Barrister
‘Jacqui is incredibly thorough and gives a lot of consideration to the most appropriate approach to take in a case. Her knowledge of the law, especially case law, is excellent.’ Chambers UK 2025
About
Jacqui Gilliatt, our Joint Deputy Head of Chambers, is a seasoned family law barrister with over 30 years of experience. Her specialisation in children’s cases, including disputes involving parents, family members, and social services, is well-known. What sets Jacqui apart is her willingness to roll her sleeves up and step into the shoes of her clients and her readiness to accept direct access instructions. This empowers clients to engage directly with her.
Practice overview
Jacqui’s extensive practice encompasses a wide range of complex and sensitive areas, including:
- Baby shaking cases
- Child abduction (including from local authority care)
- Complex or conflicting medical evidence
- Disability and education law
- Disputes involving same-sex couples
- Domestic violence
- Fabricated allegations
- Forced marriage and ‘honour’ violence
- Human rights and human trafficking
- Incest and international law
- Intractable contact/residence disputes
- Mental health and non-accidental injuries
- Cases involving the Official Solicitor
- Parallel criminal proceedings and parental alienation
- Placement outside the jurisdiction
- Sexual abuse, substance misuse, and addiction
- Sudden infant death and unexplained deaths
- Transgender issues
Jacqui’s expertise allows her to handle highly sensitive and legally complex cases with skill and dedication.
Jacqui regularly presents seminars on family law topics.
Recent seminar topics include:
- Ethics Panel Event: Navigating Ethical Dilemmas and Tricky Customers
- Transparency in the Family Court & the Pilot Scheme
- Updates and Tips on Special Guardianship and Adoption
- On Judicial Reasons
- Tackling Expert Evidence
- Fact-Findings and Top Tips for Managing Big Cases (for LBLA)
- PLO Relaunch / Wasted Costs Orders
- Dealing with Dodgy Experts
- Private Law Updater
- Early Conclusions to Care Cases
- Trials Within Trials: Fact-Finding in Private Law Cases (December 2019)
- Crossing the Threshold: Back to Basics (2018 LBLA Conference
Jacqui hosts her own website, Children in Law (which now includes Bloody Relations and new blogs like Paramount Considerations, Family Law Webworld, and The Law Is a Funny Business). Her articles cover essential topics such as Care and Supervision Orders, Fact-Finding in Care Cases, Final Care Orders, Interim Removal, Judicial Reasons, Letters to Experts, and Medical Abbreviations.
Additionally, Jacqui curates several online papers, including Decree Absolute, and Legal In General on Scoop It.
Jacqui is a passionate supporter of Biking for Children In Care, an initiative that raises funds for the Become Charity through an annual 210-mile bike ride.
Directories
‘She is an exceptionally bright and articulate advocate.’
‘If you’re a parent with serious allegations of abuse against your children, you want her. She fights very hard.’ Chambers UK 2025
‘Jacqui is an incredibly helpful and committed barrister who is more than happy to provide help and assistance, particularly in complex matters and with vulnerable clients.’ Legal 500 2025
‘She is a very calm, measured sensible lawyer who is well prepared, well respected and well liked.’
‘She’s immensely well prepared and very balanced.’
‘She cross-examines really effectively.’ Chambers UK 2024
‘Jacqui Gilliatt has extensive experience in handling cases that involve complex medical evidence, serious injuries, and sexual abuse and is known as ‘a reliable counsel who is robust in her advocacy.’
Jacqui Gilliatt ‘is highly experienced and very able. She is always willing to give advice and guidance when needed. She gives careful consideration to all of the issues. She has a wealth of experience and knowledge, which is invaluable.’ – Legal 500 2024
‘Jacqui Gilliatt is a very strong advocate who goes above and beyond.’
‘She is an extremely robust and persuasive advocate who is regularly sought out by local authorities for complex cases where experienced and trusted counsel are a must. She’s extremely knowledgeable and really dedicates herself to her cases. Her preparation is always meticulous.’ Chambers UK 2023
‘A forceful but approachable advocate who gives sound advice and presents cases in a down-to-earth way.” “She is dedicated and committed to her practice, and deals with cases with great care and compassion.’ Chambers UK 2022
‘Regularly handles a wide range of children’s cases in the public law sphere. She is routinely instructed in matters involving issues of a serious nature, including those concerning allegations of sexual abuse, non-accidental injury, and drug and alcohol misuse.’
