Elizabeth Cowens

I am a Director of Family and Child Care Law at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, with over 13 years’ specialist experience in public law children proceedings, international children law proceedings, and legal policy.

My practice covers a wide spectrum of family and childcare law, including:

• Public law care proceedings (including allegations of non-accidental injury, fabricated or induced illness, and deprivation of liberty)
• International and cross-border matters, including child abduction, international relocation, and jurisdictional disputes
• Special guardianship and adoption cases

I represent a range of clients, including parents, children, kinship carers and foster carers. Many of my clients are experiencing stressful challenges, are foreign nationals who require the assistance of interpreters, and/or may need extra support to understand their case.

Based in the Reading office, I regularly advise and represent clients across Berkshire, Hampshire and London.

Alongside my legal practice, I bring extensive leadership experience in the charity and not-for-profit sector. As Service Director for the Advice and Advocacy team at Family Rights Group, I led a team of solicitors and social workers providing nationwide advice on child welfare and social services involvement.

I was previously Vice Chair of the board of trustees for Family Rights Group, contributing to governance, safeguarding policy and long-term strategic development. I have also worked on the Association of Lawyers for Children Executive Committee, helping to advocate for best practice in securing justice for children and young people navigating the courts in England and Wales. This experience gives me a unique perspective on the intersection of legal practice, social care and policy reform, as well as a deep commitment to improving outcomes for children and families.

I am experienced in securing publicly funded (legal aid), privately funded and insurance funded representation. I regularly assist eligible clients in applying for legal aid, advise private clients through affordable funding arrangements, including fixed fees and hourly rate packages and secure funding agreements with insurers when clients have eligible policies.

I have acted in a number of high-profile and reported cases, including appeals before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, and I frequently undertake my own advocacy.

I am a member of the Association of Lawyers for Children and have developed a particular expertise in highly specialist areas of law, such as public interest immunity and terrorism issues within care proceedings, as well as matters relating to trafficked children and illegal adoptions.

I am committed to working with clients who have learning difficulties and/or are neurodiverse, ensuring they are supported to fully engage in and understand their cases. I also occasionally provide legal advice to local authorities.

Undergraduate:

• Brandeis University, Massachusetts, USA: BA (Bachelors of Arts) in Political Science (Minor: Legal Studies) (2002 – 2006)

Postgraduate:

• The City Law School, City University London: LPC (Legal Practice Course) and LLM (Latin Legum Magister ie Master of Laws) in Legal Practice (2008 – 2010)
• City University London: CPE/Graduate Diploma in Law (2007 – 2008)

• Duncan Lewis Solicitors - Director, Family and Child Care Team (September 2025 - Present) | London
• Family Rights Group – Service Director, Advice and Advocacy Service (January 2022 – July 2025) | London/Remote
• Blackfords LLP – Solicitor, Family Team (December 2016 – December 2021) | Woking, Surrey
• Bindmans LLP – Solicitor, Family Team (March 2012 – December 2016) | London
• Bindmans LLP – Trainee Solicitor, Family and Employment Law Team (March 2010 – March 2012) | London
• Bindmans LLP – Paralegal, Family Team (July 2009 – March 2010) | London

Supreme Court

Re E (Children) UKSC/2011/0084 - Assisted with an Intervention on behalf of Reunite in an international child abduction case before the Supreme Court. The case involved two children who had been removed from Norway to England by their mother without their father's consent. The mother raised the defence that there would be a grave risk of harm if the children were to be returned to Norway, due to alleged psychological abuse perpetrated by the father. The main issue was whether the psychological harm that the children's mother and the children would suffer could amount to a grave risk of harm. Reunite provided submissions about the wider public interest issues involved in the interpretation of the Hague Convention 1980, and that it should be applied without any additional gloss. The Supreme Court accepted Reunite's submissions.

Court of Appeal

• Re P-S (Children) [2018] EWCA Civ 1407 - Solicitor with Conduct - Intervention on behalf on the Association of Lawyers for Children where the first instance judge had made final care orders instead of Special Guardianship Orders when two sets of grandparents had been positively assessed to be Special Guardians. The judge was relying on informal guidance given by a High Court Judge in his role as a leadership judge, which said that Special Guardianship Orders should not be made if the child had not been living with the prospective Special Guardians beforehand. The Court of Appeal accepted the Association of Lawyers for Children's submissions about the status of informal judicial guidance and best practice for making Special Guardianship Orders.

• Association of Lawyers for Children (Executive Committee November 2015 - November 2020)