Practice Profile
Marisa specialises in complex private law children and financial remedies cases, particularly international cases and those involving multiple businesses, family trusts, and third-party interests, including Schedule 1 and TLATA applications. Her international expertise extends to issues of cross border personal status – marriage, divorce, gender, parenthood or parental responsibility.
Marisa has additionally developed a niche practice in fertility law, donor conceived children, and surrogacy 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). She continues to train professionals around the country in this area, as well as acting in a number of high-profile cases.
A tenacious advocate when she needs to be, Marisa is known for her clear advice and creative, pro-active approach to negotiating settlement. She was one of the first barristers outside London to train as a Collaborative Lawyer and also practices as a mediator. Clients particularly welcome her calm and collected approach.
Marisa is available to provide training and seminars in all areas of her practice. She regularly accepts instructions directly from members of the public as well as via solicitor referrals, and is happy to receive direct enquiries via her email address from people seeking advice, representation or guidance as to the most appropriate form of dispute resolution.
Testimonials
Work Undertaken
- Financial disputes upon relationship breakdown and financial provision for children
- Marriage, opposite and same-sex, and civil partnership
- Divorce and dissolution (jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement)
- Parentage (declarations and recognition)
- Private law children matters (Child arrangements orders, specific issues)
- International children matters (Child abduction, child maintenance, applications to remove from the jurisdiction, issues of jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement)
- Disputes in relation to same-sex families, planning and pre-conception agreements, co-parenting and children born via donor concepti
- Fertility law, including surrogacy and donor conception
- Dispute resolution through collaborative law or mediation
Appointments & Memberships
- Family Law Bar Association (FLBA)
- Associate Member of Resolution
- Advocate panel member
- Family Law Institute
- Registered as a direct access barrister under the Bar Council’s Direct Public Access scheme
Notable Cases
R ota TT v Registrar General [2019] 3 WLR 1195
Gender identity and birth registration.
M v W and C [2019] 7 WLUK 233
Application for a declaration of parentage
Re G [2018] EWCA Civ 305:
Concerning removal from the jurisdiction
A v B [2018] EWHC Civ 328
Concerning child arrangements order for the relative of donor conceived child.
Re H (A Child) (Surrogacy Breakdown) [2017] EWCA Civ 1798
Re Z (A Child) [2017] EWCA Civ 228
Surrogacy breakdown
Re the HFEA 2008 (Case I) [2017] 1 FLR 998
MG, JG v JF and JFG [2015]
Fam Law 514 Successful application for litigation funding of private law case
X v Y & St Bartholemew’s Hospital CRM & CAFCASS Legal [2015]
EWFC 13. Advocate to the court in fertility law case
Re E & F (Assisted Reproduction: Parent) [2013]
EWHC 1418 Successful application for a declaration that second female was not a parent.
Zuk v Zuk [2012]
EWCA Civ 1871 Successful appeal of committal to prison for non payment of lump sum
In the matter of B (a child) [2012]
EWCA Civ 858 Successful appeal against a transfer of residence to a grandmother.
Re S (a child) [2012]
EWCA Civ 617
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.
RE G (A CHILD) [2018] EWCA Civ 305
A v B [2018] EWHC 328
RE H (A CHILD) (SURROGACY BREAKDOWN) [2017] EWCA Civ 1798
RE Z (A CHILD) sub nom (1) A (2) B v (1) X (2) Z (A CHILD BY HIS GUARDIAN) [2017] EWCA Civ 228
RE THE HUMAN FERTILISATION & EMBRYOLOGY ACT 2008 (CASE I) [2016] EWHC 791
Private Law Children (including International)
Reported cases;
R ota TT v Registrar General [2019] 3 WLR 1195 – Gender identity and birth registration.
M v W and C [2019] 7 WLUK 233: Application for a declaration of parentage
Re G [2018] EWCA Civ 305: Concerning removal from the jurisdiction
A v B [2018] EWHC Civ 328: Concerning child arrangements order for the relative of donor conceived child.
