Marisa has practised exclusively in family law since 1998. She joined Zenith chambers in 2010 following 10 years at the bar in Leeds in order to specialise in financial and private law children matters.
Marisa deals confidently and regularly with ancillary relief cases involving complex business structures and family trusts, and is known for her clear advice and creative, pro-active approach to negotiating settlement. Marisa is one of the first Barristers outside London to train as a Collaborative Lawyer.
She advises regularly in cases involving child abduction, being only a handful of barristers on circuit with expertise in this area. This expertise has allowed her to develop an ‘Abduction Special Interest Group’ which works with regional solicitors, the judiciary, REUNITE and the FLBA to share knowledge, develop precedents and provide training opportunities.
Marisa’s expertise makes her a popular choice with solicitors for both financial and children matters involving foreign jurisdictions. She has in-depth working knowledge of the Brussels regulations, and cross-jurisdiction recognition and enforcement.
In addition to her expertise in foreign jurisdiction matters, Marisa has a particular interest in family law cases invlolving same sex relationships and is co-author of "Children and Same Sex Families: A Legal Handbook" aimed at family lawyers, professionals and people in same sex relationships published by Jordan Publishing in March 2012.
Areas of Expertise
- Ancillary relief
- Non-matrimonial finance including Schedule 1 financial provision and TOLATA claims
- Private law children matters
- Cases involving foreign jurisdictions within and outside the European Union
- Cases involving issues of legal status, jurisdiction and recognition
- Cases involving families in same-sex relationships
- Representing cohabiting couples and extended family members in respect of property rights and trusts of land.
Reported Cases
- SH v MM and RM [2011] EWHC 3314 concerning whether a removal from the jurisdiction had been unlawful where legal parentage is in issue.
- Re H (Contact: adverse findings of fact) [2011] EWCA Civ 585
- T v B [2010] EWHC 1444: Case determining that a natural parent who is not a legal parent in a same sex relationship is not liable to make financial provision under Sch. 1 of the Children Act.
- Re H (a child) [2002] EWCA Civ 190: Clarified the law regarding changing the forename of a child.
Notable Cases
S v S (2012) EWHC Successfully defended Hague Convention application for a return order to Poland.
O v J Sch.1 claim for financial provision against a father resident in Sweden, father’s passport seised (ongoing) Reported in the Telegraph November 2011.
W v R (2010)EWHC Variation of an order for contact made in Germany. Child habitually resident in UK.
P v P and O v O (2010) EWHC Parallel private law proceedings in another Member State: conflict of jurisdiction
O v M (2009) EWHC (unreported) Declaration of mother’s name to allow her to change children’s birth certificates where father had unlawfully and falsely registered mother’s name.
A v A [2008] EWHC 3081 (Fam) (unreported) on the issue of presumption of marriage following religious ceremonies.
Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust v A [2003] EWHC 259 - Research for Eleanor Hamilton QC (IVF twins case: issue of legal parentage)
Seminars
- Children and Financial Provision, January 2010, April 2012
- “Pre-nups Post-nups” July 2011
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, March 2011
- Private law children update, November 2010 & February 2011
- T v B: Sch. 1 claims and same sex relationships (for Mills & Reeve), July 2010
- Appealing District Judges in Ancillary relief cases, May/October 2010
- Brussels I, IIR and III; jurisdiction and enforcement in family law, May/October 2009
