William Tyler KC is a specialist family law Silk appearing throughout the country in the most high profile or complicated private and ​public law children cases with a particular emphasis on cases raising difficult international issues.

William has huge experience of cases in the Court of Appeal and the UK Supreme Court.

Key cases & testimonials

2024

Re W (A Minor) (Death of Mother before Birth of Child: Threshold Criteria) [2024] EWFC 350, Peel J

Re S; Father v Mother and another [2024] EWHC 2578 (Fam), Lieven J

AOX v LSX [2024] EWHC 2379 (Fam), Simon Colton KC, sitting as Deputy High Court Judge

AZ v BX (Child Arrangements Order: Appeal) [2024] EWHC 1528 (Fam), Poole J

Re J, P & Q (Care Proceedings) [2024] EWCA Civ 22, Court of Appeal, Coulson, Baker & Warby LJJ

Re K (Children) (Powers of the Family Court) [2024] EWCA Civ 2, Sir Andrew McFarlane PFD, Peter Jackson & Warby LJJ

2023

Re A, B and C (Child Contracting Gonorrhoea) [2023] EWFC 211, Poole J

Re S and T (Care: Final Hearing: s.91(14)) [2023] EWFC 194 HHJ Vincent

Re A (A Child) (Habitual Residence: 1996 Hague Child Protection Convention) [2023] EWCA Civ 659, Court of Appeal, Bean, Moylan, Snowden LJJ

Re S (Children: Parentage and Jurisdiction) [2023] EWCA Civ 897, Court of Appeal, King, Moylan, Peter Jackson LJJ

2022

Re X (Children) [2022] EWCA Civ 1167, Court of Appeal, Moylan, Peter Jackson, William Davis LJJ

Re H-W (Children) [2022] UKSC 17, [2022] 1 WLR 3243, UK Supreme Court, Lord Hodge, Lord Kitchin, Lord Burrows, Lord Hughes, Dame Siobhan Keegan

R v T [2022] EWHC 3362 (Fam), High Court, Mr Hames KC

Re M (Private Law Children Proceedings: Case Management: Intimate Images) [2022] EWHC 986 (Fam), [2022] 1 WLR 4297, [2023] 1 FLR 337, Knowles J

2021

Re RR (Fact Finding, Retrial, Fatal Poisoning) [2021] EWFC 97, Williams J

Re M (A Child) [2021] EWHC 3225 (Fam), Judd J

Re X (Children) (Article 61 BIIa) [2021] EWCA Civ 1305, Court of Appeal: Moylan, Newey & Baker LJJ

Re S (Children) (Inherent Jurisdiction: Setting Aside Return Order) [2021] EWCA Civ 1223, Court of Appeal: Moylan, Baker & Stuart-Smith LJJ

Re H-D-H (Children); Re C (A Child) [2021] EWCA Civ 1192, [2021] 4 WLR 106, Court of Appeal: King & Peter Jackson LJJ & Sir Patrick Elias

Re A and S (Children) [2021] EWHC 2492 (Fam), Holman J

AA v BB [2021] EWHC 890 (Fam), Holman J

GC v AS [2021] EWHC 14 (Fam), Mostyn J

2020

Wakefield MDC v HR, IG and a Child [2020] EWFC 100, Cohen JRe K (Threshold: Cocaine Ingestion: Failure to Give Evidence) [2020] EWHC 2502 (Fam), [2021] 2 FLR 349, Williams J

Re K (Threshold: Cocaine Ingestion: Failure to Give Evidence) [2020] EWHC 2502 (Fam), [2021] 2 FLR 349, Williams J

Re A (A Child) [2020] EWCA Civ 1230, [2021] 1 FLR 815, Court of Appeal: King, Davies & Philips LJJ

Re S (Parental Alienation: Cult: Transfer of Primary Care) [2020] EWHC 1940 (Fam), [2021] 1 FLR 1126, Williams J

Re S (Parental Alienation: Cult) [2020] EWCA Civ 568, [2020] 2 FLR 263, Court of Appeal: McCombe, Eleanor King & Peter Jackson LJJ

