Miss Symms is a specialist practitioner in family law and has extensive experience in appearing in complex matters relating to all aspects of family breakdown. In Children Act cases she acts in public law for Local Authorities , Guardians and Parents (including those assisted by the Official Solicitor) in most serious cases, and is especially used to dealing with cases involving abduction and complex psychological and psychiatric evidence.
In private law cases she has dealt with the full range of cases and has been instructed in a number of cases with an international element, appearing both for parents wishing to remove their children from the jurisdiction and those opposing such applications. Miss Symms has experience of cases involving international child abdution and the operation of the Hague Convention.
Miss Symms also practices extensively in the field of ancillary relief, acting in cases involving large claims. She has regularly appeared in cases involving school fees claims, pension division and inheritance claims and also advises in cases brought under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996. She has a large amount of experience in “big money” cases including those related to farms and farming.
Miss Symms is authorised to undertake Public Access work and appears on the Bar Council Public Access Register.