Re H (A Child) (Surrogacy Breakdown) [2017] EWCA Civ 1798
Re Z (A Child) [2017] EWCA Civ 228 – Surrogacy breakdown
Re the HFEA 2008 (Case I) [2017] 1 FLR 998
MG, JG v JF and JFG [2015] Fam Law 514: Successful application for litigation funding of private law case
X v Y & St Bartholemew’s Hospital CRM & CAFCASS Legal [2015] EWFC: 13. Advocate to the court in fertility law case
Re E & F (Assisted Reproduction: Parent) [2013] EWHC 1418: Successful application for a declaration that second female was not a parent.
Zuk v Zuk [2012] EWCA Civ 1871: Successful appeal of committal to prison for non-payment of lump sum
In the matter of B (a child) [2012] EWCA Civ 858 Successful appeal against a transfer of residence to a grandmother.
Re S (a child) [2012] EWCA Civ 617 Re CAFCASS officers who had opposing views on the suitability of supervised contact.
T v B [2010] 2 FLR 1966 concerning parentage and financial provision for children
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 (a child) [2002] EWCA Civ 190: Forename of a child.
Child Abduction
Marisa is experienced in successfully representing both applicants and defendants in cases of actual or intended international child abduction within and outside the Hague Convention countries.
Family Finance
Marisa has extensive experience in a wide range of cases concerning the financial implications of relationship breakdown and of parenthood, particularly in cases where there are jurisdictional issues or assets outside the jurisdiction. She regularly deals with family financial matters concerning;
- Private or limited companies
- Farms and partnerships
- Inherited or trust assets
- Third party or beneficial ownership
- Financial provision for children
As a collaborative lawyer her practice includes representing clients collaboratively to reach resolution without going to court.
Family Dispute Resolution, Arbitration & Mediation
Marisa is a trained mediator and practising collaborative lawyer, and considers ADR to be an integral part of her practice.
One of the first wave of barristers to undertake training as a collaborative lawyer, she has developed an active collaborative practice both representing clients through the collaborative process and accepting instructions to advise participants jointly within the collaborative process.
Marisa’s practice as mediator is enhanced by her experience as counsel in complex financial matters and entrenched private law matters.
International
Many of Marisa’s cases, whether relating to children or finance have an international element and she regularly advises in relation to issues of conflict of laws, notably jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement.
Her international work encompasses issues relating to;
- Marriage / civil partnership
- Divorce / dissolution
- Financial remedies concerning overseas assets
- International enforcement of maintenance
- Child abduction
- Applications for temporary and permanent leave to remove children from the jurisdiction
- Child arrangements across borders
- International surrogacy arrangements
Modern Families
Marisa has been developing her practice in fertility law and modern family structures since her involvement in the case of Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust v A and B [2003] 1 FLR 1091 which attracted significant media attention.
In 2019 she reported to the Jersey Law Commission, advising as to the laws which might be put into place in Jersey for donor conceived children and concerning surrogacy arrangements.
She regularly works with other partner organisations such as the HFEA.
Notable cases include;
A v B [2018] EWHC Civ 328: Concerning child arrangements order for the relative of donor conceived child.
Re H (A Child) (Surrogacy Breakdown) [2017] EWCA Civ 1798
Re Z (A Child) [2017] EWCA Civ 228 – Surrogacy breakdown
Re the HFEA 2008 (Case I) [2017] 1 FLR 998
MG, JG v JF and JFG [2015] Fam Law 514: Successful application for litigation funding of private law case
X v Y & St Bartholemew’s Hospital CRM & CAFCASS Legal [2015] EWFC: 13. Advocate to the court in fertility law case
Re E & F (Assisted Reproduction: Parent) [2013] EWHC 1418: Successful application for a declaration that second female was not a parent.
AB v CD and Z Fertility Clinic [2013] 2 FLR 1357 concerning female parenthood and HFEA license conditions
T v B [2010] 2 FLR 1966 concerning parentage and financial provision for children
In 2012 the Children and same-sex relationships handbook was published by Jordan publishing, instigated by Marisa and for which Marisa wrote chapters on parentage, surrogacy, private law disputes and civil partnership.
A significant part of Marisa’s practice concerns families with children born through assisted or donor conception or surrogacy, planning assisted or donor conception or surrogacy, or the breakdown of same-sex relationships.