Training Webinars
s.37 Children Act and local authority intervention in private law children cases
Presenter
Rebecca Davies & Barry McAlinden
Pricing
Free to annual subscribers
£40 + VAT for non annual subscribers.
On receipt of your booking, details to make the payment will be sent to you. Your booking will be finalised on settlement.
24th September 2025, 12.30pm-1.30pm
BookJoin Rebecca Davies and Barry McAlinden, barristers at Field Court Chambers for a webinar on ‘s.37 Children Act and local authority intervention in private law children cases’.
Topics in this webinar will include:
- What are the court’s powers under s.37 Children Act? See eg Re E (Section 37 Direction, The Children Act 1989) [2025] EWCA Civ 470
- When can the court use its power to direct a local authority to investigate a child’s circumstances? What type of cases might result in a direction for a s.37 report ?
- When and how might a court use its ancillary power under s. 38 to make an interim care order outside care proceedings?
- Tips for solicitors in cases where a s37 report has been ordered
- What should a section 37 report contain?
- What trajectory might a private law case take after a s.37 report has been completed?
Time will be allocated for delegate questions at the end of the webinar and access to the webinar and slides will be provided following the webinar.
How to join the webinar
You will receive details on accessing the webinar once your booking has been finalised. Follow the instructions on the email at the specified date and time.
Presenters
Rebecca Davies focuses on family law: private and public children law proceedings and matrimonial finance, as well as Court of Protection cases. Her caseload for private law family proceedings typically includes contact and residence, prohibited steps orders, specific issue orders and relocation. For public law proceedings: the making and discharge of care and supervision orders, special guardianship orders, placement orders, secure accommodation orders and adoption orders.
Recent notable cases:
- M v F & Anor [2024] EWFC 371 (B)) – Rebecca represented a child with significant needs through their guardian in children act proceedings relating to the child’s living arrangement which had been characterised throughout by high parental conflict and acrimony.
- M v F & Anor [2024] EWFC 34 (B) – Rebecca represented a child with significant needs through their guardian, in a fact-finding hearing to deal with allegations made in the context of Children Act proceedings.
Barry McAlinden is a specialist family law barrister. He deals with a range of cases concerning children in the private and public law jurisdictions often involving alienating behaviours by a parent or allegations of serious physical and emotional harm to children.
Recent notable cases:
- Re O (Domestic Abuse: International Relocation) [2025] EWCA Civ 888 The Court of Appeal upheld an order allowing Barry’s client to relocate to an non-Hague convention country with her 2 children. This was the 1st time the Court of Appeal had considered the interplay of PD12J and relocation.
- P v P & Ors [2024] EWFC 347 (B) Barry acted for a mother via public access in private law children proceedings in which the court made section 91 [14] orders where there had been no prior proceedings