Re D (A Child) (Appeal Out of Time) [2020] EWHC 1167 (Fam), [2020] 2 FLR 869, Francis J

Re A Local Authority v The Mother & Ors [2020] EWHC 1233 (Fam), [2020] 2 FLR 1093, Williams J

Re C (Children) (Covid-19: Representation) [2020] EWCA Civ 734, [2020] 2 FLR 1137, Court of Appeal: Peter Jackson, Eleanor King and Asplin LJJ

2019

Re M (Children) [2019] EWCA Civ 1364, [2019] 4 WLR 115, [2020] 1 FLR 50, Court of Appeal, McFarlane P, Simon & Davies LJJ

Re M (Children) (Disclosure to Police) [2019] EWCA Civ 1364, [2019] 4 WLR 115 [2020] 1 FLR 50, Court of Appeal, McFarlane P, Simon & Davies LJJ

2018

Northants. County Council & AW v The Lord Chancellor (via The Legal Aid Agency) [2018] EWHC 1628 (Fam), [2019] 1 FLR 169, Francis J

Re F (A Child: Placement Order: Proportionality) [2018] EWCA Civ 2761, [2019] 1 FLR 779, Court of Appeal: Longmore, Jackson & Asplin LJJ

Re B (A Child) [2018] EWCA Civ 20, [2018] 2 FLR 1, Court of Appeal: Sir James Munby P, Davis & Underhill LJJ

Re F (A Child: Placement Order: Proportionality) [2018] EWCA Civ 2761, [2019] 1 FLR 779, Court of Appeal: Longmore, Jackson & Asplin LJJ

2017

Re H (A Minor: Hair-Strand Testing) [2017] EWFC 64, [2017] 4 WLR 179, [2018] 1 FLR 762, Jackson J

Re H (A Minor) v Northants. County Council & The Legal Aid Agency [2017] EWHC 282 (Fam), [2018] 1 WLR 5912, [2018] 1 FLR 499, Keehan J

Re M (A Child) [2017] EWFC B79, HHJ Booth

East Sussex County Council v SV, TG and AG [2017] EWHC 536 (Fam), MacDonald J

2016

Re RA (Baby Relinquished for Adoption: Case Management) [2016] EWFC 25, [2017] 1 FLR 1610, Cobb J

Re N (Children) (Brussels II Revised: Article 15) [2016] UKSC 15, [2016] 2 WLR 1103, [2016] 1 FLR 1082, Supreme Court: Baroness Hale, Lords Neuberger, Wilson, Kerr & Carnwath

Re B (A Child) [2016] UKSC 4, [2016] 2 WLR 557, [2017] 1 All ER 899, [2016] 1 FLR 561, Supreme Court: Baroness Hale, Lords Clarke, Wilson, Sumption & Toulson

Re E (A Child) [2016] EWCA Civ 473, [2017] 1 FLR 1675, [2016] Crim LR 649, Court of Appeal: McFarlane, Macur & Gloster LJJ

Re K (Children) [2016] EWHC 1606 (Fam), Hayden J

Re U (Children: Residence Order) [2016] EWCA Civ 1332, [2017] 4 WLR 1, [2017] Med LR 37, (2017) 153 BMLR 152, Court of Appeal: McFarlane & Lindblom LJJ, Henderson J

Re JS (Disposal of Body) [2016] EWHC 2859 (Fam), Peter Jackson J

Re W (A Child) (Secure Accommodation Order) [2016] EWCA Civ 804, [2016] 4 WLR 159, Court of Appeal: Moore Bick & Macur LJJ

2015

Re S (A Child) [2015] UKSC 20, [2015] 1 WLR 1631, [2015] FLR 208, Supreme Court: Baroness Hale, Lords Kerr, Wilson, Hughes & Toulson

M v LA [2015] EWHC 2082 (Fam), Hayden J

Re B (A Child) (Habitual Residence) (Inherent Jurisdiction) [2015] EWCA Civ 886, [2016] 2 WLR 487, Court of Appeal: Sir James Munby P, Black & Underhill LJJ

