Natalia Perrett

Natalia Perrett.
Year of call:

2004

Education:

2002 - University of Birmingham, LLB (Hons)

2004 - Nottingham Law School, BVC (‘Very competent’)

Career:

2004 - Pupil at No 6, Leeds

2005 - Tenant at No 6

2015 - No 6 becomes Park Square Barristers

2022 - Deputy Head of the Family Team

Memberships:

North Eastern Circuit

Family Law Bar Association

Ranked in The Legal 500 (2024) for Family and Children Law. Natalia Perrett is the Deputy Head of our Family Team and has specialised in public and private children law for over 16 years with a particular emphasis on complex care and adoption proceedings.

An empathic and imperturbable junior.” The Legal 500 (2024)

Natalia’s skills combine an impressive forensic analysis of cases with an empathetic approach with lay clients. She is well-liked by guardians.’ – The Legal 500 – (2023)

“She is brilliant with vulnerable clients. She is empathetic and warm, gives them fantastic support. She is well liked by Guardians.” – The Legal 500 (2021)

“Brilliant with vulnerable clients; she gives them fantastic support and is well like by guardians” – The Legal 500 (2020)

Public law proceedings

Natalia has extensive experience of representing children, parents and local authorities in complex family law cases. She is regularly instructed in cases involving serious non-accidental injury involving multiple injuries, including where the family has a complex genetic history. This has involved investigation into Ehlers-Danlos and the impact thereof, Osteogenesis Imperfecta as well as rarer syndromes. Natalia was also instructed to provide junior representation to a mother accused of poisoning her child with salt at hospital. She has regularly represented all protagonists where there have been allegations of sexual abuse including historical allegations and grooming. She has also appeared in cases involving the issues of female genital mutilation and forced marriage. Natalia is well regarded for her sensitive approach towards those with mental health problems and learning disabilities.

Natalia’s expertise within the field of jurisdiction has seen her successfully argue lack of jurisdiction in the High Court with respect to a child born in Ireland to an English mother (and father). She has also successfully argued on behalf of a mother for a transfer of proceedings under Article 15 BIIa to Hungary. The child was subsequently repatriated to Hungary.

Natalia is noted for her determined approach and is willing and able to utilise all the available  tools at her disposal. Natalia representing the father, in tandem with the mother, successfully argued for a Resolutions Assessment in the Family Court. This was after the parents had been the subject of both a negative social work and independent social work assessment. The child was subsequently reunited with his parents using this approach. For more information on this case please click here.

 

“Experienced across a wide spectrum of children law matters.” – The Legal 500 (2018)

“Recommended for public and private family law matters.” – The Legal 500 (2017)

“She has expertise in private and public children law and Court of Protection matters.” – The Legal 500 (2016)

“She is perceptive, insightful, and highly persuasive in the courtroom.” – The Legal 500 (2015)

Private law – children

Natalia has considerable experience of representing all parties in complex private family cases, including cases involving the most serious domestic and sexual violence, implacable hostility and alleged child sexual abuse. Natalia has on a number of occasions successfully secured judgments of ‘no findings’ for the alleged perpetrator. She has also successfully represented parents in cases involving removal from the jurisdiction (successfully preventing removal when acting for the father where the mother had gone on to marry a well-known sportsperson), internal relocation and temporary removal disputes.

Natalia has represented CAFCASS Legal in forced-marriage proceedings in relation to a 13-year-old girl abducted to a non-Hague Convention Country in the midst of civil war. She has regularly represented parties in cases where child abduction is a key concern.

Natalia has extensive experience of representing children, parents and local authorities in complex family law cases. She is regularly instructed in cases involving serious non-accidental injury involving multiple injuries, including where the family has a complex genetic history. This has involved investigation into Ehlers-Danlos and the impact thereof, Osteogenesis Imperfecta as well as rarer syndromes. Natalia was also instructed to provide junior representation to a mother accused of poisoning her child with salt at hospital. She has regularly represented all protagonists where there have been allegations of sexual abuse including historical allegations, grooming and forced marriage. Natalia is well regarded for her sensitive approach towards those with mental health problems and learning disabilities.

