A local authority v B [2015]: Representing local authority in a case of infant death and application for placement order for sibling. Complex case involving examination of medical records and post mortem results, with outcome changing expert evidence being obtained from the USA.
• A local authority v G [2017]: Representing local authority in case of multi-generational sexual, physical and emotional abuse with both historic and current allegations. This was a complex case requiring forensic analysis of multiple sources of evidence and questioning of several family members. Findings made on all threshold issues and care and placement orders made.Specialising in care proceedings, Julie has particular expertise in cases involving complex medical evidence (especially serious head injuries), chronic neglect and sexual abuse cases. Julie has an invaluable inside understanding of how local authority child care departments operate which gives her clients a considerable advantage, whether she is acting for or against a local authority.
• A local authority v P [2021] Leading counsel for the mother in a case of FII. Successful in defending the mother against allegations of joint enterprise in causing harm to a baby. Significant findings made against the father.

Julie advises and represents parties at all stages of financial remedy disputes, including enforcement of final orders.

Julie is instructed on behalf of parents, children and extended family members. Her cases include difficult issues such as implacable hostility, shared care arrangements, domestic and international relocation, special guardianship and fact-finding hearings. She has a particular interest in contact between children and their grandparents having two published articles on the topic.

Julie is a calming presence for clients and gives clear advice. Her preparation is meticulous and she works hard to get the result the client wants

Selected Cases

• A v A [2017]: Successfully represented grandfather on his application for contact in a case of parental alienation.
• D v D [2018]: Successfully represented mother in an application for contact at the conclusion of which an application was made for costs of £48,000. That application was successfully defended on the basis of the applicant’s litigation conduct, the costs figure being unreasonable, and that it would be impossible to apportion costs between unreasonable and reasonable elements of the case.
• H v E [2021] Successfully represented mother on an application to remove a child to live in an international location. The case was complex because of the distance involved and important cultural issues. The case was finely balanced and the permission to remove was not in line with the recommendations of Cafcass.

Julie accepts work from lay clients via Direct Access. You can view her profile here.