Charlotte Worsley KC

Year of call:

2002 - Silk 2022

Education:

1999 - Emmanuel College, Cambridge University, MA (Hons) Social Anthropology

2002 - College of Law, London PGDL & BVC

Career:

2003 - Tenant at No 6, Leeds

2018 - 2022 - Head of Family Team PSQB

2023 - Elected Master of the Bench Middle Temple

Memberships:

North Eastern Circuit

Criminal Bar Association

Family Law Bar Association

Chair for Middle Temple North Eastern Circuit Society

Lawyers for Children Committee

Halo Project Committee

Not Beyond Redemption Volunteer

Appointed as King’s Counsel in March 2022 Charlotte is a specialist Family Law silk.

Public Law – Charlotte specialises in contentious and highly complex cases. She is sought after to represent parents, Children’s Guardians and young people who are competent to instruct their own legal representatives. She has significant experience of lengthy cases involving exceptionally complex medical evidence involving death or catastrophic injuries to a child, non accidental injuries, fabricated induced illness, honour based abuse, forced marriage, sexual abuse, child exploitation and radicalisation. She has extensive experience of cases involving the most vulnerable clients including those without litigation capacity.

Private Law – Charlotte is experienced in all aspects of extremely difficult disputes about children’s welfare representing parents and children through rule 16.4 Guardians including allegations of domestic abuse and coercive, controlling behaviour, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect of a child or alleged parental / partner abuse and alienation, transfer of residence and contact disputes. She also advises and has experience in fertility law, surrogacy and adoption.

Ranked Leading Silk in The Legal 500 (2024) for Family and Children Law and Band 2 Chambers and Partners (2024).

“Her preparation is always flawless and her organisation is second to none.” – Chambers and Partners (2024)

“Charlotte is exceptional in her abilities and is formidable in court.” – Chambers and Partners (2024)

Charlotte’s knowledge of the law and ability on her feet is magnificent. In court, she is meticulous. Her advocacy is thoughtful and never overdone; her arguments are beautifully crafted and deployed with eloquence and poise.” – The Legal 500 (2024)

An exceptionally talented and skilled lawyer. Her formidable knowledge, combined with strong intercommunication skills, means clients and judges listen to what she has to say. When she speaks everyone listens.” – The Legal 500  (2023)

“Charlotte Worsley KC is a well-respected barrister with particular strength in public law matters. She possesses experience in complex children cases involving sexual and physical abuse and severe bodily harm. She is also experienced with complex medical evidence and regularly acts for parents and local authorities. Charlotte is an experienced counsel who presents a formidable challenge to opposing counsel. Charlotte is a highly skilled advocate and can explain complex areas of law to very vulnerable clients. Charlotte is a very experienced, conscientious and hard-working counsel. She is empathetic and therefore particularly good at representing vulnerable clients.” Chambers & Partners (2023)

“Charlotte is at the top of her game. She is an exceptional advocate; precise, thoughtful and knowledgeable. Her client care is second to none especially with vulnerable clients. She commands respect from judges and fellow advocates alike.” – The Legal 500 (2022)

“She is hugely impressive, dedicated to her clients, and very popular with fellow practitioners and judges alike.” “She is a very good advocate with an excellent reputation.” “She is an incredible force to reckon with.” Chambers and Partners (2022)”

“Miss Worsley is highly experienced and is certainly a senior junior locally and in her set. Her role as Head of the Family Team at PSQB is a real credit to her work, practice and her commitment to the team. Miss Worsley goes over and above for her clients. She is a fierce but fair advocate and she is excellent at picking up nuances within the case which can get overlooked.” – The Legal 500 (2021)

“She’s well prepared, always thinks carefully about her case and has good client care.”  “She’s exceptional. She has an excellent reputation, whether she is acting for the parent or local authority or child, and she does excellent evaluation of the evidence and the advocacy is spot on. She’s just on point.” – Chambers and Partners (2021)

Approach

Charlotte Worsley is regarded as fierce but fair in her advocacy. She is very approachable with a strong reputation. She is a superb communicator, she is a robust advocate whilst remaining sensitive and approachable to lay and professional clients. She frequently deals with cases involving issues of cultural sensitivity, with interpreters and intermediaries to assist clients participate. Charlotte can always be contacted to advise in care proceedings and to assist by telephone and email.