Notable cases

Many of the cases in which Natalia appears are unreported to protect the confidentiality of the family

  • Re C [2019] – Successful reunification of child to parents using the Resolutions Approach
  • Derby City Council v SK and Others [2015] EWFC 57 – The mother supported by the father successfully argued that there were no ongoing proceedings in Poland relating to parental responsibility such that Poland should maintain jurisdiction as the court first seized pursuant to Article 19 BIIaThe children had not been unlawfully removed or retained in England (and that even if they had, the bodies with choate or inchoate rights of custody in Poland namely, the Polish Court and/or Court appointed Guardian had acquiesced in the removal/retention). The children had acquired habitual residence in England at the relevant date. The court should therefore decline to make an Article BIIa transfer request to Poland
  • CS (Finding of Fact) [2014] EWFC B171 – The local authority sought findings that the paternal grandmother should remain in the pool of perpetrators where CS (the child) had suffered extensive and multiple injuries at the hands of one of his carers. Successfully argued that the paternal grandmother should be removed from the pool of perpetrators and only limited failure-to-protect findings were made.

Solicitor recommendations

“I finished a 3-day hearing with Natalia yesterday on what was a pretty complex and difficult matter. Natalia was absolutely outstanding: her cross-examination was brilliantly pitched at exactly the right tone, and her closing was insightful and very persuasive. It was very much a matter that could have gone either way, and a big reason as to why it went in our favour was because of Natalia’s advocacy.”

“Mr U has learning difficulties and is a respondent father in care proceedings. Natalia has worked tirelessly and with great tenacity… to ensure that the court took account of Mr U’s right to a fair trial. The quality of Natalia’s skeleton arguments is excellent – pithy and successfully persuasive.”

Lecturing

Natalia lectures on a wide variety of topics relating to family law. If there is a particular area in which she can assist, her clerks will be happy to arrange a lecture.

Contact Natalia’s clerks

Claudine Cooper on 0113 202 8604

Paul Foster on 0113 213 5209

Arnela Siranovic on 0113 213 5212

 

“She has expertise in private and public children law and Court of Protection matters.” – The Legal 500 (2016)

Natalia led a junior member of chambers in a complex matter which involved an examination of the rights and legislative provisions surrounding the safeguarding of vulnerable adults living in children’s homes and residential special schools. This led to the preparation of complex legal submissions within the Re X and Others (Deprivation of Liberty) [2014] EWCOP 25 litigation, in which the President of the Court of Protection, Sir James Munby, provided guidance on the practical and procedural implications for the Court of Protection following the Supreme Court’s decision in Surrey County Council v P [2014] 2 WLR 642.

“She is perceptive, insightful, and highly persuasive in the courtroom.” – The Legal 500 (2015)

Natalia has acted for clients in mental health review tribunals, including a particularly complex matter concerning the detention of a 36-week pregnant client with an unspecified eating disorder.

Natalia has also appeared for the local authority in Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council v GS and Another [2014] EWCOP 46, where Holman J determined that relevant legislative provisions (regulation 17A of the Children’s Homes Regulations and para 3.19 National Minimum Standards for Children’s Homes) did not, in the case of GS, prevent the court from authorising a deprivation of liberty where such deprivation of liberty pursued a legitimate aim and was necessary, proportionate and in GS’ best interests.

She also successfully contested the appointment of a health & welfare deputy, and advised and acted in contested issues concerning the residence of ‘P’ and restriction of contact.

Notable cases

  • Re X and Others (Deprivation of Liberty) [2014] EWCOP 25 – (see above)
  • Re X and Others (Deprivation of Liberty) (No 2) [2014] EWCOP 37 – (see above)
  • Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council v GS and another [2014] EWCOP 46 – (see above).

Lecturing

Natalia lectures on a wide variety of topics relating to the Court of Protection. If there is a particular area in which she can assist, her clerks will be happy to arrange a lecture.

Contact Natalia’s clerks

Claudine Cooper on 0113 202 8604

Paul Foster on 0113 213 5209

Arnela Siranovic on 0113 213 5212

 

 

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