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Sophie Burchett, Duncan Lewis

Sophie Burchett

Solicitor

Contact Information

Profile / Experience

I am an experienced Family and Childcare Solicitor and member of the Law Society's Children Panel, based at Duncan Lewis' City of London office. I also undertake work within the Luton and Bedfordshire areas. I am a Resolution trained Family Mediator (all issues).

As a solicitor I specialise in both public and private law children matters, representing children, parents, grandparents and extended family members in a wide range of matters. I have considerable experience representing parties in care proceedings where the concerns relate to domestic violence, neglect, drug and alcohol misuse and mental illness. I have also represented both parents and children in cases involving non-accidental injury and fabricated or induced illness. I also advise and undertake work in adoption matters.

I also have extensive experience in domestic violence work and in private law children matters, representing parents, grandparents and extended family members on applications for protective non-molestation orders, child arrangement orders, prohibited steps, specific issue orders and special guardianship orders. I am also regularly instructed by appointed children's guardians to represent children who have been joined as a party in the most complex private-law children matters, including in protracted and acrimonious disputes relating to contact and live with arrangements.

I work with vulnerable clients, including those with learning difficulties and mental illness and have been instructed by the Official Solicitor where the client lacks the capacity to conduct proceedings. My work also covers matters related to children with physical, mental and learning disabilities.

I started my legal career at Duncan Lewis in 2008 where I completed my training contract and qualified as a solicitor in October 2010. I returned to Duncan Lewis as a supervising Solicitor in October 2016. I have been an accredited member of the Law Society's Children Panel since 2014.

Where possible, I conduct my own advocacy in both public and private law matters.

I am a Resolution-trained Family Mediator, able to offer 'all issues' mediation regarding all types of children, finances and property disputes. Having considerable experience dealing with a wide range of family disputes through my role as a solicitor and being committed to committed to resolving family disputes fairly and amicably and with the parties and any children remaining the primary focus, where appropriate I am able to encourage and provide the opportunity for out-of-court settlement rather than litigation. I have established a sub-department within the firm, offering competitively priced family mediation to those in need and am able to facilitate sessions both remotely and in person at the firm's London office.

I am a Dispute Resolution member of Resolution.

Family
I am an experienced Family and Childcare Solicitor and member of the Law Society's Children Panel, based at Duncan Lewis' City of London office. I also undertake work within the Luton and Bedfordshire areas. I am a Resolution trained Family Mediator (all issues).

As a solicitor I specialise in both public and private law children matters, representing children, parents, grandparents and extended family members in a wide range of matters. I have considerable experience representing parties in care proceedings where the concerns relate to domestic violence, neglect, drug and alcohol misuse and mental illness. I have also represented both parents and children in cases involving non-accidental injury and fabricated or induced illness. I also advise and undertake work in adoption matters.

I also have extensive experience in domestic violence work and in private law children matters, representing parents, grandparents and extended family members on applications for protective non-molestation orders, child arrangement orders, prohibited steps, specific issue orders and special guardianship orders. I am also regularly instructed by appointed children's guardians to represent children who have been joined as a party in the most complex private-law children matters, including in protracted and acrimonious disputes relating to contact and live with arrangements.

I work with vulnerable clients, including those with learning difficulties and mental illness and have been instructed by the Official Solicitor where the client lacks the capacity to conduct proceedings. My work also covers matters related to children with physical, mental and learning disabilities.

I started my legal career at Duncan Lewis in 2008 where I completed my training contract and qualified as a solicitor in October 2010. I returned to Duncan Lewis as a supervising Solicitor in October 2016. I have been an accredited member of the Law Society's Children Panel since 2014.

Where possible, I conduct my own advocacy in both public and private law matters.

I am a Resolution-trained Family Mediator, able to offer 'all issues' mediation regarding all types of children, finances and property disputes. Having considerable experience dealing with a wide range of family disputes through my role as a solicitor and being committed to committed to resolving family disputes fairly and amicably and with the parties and any children remaining the primary focus, where appropriate I am able to encourage and provide the opportunity for out-of-court settlement rather than litigation. I have established a sub-department within the firm, offering competitively priced family mediation to those in need and am able to facilitate sessions both remotely and in person at the firm's London office.

I am a Dispute Resolution member of Resolution.



Education

  • Legal Practice Course at Nottingham Law School - (Merit)
  • LLB (Hons) at University of Kent, Canterbury - (2:1)
  • Mediation Foundation Training at Resolution - (2018)

Career

  • Duncan Lewis Solicitors (2008-present)
  • Admitted as a solicitor (2010)
  • Trained as a Family Mediator (all issues) - Foundation Training (Resolution), (2018)

Notable Cases

Court of Appeal
  • Case No: B4/2019/0876 O (A Child) - I represented the subject child (aged 8 1/2), through his rule 16.4 children's guardian in private law proceedings on his Mother's application for permission to Appeal to the Court of Appeal following her unsuccessful application to the High Court to appeal the lower court's decision that the child should move to live with his father following lengthy and acrimonious private law proceedings. Permission to appeal was refused.


  • Case No: B4/2019/0876 O (A Child) - I represented the subject child (aged 8 1/2) through his children's guardian, on his mother's application for permission to Appeal to the Court of Appeal following her unsuccessful appeal of the High Court's refusal of her appeal against the lower court's decision to change the child's living arrangements, namely that he should move to live with his father. Mother sought permission to appeal the decision of Sir Andrew McFarlane. Permission to appeal was refused.
High Court
  • Case No: 2018/0206 - Mother's appeal of decision of HHJ Tolson QC - I represented the subject child, aged 8 ½, through his rule 16.4 children's guardian in private law children proceedings relating to his Father’s applications to enforce an existing Child Arrangement Order which had been made in 2019 and to vary this order seeking for the child to move to live with him. The mother had also made an application to vary the existing CAO. The mother had made serious allegations against the father, including that the child had been exposed to inappropriate sexual conduct whilst in his father’s care, as well as that he had been physically and emotionally harmed by his father and that she was therefore justified in stopping contact. A fact-finding hearing had taken place in May 2018 and no findings were made. The child was joined as a party and a guardian appointed, to represent the child and make recommendations in respect of where he should live and whether a ‘change of residence’ to his father’s care was appropriate or necessary. A final hearing had taken place in October 2018 and a final order made in December 2018; with the Court ordering a change of ‘live with’ arrangements for the child. The child was to move to live with Father as of January 2019, however the mother sought permission to appeal and a stay was granted to enable her the opportunity to seek permission to appeal to the High Court. The Mother subsequently sought and was granted permission to appeal by the High Court and a substantive appeal hearing was listed, before the President of the Family Division, in March 2019. The appeal was refused. The mother subsequently sought permission to appeal the President's decision and a further stay was granted to enable her to opportunity to appeal to the Court of Appeal. The mother did so, however permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal was refused. The child therefore moved, pursuant to the original final order, to live with his Father, with arrangements to be made for him to spend time with his mother as per the terms of that order.

Membership & Accreditations

  • The Law Society Children Law Panel (since 2016)
  • Resolution - Dispute Resolution member
  • Family Mediation Council

Interests

  • Spending time with my young family
  • Watching and participating in sport and travelling and exploring new countries and cultures.
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