Alison Moore

Practice Overview

• Children (Public Law)

  Alison is a specialist family practitioner with particular expertise in complicated public law matters including those involving serious physical abuse and non-accidental injury, terrorism related matters, shaken baby, Vitamin D deficiency and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Alison’s practice also encompasses cases of sexual abuse and trauma. Alison is very experienced in cross-examining medical experts.

  Alison has a particular interest in vulnerable witnesses and parties, including child witnesses. She regularly trains other barristers and solicitors in the rules of advocacy for vulnerable witnesses. Alison is experienced at working with intermediaries and with clients with cognitive and literacy challenges. Alison is very experienced in working with intermediaries and with vulnerable parties where the services of an intermediary are not available. She is particularly interested in making adjustments to the conventional court hearing to enable vulnerable parties to participate in proceedings to the best that they are able.

  Alison is regularly instructed to represent Children’s Guardians and competent children and also by the Official Solicitor to represent individuals who lack litigation capacity.

  Alison has a background practising in criminal law and the Court of Protection and can draw on this experience when acting in cases involving previous or current criminal proceedings or young people or parents who lack litigation capacity.

  Alison is regularly instructed in cases involving Wardship and the invoking of the Inherent Jurisdiction.

• Children (Private Law)

  Alison is regularly instructed in complex private law matters on behalf of parents and children through rule 16.4 Guardians. She has particular experience in parental alienation cases and is able to draw on her extensive experience in public law proceedings and lengthy contested hearings.

  Alison has an interest in cases of parental alienation and where false allegations of domestic abuse or abuse of children have been made.

• Court of Protection

  Alison is regularly instructed on Court of Protection matters concerning adults who lack the capacity to make decisions as to their own welfare. Her public law experience is relevant to this area of work and she has a particular interest in cases involving brain injury in adults and complex learning disability in young adults moving from local authority care and adults with learning disabilities.

• International Family Law

  Alison is experienced in Hague Convention matters and non- Hague Convention matters representing both Applicants and Defendants. Alison was recently instructed in a Hague Convention case on behalf of a Respondent where a full costs order was made against the Applicant when the application for summary return was dismissed.

• Modern Families & Surrogacy

  Alison is instructed in surrogacy cases and is currently involved through the Bar Council Law Review Committee in the Law Commissions ongoing review of surrogacy law.

• Notable Cases

  London Borough of Barking & Dagenham v RM & Ors [2023] EWHC 777

  H-D-H and C, Re (Children: Fact-Finding) [2021] EWCA Civ 119

  T and R, Re (Refusal of Placement Order) [2021] EWCA Civ 71 (28 January 2021)

  Bedford Borough Council v CD & Ors (Rev 1) [2020] EWHC 3298 (Fam) (03 December 2020)

  Re A v B (Hague Convention – Costs) – awaiting citation.

  Re Q [2015] EWFC 36

  Surrey County Council v S [2014] EWCA Civ 601

  Re LRP (A Child) (Care Proceedings – Placement Order) [2013] EWHC 3974 (Fam)

  CtL, CmL, TLP, ARP,MM and JB (Children) (Fact Finding: Protection from Sexual Harm) [2013] EWHC 2133 (Fam)

  A v A Local Authority [2009] EWCA Civ 1057

  A Local Authority v A Mother & Ors [2009] EWHC 1574 (Fam)

  C (A Child) [2009] EWCA Civ 72

  Lambeth v S,C,V & J [2005] 2FLR 1171

• What the directories say

  "She is a really good, forensic barrister." Chambers and Partners, 2024

  "A powerful advocate who fights for justice to the very end." Chambers and Partners, 2024

  "Alison is an excellent advocate who is calm and courteous to witnesses, which is very effective. Her legal arguments are clear, and her written documents are well-drafted. She is a go-to barrister in complex cases." Legal 500, 2024

  "Alison is great with clients. She persuasively sensitively and thoroughly presents her cases." Tier 5 - Legal 500, 2023