Louise Hill

Year of call:

1988

Education:

1987 - Van Mildert College, Durham University, BA LAW (Hons) (Dunelm)

1988 - Inns of Court School of Law, BVC

Career:

1988 - Pupil at 32 Park Square, Leeds

1989 - Tenant at 30 and 32 Park Square, Leeds

2004 - Tenant at Sovereign Chambers Leeds

2015 - Sovereign Chambers becomes Park Square Barristers

Appointments:

2009 - 2016 - School governor holding posts of safeguarding & protecting children, literacy, early years & Chair of curriculm commitee

Memberships:

North Eastern Circuit

North Eastern Circuit Family Law Bar Association

Louise has specialised exclusively in family law for over 20 years, both in private and public law proceedings. She regularly undertakes work for parents, local authorities, children and extended family. She accepts work in all tiers of court as well as both private and publicly funded work.

Public Law

Louise conducts cases involving applications for care and supervision orders; contact with children in care; discharge of care orders; placement and adoption orders; kinship care and special guardianship orders. She has considerable expertise in dealing with all aspects of child abuse and neglect allegations, including physical, emotional and sexual abuse and cases involving allegations of fabricated illness. Some of Louise’s cases have involved unusual elements including ritual abuse.

Louise is increasingly instructed as a leading junior on the more serious and complex cases.

She has particular experience and interest in cases involving complex and technical medical matters and is frequently instructed to conduct finding of fact hearings as to causation and identification of perpetrator of injuries. She has a considerable track record of success in assisting clients towards rehabilitation.

Louise also undertakes cases which involve an international element including applications to place children outside the jurisdiction within care proceedings, and has significant experience in representing parents from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Louise also has experience of the educational system and how this impacts within care proceedings. She is skilled in conducting cases where her client has a learning disability or learning difficulty, or mental health issues.

Private Law

Louise has considerable experience of complex family conflicts within child arrangement hearings, including representation of the child in some cases. She has conducted cases which involve allegations of child abuse, domestic abuse, applications to remove from the Jurisdiction and specific issue orders. She has conducted finding of fact hearings within private law proceedings.

Languages and Interpreters

Louise has conducted many cases involving different cultures and languages and is experienced in working with interpreters and intermediaries. She has experience of working with BSL. Recent cases have included clients from Pakistan, Iran, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Bulgaria and Romania.

Approach

Louise has a reputation for robust cross examination and thorough preparation of her cases. She enjoys the challenge of unusual elements in a case. She has however also trained as a mediator and has good negotiation skills with the aim of achieving a settlement where possible. She is also sensitive and approachable yet able to give firm and clear advice when required.

Louise accepts instructions by email and provides a prompt attendance note for every hearing.

Training

She is involved in court skills training for local authorities.

Contact Louise’s clerks

Claudine Cooper on 0113 202 8604

Paul Foster on 0113 213 5209

Arnela Siranovic on 0113 213 5212

Louise Hill has over 20 years’ experience at the Bar, mainly in family law. Having specialised exclusively in children’s cases in the last 5 years, Louise has recently returned to this area of practice.

Contact Louise’s clerks

Claudine Cooper on 0113 202 8604

Paul Foster on 0113 213 5209

Arnela Siranovic on 0113 213 5212

Following 20 years’ experience in practice, Louise Hill has undertaken training in the protection of vulnerable adults and is keen to develop further in this area.

Through her work involving vulnerable adults within children’s proceedings, she has knowledge of Community Care Act assessments.

Contact Louise’s clerks

Claudine Cooper on 0113 202 8604

Paul Foster  on 0113 213 5209

Arnela Siranovic on 0113 213 5212