Training

Charlotte regularly delivers Seminars and Lectures, locally and nationally to colleagues, solicitors, professional clients and students.

Many of the cases in which Charlotte appears are unreported to protect the confidentiality of the family and due to ongoing criminal proceedings.

  • Z v V & Anor (Re The Children Act 1989 & The Senior Courts Act 1981) [2024] EWHC 365 (Fam) (22 February 2024) Represented the children found to be at real and imminent risk of abduction to Nigeria.
  • D (Parentage: Local Authority Application) [2024] EWHC 305 (Fam) (15 February 2024) Represented the mother who successfully opposed the Local Authority’s application for paternity testing to determine the identity of her child’s biological father.
  • Kirklees Council v P & Ors [2023] EWHC 3470 (Fam) (03 November 2023) Represented the father who murdered the mother. Guidance on the scope of reporting restrictions and transparency orders.
  • A, B and C (Child Contracting Gonorrhoea) [2023] EWFC 211 (26 October 2023) secured exoneration for Mother following allegations of sexual abuse.
  • Re B (A child) (Fact-finding) [2023] EWCA Civ 905: Court of Appeal case. Leading Oliver Latham and represented the respondent father in a reasons based appeal before Baker, Lewis and Snowden LJJ. Re B (A child) (Fact-finding) – Find case law
  • Re J 2023: Represented the Father exonerated from causing 13 inflicted fractures to his six-week-old baby.
  • Re H 2023: Represented the Mother protected from serious allegations of sexual abuse. Children remained in her care.
  • Re W 2023: Represented the child. Findings made that Mother had fabricated and induced his illness.
  • Re T 2022: Represented the Mother where criticisms of treating medical professionals were found alongside findings of fabricated and induced illness.
  • Re M 2022: Represented three-year-old child, successfully challenging the LA plan to remove from foster parents who had applied to adopt.
  • Re K: 2022 Represented the Mother exonerated from shaking her two-month-old baby. Children returned to her care.
  • Re K: 2021 Represented the children whose parents were found to have perpetrated extreme punishment of a five-year-old by hypothermia.
  • RE D (A Child) (Appeal out of time) (2020) Representing the child supported a successful appeal in spite of the notice of appeal being more than three years late
  • Wakefield Metropolitan District Council v R & Ors [2019] EWHC 3581 (Fam) (20 December 2019)Represented the Local Authority securing findings that both parents were in the pool of perpetrators for shaking their baby.
  • A Metropolitan District Council v M & Ors [2019] EWFC 15 (08 March 2019) –Representing the Father initially accused of raping seven-year-old daughter. Protected Father from findings of sexual abuse.
  • Re BH (A child) (Human Rights Act Injunction) [2017] EWFC 15 – Represented the Local Authority prevented from removing a two-year-old great-niece from a great aunt’s care pending final determination of a long-term placement. Although the great-aunt lacked parental responsibility, the removal of a child from a longstanding family carer was virtually certain to engage the rights of both child and carer under ECHR Art.8 and was directly analogous to removal from a parent.
  • Re C, D and E – (Radicalisation: Fact-Finding) [2016] EWHC 3087 (Fam)
  • Re C, D and E – Radicalisation: Welfare) [2016] EWHC 3088 (Fam)
  • Represented a Mother alleged to have tried to take her children to Syria to join the Caliphate in July 2015. She was found to have held radicalised views. After a period of bespoke work with CENTRI the children returned home under child in need plans.

Contact Charlotte’s clerks

Claudine Cooper on 0113 202 8604

Paul Foster on 0113 213 5209

The Legal 500 2017 leading individual logo Legal 500 Leading individual 2019