Ruth Cabeza
Profile
- LLB (Hons) (Kent)
- Called to the Bar 1998, Middle Temple
- Member of the FLBA
- Recommended by the UK Legal 500 in 2008 and 2009
- Member of ALC
- Self employed member of the Bar Council's employed barristers' committee
What they say:
"Depth of experience and knowledge in family law can easily be seen in her performance"
Legal 500 2009
"Very good with clients"
Legal 500 2009
Main Areas of Practice:
- Public Law Children Work
- Financial Provision
- Child Abduction
- Adoption
- Private Law Children Work
Professional Memberships:
- Member of the FLBA
- Member of ALC
Ruth is a specialist family practitioner undertaking work in all areas of financial provision and children cases.
Ruth has extensive experience in public law children proceedings and is regularly instructed to advise and represent local authorities, parents and children in complex care proceedings including cases involving non-accidental injury, sexual abuse, or an international element.
Ruth appeared for the London Borough of Haringey both at first instance and in the Court of Appeal in the groundbreaking case of Re A (Adoption: Removal) [2009] EWCA Civ 41 [2009] 2 FLR 597. She represented the London Borough of Lewisham in a complex cross-jurisdiction High Court care case where a child subject to an interim care order had been abducted to another jurisdiction. She also acted for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in an extensive fact-finding case involving conflicting evidence from expert witnesses on the injuries inflicted upon a three week old baby.
Public Law Children Work:
Ruth has extensive experience in public law children proceedings and is regularly instructed to advise and represent local authorities, parents and children in complex care proceedings, particularly those which involve non accidental injury, sexual abuse, or international elements.
In addition she has a growing practice in contested adoption cases, especially where it is sought to arrange adoptive placements overseas, following her successful appearance in both the lower and appellant court in the case of Re A (Adoption: Removal) [2009] EWCA Civ 41 [2009] 2 FLR 597.
Financial Provision:
Ruth is regularly instructed in a broad range of matrimonial and ToLATA work. In addition to advising and representing clients in ancillary relief proceedings, she has acted in contested divorces and declarations as to the validity of a foreign marriage. Ruth has a particular reputation for excellence in trial advocacy and is often instructed for contested final hearings.
Private Law Children and Child Abduction:
Ruth also represents parents in the full range of applications within private law parental disputes, and is experienced in both convention and non-convention abduction cases and applications for permanent leave to remove from the jurisdiction.
Other Professional Information:
Ruth is a contributor to chambers programme of seminars on family law related issues. In September 2007, she gave a talk on the new framework for domestic violence injunctions. She spoke on the ramifications of the Court of Appeal decision in Charman v Charman (No 4) EWCA Civ 503 [2007] 1 FLR 1246 in June 2008. In June 2009 she presented a seminar on Developments in International Adoption Law in the light of the recent case of Re A (Adoption: Removal) [2009] EWCA Civ 41 [2009] 2 FLR 597.
Notable Cases:
Haringey London Borough Council v MA [2008] EWHC 1722 (Fam) [2008] 2 FLR 1857, and Re A (Adoption: Removal) [2009] EWCA Civ 41 [2009] 2 FLR 597. First instance decision and the appeal in the Court of Appeal dealing with the interpretation of s.84 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and confirming that permission can be given under paragraph 19 of Schedule 2 of the Children Act 1989 to allow a child to be placed with family members in a foreign jurisdiction.
If you would like any further information regarding Ruth Cabeza's practice, please contact her clerks or call +44 (0)20 7405 6114.