Claudie Paddick

My Approach

I have a holistic approach ensuring every angle is covered. I am experienced at working through difficult and complex litigation whilst guiding clients with compassion and warmth. I strive to manage conflict and keep the wellbeing of any children at the fore. Ultimately I care about getting the right result.

Areas of Expertise

• Child arrangements disputes (“Contact” and “Residence”)
• Internal relocations within England and Wales and international relocation of children
• Non-molestation and occupation orders including restricting and regulating occupation of the home
• Emotional and psychological abuse and coercion and control
• Cases with parallel criminal proceedings
• Child abduction (the removal of a child from their resident country without the consent of the other parent)
• Decisions regarding mainstream and alternative education, medical treatment or religion
• Special Guardianship Applications (either privately issued or as interveners in care proceedings)

Recent Work

• Complex medical case involving a child where the parents disagreed about whether experimental treatment was in the best interests of the child and decision making regarding end of life care.
• Case with parallel criminal proceedings. Obtaining guidance from the Family Court to vary the terms of a Restraining Order in the Magistrates Court which was having the effect of impeding the child’s time with his father. Securing a shared care arrangement for the father in circumstances where he was previously having supervised contact.
• Acted for the family of a high profile Sportsman securing a shared care arrangement.
• Instructed in a case involving an internationally acclaimed film star where concerns of emotional risk of harm to the child were raised as a result of one parent’s persistent negativity towards the other.
• Representing a mother in a case involving a mature and articulate thirteen year old child who was successfully joined to proceedings, and permitted by the Court to conduct his own case with his own solicitor. The child wished to reduce the amount of time that he spent with his Father. Previously, alienation by the Mother had been repeatedly ruled out by the professionals and the Court.
• Acted in a case where the children were showing resistance and hostility towards the father as a result of psychological manipulation by the mother (“alienation”).
• Acted in a case where the father did not have parental responsibility for the child and the mother permanently relocated with the child from England to Spain without the father’s consent.
• Acted for a Father in proceedings where he opposed the Mother’s application to internally relocate to Wales from London with the parties’ three children.
• Successfully applying for an unmarried mother to relocate to Italy with her 6-year-old daughter.
• Acting for the mother in Hague Convention and relocation proceedings concerning Sweden. Despite the Court making a return order for the Mother to return the child to London from Stockholm, subsequently obtaining the permission of the Court for the Child to relocate with the Mother to Sweden despite CAFCASS not supporting the relocation.
• Successfully opposing an application made by the Father for a change of residence of the Child from Somerset to London.
• Secured a special guardianship order for the maternal grandmother in proceeding involving a two year old boy whose mother had mental health issues. The mother was from the U.S.A and the Father was from New Zealand but the child was habitually resident in England which raised legal issues in all three jurisdictions.
• Acted in a case concerning the summary return of two children to America and the court’s jurisdiction to consider the best interests of children who were made wards of court. [2017] EWHC 3709 (Fam) 2017 WL 08423958
• Securing a non-molestation order and an occupation order restricting and regulating the occupation of the family home on behalf of a Father in circumstances where the Mother was using the Police to make false allegations against the Father, in order to try and obstruct his time with the children.

Professional Associations & Qualifications

• University of Reading, 2:1
• College of Law, Bloomsbury, Distinction
• Resolution Accredited Specialist in Private Law Children and Children Abduction cases.
• Qualified in 2010