Ravi Kaur Mahey

I am a Solicitor-Advocate and Director in the Child Care and Family Department. I am recognised as a leading lawyer in my field, having specialised in children law for over 17 years. I have been on the Children Panel since 2011 and I lead a large team of mostly Children Panel lawyers.

I specialise and litigate in all areas of children law, in particular public law cases where I act for children themselves through their guardians, in addition to representing parents in adoption and child abduction matters. I have developed a specialism in acting for cases involving forced marriages, abandoned spouses, honour based violence and female genital mutilation (FGM). I also have expertise representing parents and young people in various care proceedings. I have been involved in a number of complex medical cases involving allegations of 'baby shaking', non-accidental injuries, attempted murder and factitious illness syndrome.

I am committed to legal aid and to carrying out pro bono work, having worked in legal aid for the entirety of my career. I have been instrumental in running a variety of pro bono clinics, collaborating with Women's Aid, Fathers Groups, MENCAP, the national FGM clinic, working alongside FORWARD and Infringement.

I have previously been invited to advise the judiciary by sitting on the steering group committee to pilot the new Quad Borough system for South London Boroughs. I regularly speak at events and have delivered keynote speeches on human rights matters, once in front of a 5000 plus audience at Trafalgar Square.

I am a Recommended Individual in the 2019 edition of The Legal 500 for my family law work in London and the South-East. In 2018, I was shortlisted for Partner of the Year at the Family Law Awards and shortlisted as Civil Lawyer of the year at the Asian Legal Awards. In 2019, I was Highly Commended by the Law Works Probono Awards in the Best Contribution by an Individual category. Whilst I am based in the Harrow office, I have a wide practice area across the London area.

• Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice - University of Birmingham
• LLB (Hons) - University of Nottingham Trent

• Director at Duncan Lewis 2014-present
• Senior Solicitor at Fisher Meredith 2011-2014
• Solicitor at Challinors 2004-2011
• Solicitor at Davies Simmons 2002-2004
• Admitted as a Solicitor at Davies Simmons 2002

• "Ravi has been working with me as my pro bono solicitor for the past three years. She has kept me informed throughout the entire process and has helped immensely. Ravi is kind, always making time when I need to talk, and she is efficient, ensuring everything is completed to a high standard and with plenty of time." – Client, 2019


• "Ravi not only provides exceptional client care and services to individuals who are able to afford assistance but also pro bono to those most vulnerable in society who require expert legal assistance the most. This is evidenced by her commitment to provide her expertise to new and established pro bono legal initiatives including recently a specialist FGM clinic.
  
  Ravi's expertise is also evidenced by the fact she is sought by clients to represent them in some of the most serious cases, where she works alongside counsel to make sure their client gets the best outcome. I saw this first hand in the case of Re X (A Child) (Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order) 2017 EWGC 2898." - James Holmes, Garden Court Chambers


• "Ravi has an excellent knowledge of children law. She is an outstanding family lawyer that really pulls out the stops to get the best results for her clients. She has an ability to really understand the needs of her clients, especially those who are very vulnerable." - BS, Barrister.


• "I am very grateful for her patience and professional management of hearings." - Children's Guardian.


• "Ravi has provided a high level of professional legal advice and support for fathers who attend our Fathers group. She has organised a team of Solicitors to engage, listen and help our members with their family based legal questions. Ravi has been extremely supportive to our Fathers group members’ needs and is prompt in her response to helping them gain the most appropriate legal support and advice. She has done all of this with a positive, kind and thoughtful purpose." - Client, Fathers Group.

• Recommended Lawyer - The Legal 500, 2021 edition - Family/London; and Family/South East
• Recommended Individual - The Legal 500, 2019 edition - Family/London
• Recommended Individual - The Legal 500, 2019 edition - Family/South-East
• In 2014 I was invited to sit on the South London Care Proceedings Project (SLCPP - QUAD) steering group committee.

High Court

• A Local Authority v X & Ors [2018] EWHC 874 (Fam) (19 April 2018) - Case concerning four children, whose mother worked as a secretary for the X High Commission. The family entered the UK with diplomatic rights and privileges arising from M’s employment. There were two key issues in the case; the first concerned the court’s jurisdiction to make final care orders in respect of the children if those children continued to have diplomatic immunity. The second consisted of classic welfare issues in children public law proceedings which require threshold criteria to be satisfied. Following intensive legal work, the court further concluded it is in the best interests of the children to return to the care of M following a period of rehabilitation managed by the Local Authority.


• X (A Child) (Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order : Restrictions on Travel) [2017] EWHC 2898 (Fam) (18 December 2017) - This case concerns ‘X’, a young girl, born in 2016 to ‘M’, her white English mother and ‘F’, her Egyptian father, who currently resides in Egypt. After a Health Visitor (KA) reported M’s concerns about X being at risk of Female Genital Mutilation should she go to Egypt, the Local Authority issued Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order proceedings, pursuant of s2 of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, to be held until X turns 16.


• I (A Child) [2012] EWCA Civ 1217

• Member of The Law Society Children Panel since 2011
• Member of Resolution
• Member of the Association of Lawyers for Children
• Associate Member of Nagalro

• Human rights activist and public speaker on genocide and human rights issues
• Member of Amnesty International
• Playing classical instruments

• Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill – The Introduction of a ‘No-Fault’ Divorce (21 April 2021)
• Protection from FGM: Family Law Development of FGMPOs (26 March 2021)
• Re C (Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage: Fact Finding) [2019] EWHC 3449 (Fam) (16 June 2020)
• A-F (Children) (Care and SGO - older children), Re [2019] EWFC B45 (24 May 2019) – Lack of Capacity and Complex Sibling Care Proceedings (4 December 2019)
• LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2019 – Ravi Kaur Mahey Highly Commended for Best Contribution by an Individual (4 December 2019)
• Re X (Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order. No.2) (3 December 2019)
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors nominated for three awards at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2019 (5 November 2019)
• Pro Bono Week 2019: Duncan Lewis Solicitors initiatives (4 November 2019)
• Judgment - Re X [2019] EWHC 1990 (Fam) (Family Law Week) (25 July 2019)
• Mother of three year old girl becomes the first person convicted of FGM in the UK (6 February 2019)
• Parental Alienation (Albanian Post) (21 November 2018)
• Parental Alienation (15 October 2018)
• Duncan Lewis shortlisted for awards at the Society of Asian Lawyers Awards (11 October 2018)
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors Shortlisted for two awards at the Family Law Awards 2018 (5 September 2018)
• FGM travel ban ‘keeping family apart for 16 years’ (The Times) (1 August 2018)
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors Successful in First Ever FGM Case heard in the Court of Appeal (31 July 2018)
• Harsh Reality of Legal Aid Cuts: Rape victim forced to represent herself in court (18 June 2018)
• A Local Authority v X & Ors [2018] EWHC 874 (Fam) (19 April 2018) (30 April 2018)
• Court’s strict approach to FGM imposing 16 year travel ban (13 April 2018)
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors represented Diplomat’s challenge to the High Court concerning enforcement of orders in light of diplomatic immunity (12 April 2018)
• X (A Child) (Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order : Restrictions on Travel) [2017] EWHC 2898 (Fam) (18 December 2017)