Emily Reed

Ranked in The Legal 500 (2026) for Family and Children Law.

“is a very empathetic person who relates well to the client whilst at the same time tells them the reality of their situation, even when it is unpalatable, in a clear and supportive manner. She is very well prepared and courteous but firm when acting as an advocate”

– The Legal 500 (2026)

Emily Reed has a busy children law practice, covering the whole range of proceedings in private and public children law as well as Family Law Act injunctions.

Emily appears regularly in the full range of hearings, including finding-of-fact hearings, final hearings and appeals, and has experience dealing with expert and vulnerable witnesses.

She has dealt with complex matters including leave to oppose adoption orders, international jurisdictional issues arising in care proceedings, and complex issues surrounding parental alienation in private children proceedings.

Emily has appeared regularly in the National Deprivation of Liberty Court, as well as writing on this subject (The National Deprivation of Liberty Court – how might it increase transparency and what is it for?, published in the Family Law Journal, Nov 2022, Volume 52), bringing to bear her knowledge as a respected Court of Protection barrister when advising on any matters pertaining to capacity.

Approach

Emily’s sensitive approach in conference and negotiations has led to successful outcomes when representing parents in public and private law proceedings, including those involving issues of neglect, drug abuse, parental alienation and physical and sexual abuse.

She has a detailed knowledge of the law and is known for her thorough preparation of the cases she deals with. Clients can always be assured that Emily will know their case thoroughly and that their priorities will be understood and kept central to her presentation of the case.

Emily has completed the FLBA Vulnerable Witness Training and is a respected Court of Protection practitioner. She has vast experience representing clients who have cognitive differences.

Public law

In public law proceedings, Emily regularly represents a range of local authorities as well as acting for parents,  children and interveners. She is adept at dealing with instructions on short notice. She is known for her detailed and compelling written advocacy, and has prepared skeleton arguments dealing with leave to oppose adoption orders, the proportionality of litigating threshold findings, and with respect to international jurisdictional issues.

Emily is known for her robust approach, detailed knowledge of the law and her ability to quickly master the facts of the case.

Emily has acted for local authorities and respondents in cases involving sexual abuse, physical abuse (including non-accidental injuries and shaking injuries), parents with mental health issues, issues of mental capacity and immigration issues. Due to her expertise in Court of Protection proceedings, Emily is particularly adept at dealing with cases in which issues of mental capacity and mental health and/or learning disability/difficulties arise.

Private law

Emily has a busy private children law practice, and has a strong track record for achieving good results for parents in Child Arrangement Order proceedings. She is known for her sensitive client care, ability to handle negotiations with skill and tact, and for her robust approach in court.

She has experience in dealing with cases with an international element, including applications for leave to remove children from the jurisdiction. She has successfully represented clients where there have been attempts to frustrate the time spent with children.

In a recent case, Emily successfully represented a father in a complex and long running matter, in which she was instrumental in the pleading and presentation of the father’s case. During the proceedings, findings of parental alienation were made against the mother and the children’s residence was transferred to the father.

Public Access

Emily may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Court skills training

Emily has in the past facilitated court skills training days for social-work students on Leeds Beckett’s BA and MA courses and to trainee paediatricians at Leeds University. Emily has also delivered court skills training courses for social workers at various local authorities.

Emily is the Head of the Court of Protection Team at Park Square Barristers.

Emily is recognised for her work as a Court of Protection barrister by The Legal 500 (2026)

“She is an effective and skilled advocate with sound judgment and is great with both litigants in person and clients”

Legal 500 (2026)

Welfare cases

Emily is a specialist in complex welfare cases, with over 13 years’ experience in the Court of Protection, having specialised in this area since her pupillage.

Emily appears regularly in cases involving complex welfare decisions and deprivations of liberty (DoL).

She is frequently instructed by the Official Solicitor, ALRs, local authorities, integrated care boards and P’s family members in health and welfare cases, dealing with issues as diverse and complex as the removal of pubic and underarm hair in accordance with religious practice, to capacity to consent to sexual relations, to decisions with respect to serious medical treatment.

Emily is also a family law specialist and brings her knowledge from that jurisdiction to bear on cases involving young people transitioning to adult services. She appears regularly in the National Deprivation of Liberty Court and is particularly adept in cases where mental capacity, mental health and learning disability/difficulties intersect with children and young person issues.

Alongside Natalia Perrett, Emily acted for the protected party through her ALR in a recent complex case with dealt with issues pertaining to fact finding in the Court of Protection, the impact of coercive and controlling behaviour on issues of capacity, and consideration of the test with respect to impairment of the mind or brain. The appeal of the fact-finding decisions, heard by Poole J, is reported under SW v Nottingham City Council & Another [2025] EWCOP 53 (T3) and the final capacity judgment is reported under Nottinghamshire County Council v JW & Another [2026] WECOP 13 (T2). At the final hearing, Natalia and Emily challenged the expert psychiatric opinion and successfully argued that JW has capacity across all assessed domains.

Emily acted as junior to Natalia Perrett in a complex case involving DoLs in respect of protected parties residing in children’s homes and residential special schools. She assisted in the preparation of legal submissions within the Re X and others (Deprivation of Liberty) [2014] EWCOP 25 litigation, in which Sir James Munby P (as he was then) conducted a review of the processes by which the Court of Protection authorises and reviews DoLs in the wake of the Cheshire West decision.

Emily is well respected by her peers for her legal knowledge in the Court of Protection. She co-authored the following articles published in the Family Law Journal over recent years:

• November 2022, ‘The National Deprivation of Liberty Court – how might it increase transparency and what is it for?’
• June 2023, ‘A paternalistic approach to capacity: who ‘controls’ when someone may take their own life?’
• September 2023, ‘Progress to transparency in the Court of Protection’

She has also provided training over the past 12 months: on the approach of the Court of Protection to sexual relations, the use of contraception, and social media and the internet; ordinary residence; and the mental impairment element of the test for capacity.

Approach

Emily’s particular strengths lie in her keen intellect, together with her second to none client care. She has an intrinsic ability to put clients at ease and convey to them that their case is fully understood and will be communicated to the Court effectively. Emily is able to communicate clearly and simply with protected parties. She has vast experience acting for clients with cognitive differences and is known for her detailed preparation and compelling written advocacy, including in cases involving expert and vulnerable witnesses.

Emily is a tenacious advocate in Court, known for her forensic approach and robust cross-examinations.

She is happy to advise at any stage in proceedings. Her paperwork, including skeleton arguments, position statements and draft interim and final orders, is detailed and persuasive, and can be turned around quickly and efficiently.

Public Access

Emily may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Court skills training

Emily has in the past facilitated court skills training days for social-work students on Leeds Beckett’s BA and MA courses and to trainee paediatricians at Leeds University. Emily has also delivered court skills training courses for social workers at various local authorities.