Barrister
‘Sophie really went above and beyond what should have been asked of her… she supported me totally each day with either phone calls or meetings before and after the court sessions.’ Client represented via Advocate (February 2024)
About
Prior to coming to the Bar, Sophie Crampton worked for almost two years as a paralegal for Hornby and Levy Solicitors, a specialist family law firm based in South London. During her time there, she worked on a variety of cases involving different areas of family law, including TOLATA, child abduction, and Schedule 1 of the Children’s Act 1989. Sophie also volunteered at the Personal Support Unit and the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Practice overview
Sophie specialises in care and adoption proceedings, representing local authorities, parents and children. She has been involved in a variety of complex matters such as cases involving children traveling unaccompanied from abroad, children struggling with their sexuality or gender identity and non-accidental injury.
Sophie has utilised her background in psychology in cases involving complex mental health issues where either the parent or the child has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983.
Sophie has successfully navigated a myriad of complex threshold matters, representing both the local authority and parents. Her comprehensive understanding of these matters is evident in her book, which delves into the elements of threshold, offering practical guidance on drafting and responding.
Sophie has experience of seeking High Court orders, including Deprivation of Liberty orders, recovery orders and Wardship orders. Sophie has successfully argued for the Courts of England & Wales to retain jurisdiction in cases where the child is abroad.
Sophie has also represented clients in financial matters, including matrimonial finance, TOLATA, and cases where these two areas intersect. For example, Sophie, representing the wife, successfully opposed a TOLATA claim to the matrimonial home by the husband’s parents.
Sophie is also a Panel Member of Advocate, formerly the Bar Pro Bono Unit, which provides free legal representation to clients who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford representation.
Sophie is the author of a book “Overcoming Threshold, a practical guide to threshold in care proceedings”, 26 September 2022, published by Law Brief Publishing. This book explores the elements of the threshold test, using examples from key case law. The book also provides practical tips for drafting and responding to threshold.
Sophie’s most recent article is ‘Is blood really thicker than water? Gender differences in acquiring parentage for genetic vs non-genetic parents in assisted reproduction’, Family Law, July 2025. This article explores the circumstances where individuals creating a child through assisted reproduction can be considered the child’s parents.
See the publication tab for a full list of articles written by Sophie.
Past Seminars & Webinars
“Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum – A Family Law Perspective”, November 2023 – May 2025, MBL seminars. This webinar provided a guide to the unique issues presented by cases involving asylum-seeking children including how to plead threshold, how to assess family members abroad and when to seek immigration advice.
“Demystifying Threshold”, February 2022 – March 2025, MBL seminars. This webinar provided a brief overview of the principles set out in Re A (A Child) [2015] EWFC 11, the leading case on threshold.
“Instructing Expert Psychologists in Family Proceedings – An Introduction”, May 2021, MBL seminars. This seminar provided a guide to identifying an appropriate expert psychologist in care proceedings and provided examples of how this guidance should be applied in practice.
Directories
‘Sophie is very organized and focused. She stands her ground quite firmly and represents her clients with their best interests at the forefront of her mind.’ Legal 500, 2025
Education
University College London – Psychology BSc (Hons) – 1:1
University of Law, Guildford – GDL, Distinction
University of Law, Bloomsbury – BTC, Very Competent
Client Testimonials
‘My family and I have been through the worst possible and absolutely life-changing nightmare… I count myself very lucky indeed to have had the help of the Advocate and Sophie. I am truly, truly grateful’. Client represented via Advocate (February 2024)
‘Sophie represents us in a professional and proactive manner. She has excellent client care skills, engages in case management discussions with me before the case is heard and promptly sends her Attendance Note following the hearing’. Christiana Ajilore, Lawyer, Hackney Council
Sophie Crampton has written a fascinating article for July’s edition of Family Law: Is blood really thicker than water? Gender differences in acquiring parentage for genetic vs non-genetic parents in assisted reproduction
“Assisted reproduction has been around for over 45 years but the law in this area is still very much developing. This article will explore under what circumstances individuals creating a child through assisted reproduction can be considered the child’s parents, considering the differences between mothers and fathers as well as genetic and non-genetic parents. The article concludes by looking at what changes can be made to the current law in order to reflect a child’s full identity. ”
Link to article here (subscription required for access to full article)
Threshold and the PLO: What you need to know’, Family Law, April 2023, [2023] Fam Law 440. This article provides a comprehensive guide to threshold following the return to PLO.
“Overcoming Threshold, a practical guide to threshold in care proceedings”, published by Law Brief Publishing. This book explores the elements of the threshold test, using examples from key case law. The book also provides practical tips for drafting and responding to threshold.
“Access to the Bar, a post-pandemic viewpoint”, Counsel, September 2022. This article discusses the difficulties faced by people with disabilities in working at the Bar and possible solutions to these barriers.
“Exploring the role of psychologists in family proceedings: the good, the bad and the unnecessary”, Family Law, February 2022. This article explores the use of psychologists in family proceedings, including case law where psychologists have impacted proceedings in a positive or negative way. The article also provides a step by step guide to choosing the right expert for a particular case, emphasising the importance of considering individual CVs.
“Psychological Assessments: a brief guide to choosing a psychological expert”, Family Law Week, September 2020. This article offers guidance on when to instruct a psychologist and how to choose a suitable one for your case.
“Section 9(6B) of the Children Act 1989 – what is its purpose?”, Family Law Week, July 2019. This article considers Section 9(6B) of the Children Act 1989 and its present and future role in care proceedings.
“Ending a marriage in the 21st century, a look beyond no-fault divorce”, Family Law Week, June 2018. This article looked beyond the question of no-fault divorce to consider what other aspects of divorce law are in need of reform.