I practice from both 4 Brick Court and Atlantic Chambers in Liverpool.

Family Work

I act on behalf of parents, local authorities and children’s guardians in public law children proceedings especially those involving death, serious injury or complex medical/psychiatric evidence. During the last six years I have regularly been instructed on behalf of parents and children’s guardians in care proceedings arising out of the death of a child either by physical abuse or neglect.  These cases present acute forensic difficulties arising both from conflicting expert evidence and from parallel police investigation/criminal proceedings.  In addition to this work I also accept instructions to act in complex private law children cases particularly those where allegations of abuse have been made or where there are serious mental health issues.

Community Care Law

I have represented and advised clients on many aspects of community care law – for example, local authority assessments of children’s and adults’ needs and the provision of accommodation.  I am also instructed in judicial review proceedings: in one case I acted for a teenager with mental health problems to prevent the closure of a joint funded health/local authority teenage fostering scheme and obtained a significant costs order against the local authority concerned.

Court of Protection

I have represented and advised clients in respect of proceedings arising from adult incapacity both in the Court of Protection and in the High Court under its inherent jurisdiction.  I have been commissioned to devise specialist training for local authority managers and social workers about the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. 

What other people say:

"I have always found Gwynneth Knowles to be extremely professional, highly knowledgeable and very approachable"

Turnaround of papers:

By arrangement; otherwise 28 days. Requests for urgent turnaround will usually be accommodated.

Part-time Tribunal Judge of the Mental Health Review Tribunal, January 2007 (with ticket to hear cases of children detained under the Mental Health Act)

Member of Junior Counsel Panel, Welsh Assembly Government (children and family matters), January 2009

Child Neglect (March 2010, North Wales Family Justice Council)

The Oral Evidence of Children (June 2010, Atlantic Chambers Children Law Conference)

Deprivation of Liberty (July 2010, Atlantic Chambers Court of Protection Conference)

Acting for the Difficult Client (March 2011, North Wales Family Justice Council)

Court Skills for Social Workers (March 2011)

The Relocation of Children (October 2011, Atlantic Chambers Family Law Conference)

Reported Cases

Northamptonshire County Council v Islington Borough Council (1999) 2 FLR 881 - Leading case on designation of care orders between different Local Authorities.