Vanket Appalakondiah

I am a Director of Family Law at Duncan Lewis and I currently supervise a team of solicitors, trainee solicitors and caseworkers.

I litigate all areas of family law including divorce, ancillary relief, private law children, care proceedings, TOLATA (Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act), domestic abuse and child abduction.

My specialties include; financial claims, TOLATA, Schedule 1 applications, private law children and child abduction matters.

I have acted for applicants in child abductions matter and also for respondents, and I have successfully defended several applications for the return of children to the countries they were removed from.

In relation to financial claims I have successfully set aside equitable charges by third parties and resisted warrant for possessions brought by mortgagees where the matrimonial homes were under the sole names of respondent spouses who failed to pay the mortgages.

In relation to private law children matters, I have successfully removed PSO orders obtained by fathers in order for my clients to take the children out of the jurisdiction for holidays and other relevant issues.

I have extensive experience of dealing with family law matters which include divorce and care proceedings.

I am accredited as Family Law Advanced Panel member, a member of Resolution, a Family Law Association for solicitors who are committed to resolving family matters fairly and amicably. I am also a member of Child Abduction Lawyers Association (CALA) a body of specialist child abduction lawyers, which includes the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit Panel Members.

• Law Society Finals
• LLB Honours - North London Polytechnic

• Director at Duncan Lewis - present
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors - August 1999-present
• Manogaran Solicitor February 1999-July 1999
• Chetty & Co - 1996-1999
• Admitted as a Solicitor 1996

• Recommended Lawyer - The legal 500, 2022 - 2021 editions

• Family Law Advanced Panel
• Member of Resolution
• Member of Child Abduction Lawyers Association

• I jog regularly and have taken part in the London Marathon and a couple of half marathons, raising money for charities.
• I am a keen gardener

• Two Duncan Lewis solicitors named in The Best Lawyers UK guide 2023 (21 June 2022)
• Re H (A CHILD) (20 April 2021)
• A (A Child) (Rev 1) [2020] EWCA Civ 731 (15 June 2020) - Success in Opposing Appeal by SSHD in FGMPO Proceedings (17 June 2020)
• A (A child) (Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order Application) [2020] EWHC 323 (Fam) - Success for client in Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order Matter (9 March 2020)
• Family Courts powerless to prevent deportation of children at risk of FGM - A (A Child: Female Genital Mutilation: Asylum) [2019] EWHC 2475 (Fam) (25 September 2019) (4 October 2019)
• B v M [2018] EWHC 1473 (Fam) (26 April 2018) – Duncan Lewis successful in mishandled Private Fostering Agreement (7 May 2019)
• Duncan Lewis Childcare Director Vanket Appalakondiah Achieves Law Society Advanced Family Child Abduction Panel Status (15 September 2014)