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 15 years. I lead a team of Children Panel lawyers and run mentoring and training workshops for the junior members of my team. I am a Recommended Individual in the 2019 edition of The Legal 500 for my family law work in London and the South-East.

I qualified as a Solicitor in 2002 and I have been a member of the Law Society Children Panel since 2011. 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 the victims of 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 regularly represent adults seeking to adopt and also receive referrals from local authority's to act for adopters. I am a keen advocate having represented adults and children in the County and High Court.

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 and MENCAP. I am currently involved in setting up a national FGM clinic, working alongside FORWARD and Infringement. I frequently deliver training and workshops to various organisations, including mental health organisations, stalking charities and frontline domestic abuse agencies. Recently, my team and I have been delivering legal advice at a domestic abuse one-stop-shop called Chrysalis, aiming to support women and children experiencing domestic abuse.

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.

In 2018 I was shortlisted for Partner of the Year at the Family Law Awards which recognises the vital work carried out by family lawyers.

Whilst I am based in the Harrow and Lambeth offices, I have a wide practice area across the London area. I am a member of the Law Society Children Panel meaning I have demonstrated the required level of competence and specialist knowledge, as defined by the Law Society in all areas of children law and the representation of children. I am also a member of Resolution a Family Law Association for Solicitors who are committed to resolving family matters fairly and amicably.

I am fluent in Punjabi and conversational in Hindi and Urdu. My language skills have enabled me to regularly deliver legal advice to a number of Asian organisations, allowing me to access a wider range of vulnerable clients who are often influenced by culture not to speak out.

• 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 2002

• "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 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

• 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)