Listed as a “Rising Star” in the 2024 edition of The Legal 500 for Family & Children Law
“Oliver’s eye for detail is exceptional. He is incredibly diligent, and a very persuasive and polished advocate.” – The Legal 500 (2024)
“Oliver Latham is ‘a formidable barrister‘ and has been kept busy handling cases involving allegations of severe sexual and physical abuse.” – The Legal 500 (2024)
“Oliver has a wonderful talent for advocacy, adopting the method of scrupulous attention to detail and a good, calm delivery of what he needs to say. He is well regarded by judges.” Legal 500 (2023)
“The ‘Up and coming’ Oliver Latham is ‘thorough and pragmatic‘, and acts for children, local authorities and parents in cases involving serious injuries, sexual abuse and issues regarding genetic conditions” Legal 500 (2023)
Oliver’s practice spans the entire range of Children Act cases, to include both public (care) proceedings and private law children cases.
His work involves representation of local authorities, parents and children in complex cases involving:
- Allegations of inflicted injuries, including multiple fracture injury cases;
- Genetic conditions
- Endocrinological bone disorders and blood disorders;
- Serious sexual abuse, including rape;
- Serious domestic physical and emotional abuse;
- Psychiatric and psychological disorders;
- Parents with learning difficulties.
In a number of Oliver’s care cases he has worked with parents with findings of abuse under a “Resolution” style model in order to secure the return of the children to their care.
Alongside his care work, a significant proportion of Oliver’s practice involves representation of parents, and occasionally children, in private law disputes. Oliver has particular experience of litigating abuse in the family courts, including allegations of serious sexual abuse, and rape. His article on the court’s approach to consent in finding of fact hearings within child arrangement order proceedings, specifically in relation to rape allegations, was published in the October 2023 edition of the Family Law Journal. Oliver has experience of international contact and relocation disputes and welcomes instructions in this area. He has also been involved in cases involving disputes over legal parentage, often between same sex couples, and intractable disputes raising issues of parental alienation.
Articles
- Latham O and Lennon K, ‘Consent’ does it matter? [2023] Fam Law 1207
Notable cases
- Re B (A child) (Fact-finding) [2023] EWCA Civ 905 Court of Appeal case. Counsel was led by Charlotte Worsley KC 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
- F v M (Appeal: Fact Finding: Domestic Abuse) [2023] EWFC 48 https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewfc/2023/48 Decision of Knowles J addressing the approach to consent and rape findings in finding of fact hearings. Represented the father in the finding of fact hearing and the appeal. The case involved multiple allegations within private law proceedings of the highest severity.
- Re J 2023 – Junior counsel representing the father accused of causing multiple rib and leg fractures to a 5 week old baby. The father was exonerated in relation to the injury findings that were sought.
- Re B 2023 – Represented the mother found to have caused bruising injuries to her baby. The child was returned to the mother’s care following a resolution style assessment and has remained there ever since.
- Re E 2023 – Led junior counsel representing the children, one of whom suffered serious brain and eye injuries following a shaking incident.
- Re B 2022 – Junior counsel in a complex multi injury case involving genetic evidence regarding an extremely rare gene mutation of unknown significance.
- Re J 2021 – Represented the father and successfully defended him against a finding that he inflicted tibia injuries to a toddler, on the basis that an innocent toddler fracture could not be excluded following cross examination of the radiologist.
Listed as a “Rising Star” in the 2023 edition of The Legal 500 for Family & Children Law
“’Oliver has a wonderful talent for advocacy, adopting the method of scrupulous attention to detail and a good, calm delivery of what he needs to say. He is well regarded by judges.’ Legal 500 (2023)
Oliver has been instructed in numerous FDRs and final hearings within financial remedy proceedings, often against more senior counsel. He has been involved in cases raising more unusual issues, such as substantial delay and significant disability. He very much welcomes instructions in this area.
Oliver has an especial interest in trusts issues arising from relationship breakdown involving unmarried couples. His first class undergraduate dissertation on the common intention constructive trust as applied to sole legal title disputes was described as a “stellar piece of original research” by the examiner.