‘An extremely approachable counsel willing to discuss cases at whatever length is required. She demonstrates a great deal of commitment and takes a sensible, balanced approach.” “Pragmatic and intelligent, she makes terrific decisions and proposals all the way through the case.” “A forceful advocate who can read the papers and boil down the information to key points.’ Chambers UK 2021
‘Jacqui Gilliatt regularly handles a wide range of children’s cases in both the public and private spheres. She is routinely instructed in matters involving issues of a serious magnitude, including those concerning fictitious illness, allegations of sexual abuse and injury, and drug and alcohol misuse. A long-standing public law practitioner who does really well with local authority work and is a good advocate.’ Chambers UK 2020
‘Jacqui Gilliatt is routinely instructed in cases involving issues of a serious magnitude, including those concerning fictitious illness, allegations of sexual abuse and injury, and drug and alcohol misuse. “Jacqui is clear and concise, and determined and incisive in both her written and oral submissions. She shows exceptional attention to detail, without losing sight of the overall picture, and her cross-examinations are simply outstanding.’ Chambers UK 2019
Education
University: Oxford
Law School: Westminster University
Qualifications
Vulnerable Witness Trained (2023, FLBA)
Direct Access Trained (training voluntarily refreshed in 2024)
Languages
French
Spanish (Basic)
Client Testimonials
‘I have instructed Jacqui in Public Law Children Act proceedings for around 20 years. Two recent examples are a shaking baby case and a complex care case for a vulnerable special guardian – both of which had very successful outcomes.
Jacqui’s qualities are careful preparation, knowledge of the facts and law, clarity of presentation, robustness, persuasiveness, dedication and particularly importantly, empathy for her lay clients.’ Maurice Guyer, Consultant Solicitor, 2024
‘I have high regard for Miss Gilliatt’s work ethic and professionalism and only have words of praise for her and it has been an absolutely successful working relationship. Her preparation of the case has been excellent. Miss Gilliatt has worked with passion and fantastic attention to detail. She has fully engaged with me as a litigant in person which has allowed her to have a comprehensive insight around all matters as well as guaranteed we established a trusting and efficient working relationship. The Judge expressed praise for her providing clarity and order to the vast amount of evidence arising from the previous cases and background of our family.’ Direct Access Client
The second of a two part article in the Family Law Journal (Lexis). Part 2 examines some interesting recent case law, including on leave to revoke placement orders/oppose adoption orders where the two types of placement –adoption or special guardianship – have gone head-to-head and, in passing at least, involved consideration of foster care.
The first of a two-part article in the Family Law Journal provides a very brief history of adoption and special guardianship, an overview of current policy developments, proposals for future reform, a statistical overview, a summary of some recent research, some comparisons between the two placements, orders and (to a lesser extent with long-term foster care) contact. Part 2 will examine some interesting recent case law, including on leave to revoke placement orders/oppose adoption orders where the two types of placement –adoption or special guardianship – have gone head-to-head and, in passing at least, involved consideration of foster care.
Jacqui Gilliatt, our DHoC, has the latest published article in the Family Law Journal on Judicial Reasons: An Analysis [2024] Fam Law 428 April 2024.
Click here to access the full article.
Top Tips for Managing Big Cases
Subscription Required.
Subscription required
Relaunch of the Public Law Outline Part 1
Subscription required
Part 1 of two articles about the court’s power to require or force a local authority to withdraw care proceedings or otherwise restrict the scope of the findings it is willing to consider is published in the May 2022 edition of the Journal. Part 1 focusses on the situation where the local authority actively invites the court to bring things to an early conclusion.
An article looking at hair alcohol testing. Also available in the Solicitors Journal (registration required for full article).
An article for the ALC Newsletter (Summer / Autumn 2011, Issue 48) examining the implications of the decision in Richmond London Borough Council v B, W, B and CB [2010] EWHC 2903. Also available at The Barrister Magazine.
This text takes account of the 2013 Public Law Outline, the Practice Directions relevant to experts in Family Proceedings (PD 25 A-F) & previous Family Justice Council guidance now contained at the end of Practice Direction 25C. At the end of this document is an extract from the case of Re F (Children) (DNA Evidence) [2007] EWHC 3235 on the instructions to DNA experts.
The Draft Letter of Insruction to Experts is also available here (click on the picture of the parcel).
Published by Routledge – Available from Amazon.
The increased accountability of teachers has meant that actions on negligence are a reality. This is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of the law for teachers, covering everything from the employment relationship to lesson content and discipline.
Published by Routledge-Cavendish – Available from Wildys.
A practical guide to practice and procedure in courts and tribunals. It is aimed at the recently qualified practitioner, pupil barristers, trainee solicitors, or lawyers unversed in advocacy and procedure.