Sally Collins

Principal Areas of Work

• Family Law
• Children (Public) Law
• Children (Private) Law

Sally Collins is a specialist Family Law barrister. She has been practising in Family Law for over 35 years. Her practice encompasses all areas of Family Law, focusing on cases involving the welfare of children. Sally sometimes represents the children themselves and at other times, the parents/relatives in complex or difficult cases.

Professional Reputation

Public Law Care Proceedings where Children’s Services are involved.

• As a solicitor, Sally was one of the early members of the Law Society’s Children’s Panel, frequently teaming up with Guardians (as they then were) to represent children of all ages in court. As a consequence, Sally has first hand experience of taking instructions directly from the children themselves in an age appropriate manner.
• Over the years Sally has conducted many lengthy and complex cases with the protection and care of vulnerable children at their heart.
• Now Sally regularly represents parents or children in these sensitive cases and is therefore regarded as expert in assessing the issues from all perspectives. Regardless of her brief, Sally prides herself in being thorough and making sure that she enables her clients to achieve the best possible outcome in their cases.
• Sally routinely deals with cases involving allegations of serious inflicted injuries, neglect, sexual abuse, factitious illness and other psychiatric / psychological disorders.

Private Law Children Cases and Child Arrangement Orders.

• Sally is regularly instructed on behalf of parents involved in disputes over their children requiring the court to make a Child Arrangements Order (formerly residence or contact orders). Sally has acted in cases involving disputes over where children should live or with which parent (formerly residence cases). In addition, Sally has a wealth of experience in cases focusing on how much time the children spend with each parent (formerly contact disputes).
• Some of these cases have involved lengthy and complex hearings over several weeks requiring great sensitivity in representing the parents during such highly emotional proceedings. Sally has also regularly represented parents and grandparents when unhappy disputes have arisen between them as to whether the grandparents should be permitted to spend time with the grandchildren.

Qualifications & Appointments

• Former Head of Family (Chambers)
• Joint Head of Chambers (2015 – 2020)
• Previously admitted as a solicitor (1988 – 2002)
• Inn of Court Middle Temple
• Huddersfield LLB (Hons)
• Chester College of Law

Memberships

• North Eastern Circuit
• Family Law Bar Association