Lucy is a children law specialist and has practised in family law throughout her professional career. Her practice spans all areas of children work at trial and on appeal.

Lucy is regularly instructed in complex private law children matters, including high conflict intractable private law disputes, cases involving serious allegations of domestic or sexual abuse or coercive and controlling behaviour, leave to remove cases, abduction and non-agency adoption.

Lucy has a particular area of expertise in cases involving ‘transparency’ issues, such as transparency orders, reporting restrictions, and media applications in both public and private law fields.

In public law children cases Lucy acts for parents, children, local authorities and extended family and the media. Lucy’s caseload involves cases featuring suspected non-accidental injury, sexual abuse, neglect and domestic abuse, where there are parental mental health, learning disability or capacity issues, concerns around substance abuse and addiction, and involving children with disabilities and complex educational or medical needs. Lucy’s instructions also encompass cases involving suspected trafficking, county lines and gang involvement, honour violence, FGM/c and suspected fabricated or induced illness. Lucy is skilled and experienced in conducting the cross examination of vulnerable witnesses including children, and has completed the FLBA Advocacy and the Vulnerable training (and is an accredited facilitator of the same).

Lucy is instructed in a range of post-care proceedings matters, such as applications for discharge of care or placement orders, leave to oppose adoption orders and complex adoption order applications or other contested adoptions.

Lucy’s practice includes matters with international aspects, including abduction, leave to remove, cross border families and international adoption.

Key cases & testimonials

Re M (A Child: Intermediaries) [2025] EWCA Civ 440

The Court of Appeal have handed down judgment in the case of Re M (A Child: Intermediaries) [2025] EWCA Civ 440, which clarifies that the test for the instruction of intermediaries in family proceedings is a simple test of necessity, and gives other useful guidance on the correct approach to intermediary assessments and applications.

The Family Law Bar Association intervened in the appeal, and Lucy Reed KC and James Holmes of Garden Court Chambers acted pro bono on behalf of the Association. The Court of Appeal gave permission for the Association’s submissions to be published and they can be found here.

Re C (A Child) (Care Proceedings – Publication of Judgment) [2024] EWFC 228 (B) and Re C (A Child) (Care Proceedings – Withdrawal) [2024] EWFC 227 (B)

Lucy acted for a grandmother in care proceedings where the local authority had improperly pursued findings of historic sexual abuse against both grandparents without proper analysis of the evidence or assessment of the risks to their vulnerable grandson. This action had resulted in the child’s placement in foster care for a lengthy period.

Lucy was brought in at the point of imminent withdrawal to secure findings and publication of the judgment in accordance with client’s instructions.

Lucy secured findings against both the local authority and police force (for significant failures of disclosure), which is unusual. Lucy also successfully argued for publication of the judgment in the public interest, which was resisted by the local authority, guardian and police.

Re C (Adoption – Procedural Irregularities) [2023] EWFC 70 – represented the mother in complex adoption proceedings involving a large number of procedural irregularities and a dispute about post-adoption contact.

X & Anor v M [2022] EWFC 168 – represented the proposed adopters of 18 year old young person, successfully applying to dispense with service upon the birth mother and securing adoption orders notwithstanding technical defects in the application.

Griffiths v Tickle [2021] EWCA Civ 1882 – acted for applicant journalist who wished to report the contents of a fact finding judgment delivered in the course of Children Act 1989 proceedings, and to identify the parents, where the court had made serious findings of abuse by the father (a former MP and minister) against the mother (a current MP). Lucy secured the approval for publication of the judgment from Lieven J at first instance, and successfully defended the father’s subsequent appeal to the Court of Appeal.

BT & GT (Children: twins – adoption) [2018] EWFC 76 – acted for the prospective adopters of a boy placed for adoption apart from his twin, following egregious failures in local authority decision making and multiple systemic failures in record keeping, and in the care planning for the twins. Adoption orders made, with extensive support plan and HRA damages claim agreed and approved by the court.

Lucy is an incredible advocate. She has the command and respect of the court.Legal 500, 2025

Areas of expertise

Undertakes all children work. Lucy is often instructed in complex private law children matters where there are serious allegations of domestic or sexual abuse or coercive and controlling behaviour, high conflict intractable private law disputes, cases involving leave to remove or abduction, and non-agency adoption.

Lucy’s main area of practice is public law and adoption proceedings, where Lucy is typically instructed in cases involving substantial fact finding hearings relating to suspected inflicted injuries or allegations of sexual abuse, or to prepare and deliver legal argument in cases of complexity either at first instance or on appeal.

Lucy’s practice encompasses cases involving a range of international elements.

Further information

  • Transparency Project – Chair
  • Transparency Implementation Group
  • Open Justice Board
  • Bar Council – Committee member
  • Family Law Bar Association – National Committee Member
  • Women in Family Law
  • Association of Lawyers for Children (ALC)
  • Western Circuit
  • Lincoln’s Inn
  • Recorder

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