Re A (Fact-finding) [2015] EWFC 68 (Fam), Russell J

Aidiniantz v Aidiniantz [2015] EWCOP 65, [2015] COPLR 643, Jackson J

Re T (A Child) (Early Permanency Placement) [2015] EWCA Civ 983, [2017] 1 FLR 330, Court of Appeal: Sir James Munby P, Black & Bean LJJ

Re N (Children) (Adoption: Jurisdiction) [2015] EWCA Civ 1112, [2016] 1 All ER 1086, [2016] 1 FLR 621, Court of Appeal: Sir James Munby P, Black LJ & Sir Richard Aikens

X County Council v AB & CD [2015] EWFC 98, Keehan J

2014

Re E (Brussels II Revised: Vienna Convention: Reporting Restrictions) [2014] EWHC 6 (Fam), [2014] 1 WLR 2670, [2014] 2 FLR 151, Sir James Munby P

Re R (Children: Temporary Leave to Remove from the Jurisdiction) [2014] 2 FLR 1402, HHJ Bellamy

London Borough of Haringey v Musa [2014] EWHC 2883 (Fam), Newton J

Re X (A Child) [2014] EWHC 1871 (Fam), Sir James Munby P

2013 and before

Re TG (A Child) [2013] EWCA (Civ) 5, [2013] 1 FLR 1250, Court of Appeal: Sir James Munby P, Aikens LJ & Hedley J

Re DF and GF (Children) (Placement Order or Special Guardianship Order) [2013] EWHC 2607 (Fam), Pauffley J

Re W (A Child) [2013] EWCA Civ 662, Court of Appeal: Thorpe, Hallett & Elias LJJ

Re M (Children) [2013] EWCA Civ 388, Court of Appeal: Sullivan & Rafferty LJJ, Ryder J

Sutton v Gray and Others (No 2) [2012] EWHC 2763 (Fam), [2013] FLR 914, Hogg J

Sutton v Gray and Others (No 1) [2012] EWHC 2604 (Fam), [2013] FLR 833, Hogg J

Re G (Interim Care Order) [2011] EWCA Civ 745 [2011] 2 FLR 95, Court of Appeal: Sir Nicholas Wall P, Rix LJ

William is a very charismatic advocate. A class act with sound judgement.Legal 500, 2025
Will is a very special KC, whose knowledge and intellect are unparalleled.Chambers UK, 2025
The way he deals with things is beguilingly effortless.Chambers UK, 2025
He's head and shoulders above many other silks.Chambers UK, 2025
He is devastating in court, and at the same time extremely charming and erudite.Chambers UK, 2025
He's absolutely charming and is a highly effective advocate.Chambers UK, 2025
An absolutely phenomenal children's silk and a man with a brilliant manner.Chambers UK, 2025
William has the ability to handle and present complex fact-finding material with a lightness of touch that belies the amount of work invested in making the task appear effortless. He has a degree of gravitas and composure in his presentation that commands authority in court.Legal 500 2024
He's extremely bright, his strategy is absolutely spot-on and he's able to assimilate a very complicated factual matrix very quickly, boiling it down into easily digestible questions and advice.Chambers UK 2024
A barrister with an engaging manner, who cuts through cases. He is a great advocate and his cross-examination could only be described as effortless. Chambers UK 2024
William Tyler is an excellent barrister whose documents for the court are comprehensive and impressive. Chambers UK 2024
An exceptional advocate with a wonderful client manner. In court he's absolutely unflappable, adapting quickly to anything that's thrown at him. Chambers UK 2023

Further information

  • Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)
  • Deputy High Court Judge (Family Division)
  • Recorder of the Family Court
  • Family Procedure Rule Committee, Silk Member – 2014-2021
  • Deemster (Isle of Man High Court Judge)
  • High Bailiff (Isle of Man)
  • Family Law Bar Association (FLBA)
  • Association of Lawyers for Children (ALC)
  • British Association of Adoption and Fostering (BAAF)
  • Resolution

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