Child Care

Amanjit is a Director, Joint Head and Solicitor in the Child Care & Family department. She joined Duncan Lewis in September 2004 and developed the Child Care & Family department at the firms Harrow on the Hill branch. Amanjit heads and manages the department, which encompasses solicitors, trainee solicitors and caseworkers. Amanjit is also involved in training and supervision of the department together with continuing to practise. She is committed to all areas of children and family law.

Amanjit has been specialising in both children and family law since qualifying as a Solicitor in January 2000. In all Children Act proceedings she represents parents, family members, children's guardians and children. Her practise covers residence, contact, specific issue and prohibited step order applications.

Amanjit's other main area of expertise is handling cases with an international element. She is experienced in child abduction cases under the Hague Convention and receives referrals from the Central Authority acting for parents abroad, as well as acting for those defending abduction claims. She is on the Reunite Panel of Solicitors, an organisation that helps families on child abduction with advice, information and support. She also has the expertise to deal with Wardship applications and familiar with the legal systems in many foreign jurisdictions, in particular in Europe, India, Pakistan, Somali, Canada and USA.

She is committed to acting in all children matters in particular special guardianship orders, care orders, supervision orders and emergency orders; adoption within the UK and overseas; parental responsibility agreements; paternity disputes and surrogacy agreements. Amanjit has been instructed in a number of complex cases involving cruelty to children, serious allegations of harm to children and honour killings.

Amanjit has continued to specialise in divorces, judicial separation and nullity; complex financial matters (ancillary relief) relating to the breakdown of a marriage/relationship including high net worth assets and the distribution of business assets, prenuptial, cohabitation and separation agreements; cohabitation disputes involving property; and civil Directorship disputes. Amanjit is further accredited by the Law Society to undertake cases that involve domestic violence and continues to represent vulnerable individuals who require protection from violence. Amanjit represents clients in respect of non-molestation injunctions and occupation orders. Amanjit undertakes all children and family work at a domestic and international level.

In addition, Amanjit is able to give advice on Family/Matrimonial matters and practises in both the High Court and County Courts, acting for publicly funded and private clients. She practices her own advocacy at all levels.

Reported cases - M v J [2007] ALL ER (D) AT5 (MAR) the Court of Appeal decided that the lower court could have made an order without the need for the CAFCASS Officer to give advice to the Court.

- Re SK [2007] EWHC 3289 (FAM) two applications were considered by the Court. Firstly the return of the vulnerable adult to her mother and the second application was, initially, for a written report. The Court on this occasion viewed the application, and contrasted the principles in recent medical report cases where a second medical report was allowed.

- Re Z (Unsupervised Contact: Allegations of Domestic Violence) [2009] EWCA Civ 430 In this case the trial judge abandoned as fact finding hearing halfway through the hearing. The Court of Appeal decided that a Fact Finding Hearing could not simply be ignored and when a judge has heard all the evidence and made findings of fact that the Judge can determine where the best interests of the children really lie.

- O (A Child) [2009] EWCA Civ 1273 The Court of Appeal determined whether the child was habitually resident in Turkey prior to her removal to the UK, whether the Father's right of custody had been breached. Whether the Father had consented (acquiesced) to the child leaving Turkey. The Court found in favour of the Father as we were able to successfully establish all three grounds on behalf of the Father. The Court was of the view that the child had a valuable dual heritage and needed to grow up with a close relationship not only with her mother but with her father and not only with her maternal family but with her paternal family.

In addition the Court considered the criticism that the learned judge for failed to require additional oral evidence in relation to the issues of habitual residence and foreign law although neither party applied for it. The Court was of the view that the trial judge had an overarching responsibility to ensure that there is sufficient evidence to support findings, and may call for further and oral evidence on any matter which is considered relevant. Therefore it remains the case that oral evidence should remain limited in such summary proceedings.

- WF v FJ, BF and RF (Abduction: Child's Objections) [2010] EWHC 2909 (Fam) The Court provided clear guidance on how to approach the issue of the child's objection to return - which is separate from the Art 13(b) defence that return would present a 'grave risk of physical or psychological harm, or would otherwise place the child in an intolerable position'.

Amanjit is dedicated to working with all vulnerable members of society that require assistance and is further committed to charitable work with a number of local charities. She has previously been a Trustee in a local charity and remains committed to a career to public funding work.

Amanjit is a professional member of the following; - Law Society's Children Panel - Children Representative - Law Society's Advanced Family Law Panel (including accreditation for Domestic Violence) - Lord Chancellor's Child Abduction and Contact Panel - The Association of Lawyers for Children - Law Society - The Middlesex Law Society She is also a non professional member of the Childs Rights Information Network Amanjit is fluent in the Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu languages. In her spare time she enjoys yoga, current affairs, astronomy and reading