Katherine Wood

EXPERTISE

Family

Katherine practises in all areas of family law, undertaking work in public law proceedings, private law proceedings and applications following relationship breakdown (matrimonial/civil partnership and cohabitee). She accepts instructions on a direct access basis.

Public Law Children
Katherine is instructed to act in all tiers of the family court and the court of appeal and on behalf of all parties in proceedings. She has a wealth of experience dealing will all levels of complexity, including injuries of the utmost severity, sexual abuse, FII, chronic neglect, FGM, forced marriage, surrogacy and child abduction. She has acted in cases involving vulnerable adults, and those with foreign elements. She has experience of cases involving adults requiring special measures, parents who are themselves children and children giving evidence.

Private Law Children
Katherine is instructed to appear in cases involving complex elements, and has experience in acting for the child in such applications.

Removal from the Jurisdiction
Katherine has experience in acting in cases regarding permanent and temporary removal from the jurisdiction.

Adoption
Katherine receives instruction in all aspects of adoption.

Matrimonial Finances
Katherine has experience in acting in ancillary relief. She has acted in proceedings involving third party interests and in applications brought pursuant to TOLATA. She has acted in applications pursuant to Sch. 1 Children Act and before the CMEC appeal tribunal. She has experience in providing advice and representation at all stages of litigation.

Arbitration

Katherine is a qualified family finances arbitrator and is a member of the Institute of Family Law Arbitrators. She has also been instructed to act in arbitration hearings and round table conferences and supports the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in appropriate cases. For further details visit Family & Children Arbitration.

Mental Health & Court of Protection

Katherine practices in all areas of mental health work and has experience before the FTT and Court of Protection. She has acted in cases on behalf of the local authority, patient and family members and in cases involving decisions relating to residence, care/medical treatment and finances.

APPOINTMENTS

Legally Qualified Chair for the Offices of the Police and Crime Commissioners for Northumbria, Durham, Cleveland, North Yorkshire, Humberside, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.
Family Finances Arbitrator

MEMBERSHIPS

Family Law Bar Association
Resolution
North Eastern Circuit
Institute of Family Law Arbitrators

EDUCATION

LLB Law with Honours degree at Newcastle University
BVC Nottingham Law School

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Katherine is a pupil supervisor and regularly provides training to those involved in the court system, including lawyers, social workers and the probation service and subjects such as Female Genital Mutilation, Good Social Work Practice, Surrogacy and Parentage.

Outside her professional commitments, Katherine is a keen sportswoman and has a particular interest in boxing.

Expertise

Clerking team

Steven Preen

Lead Family Clerk

0191 245 9551

Ken McLafferty

Family & Immigration Clerk

0191 245 9531

Paula McLure

Family Clerk

0191 245 9530

Erin May

Family & Court of Protection Clerk

0191 245 9590

Chris Gibbin

Clerk

01642 247 569

Fiona Bullock

Direct Access Clerk

01642 247 569

Notable Cases

Before a High Court Judge acting on behalf of Somali mother through the official solicitor where there was a finding of fact hearing in relation to forced marriage and the risk of honour-based violence
Before a Deputy High Court judge acted on behalf of the local authority in Fabricated or Factitious Illness case
Before a County Court Judge acted on behalf of the local authority in care proceedings where the principle evidence against the parents came from siblings who were not subject to the proceedings but were themselves children
Before a Deputy High Court Judge acted on behalf of the teenage child who had separated from her Children’s Guardian and was alleged to be at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation
Before a High Court Judge acted on behalf of the local authority regarding where the teenage subject child was placed out of the jurisdiction in circumstances that amounted to a deprivation of liberty but were not secure accommodation
Before a circuit judge acted on behalf of the local authority in proceedings where there was an allegation that the child was at risk of forced marriage
Before a Circuit Judge acted on behalf of the child who had been conceived through a complex surrogacy arrangement
Before a Deputy High Court Judge acted on behalf of the child in proceedings where a sibling had died at the hands of a parent
Before a Deputy High Court Judge acted on behalf of the local authority in proceedings where one parent had killed the other
Before a High Court Judge acted on behalf of the mother where it was alleged that the child was at risk of Female Genital Mutilation and an elder sibling had died as a result of such a procedure

Acted in proceedings in relation to whether foreign travel to Iran should be permitted, which was appealed to the Court of Appeal
Acted in proceedings in relation to permanent removal to Canada
Acted in proceedings where the child was born in the UK to a British mother, who had since died, but the father, an Indian national, was unable to obtain leave to enter the jurisdiction and the child had been placed with her maternal grandparents
Acted on behalf of the mother in proceedings where the father’s parental responsibility was extinguished after he had made pseudo-pornographic images using the child
Acted on behalf of the mother where very significant findings were made in relation to the domestic abuse perpetrated by the father, who unsuccessfully appealed to the court of appeal

Acted on behalf of the local authority in step parent adoption where there was a factual dispute regarding the relationship between the child and her birth family
Acted on behalf of the Local Authority in proceedings before a High Court Judge and the Court of Appeal regarding an application for adoption where the mother had since left the jurisdiction and had a second child, who remained within her care

Acted on behalf of the third party in proceedings relating to disposition of assets, being shares in the family company
Acted on behalf of the wife in proceedings where the husband was sent to prison for contempt of court in relation to disposition of assets
Acted on behalf of the wife in proceedings where it was argued by the husband that the matrimonial assets should be settled on a trust for the benefit of the minor children of the family
Acted on behalf of a high net wealth father in a Schedule 1 Children Act application
Acted on behalf of the mother in proceedings before the CMEC appeal tribunal where it was alleged that the father had undisclosed sources of income
Acted on behalf of the father in Schedule 1 Children Act proceedings where the Russian mother was relocating out of the jurisdiction with the child

Acted on behalf of P, a young adult, before the FTT regarding the appropriateness of remaining under section
Acted on behalf of a family member in relation to Deputyship where there were allegations of fraud and mismanagement of finances
Received instructions on behalf of P (through their litigation friend) the local authority and family members in a number of applications concerning deprivation of liberty
Acted on behalf of family members in relation to a statutory will
Acted in proceedings before a High Court Judge on behalf of the local authority where there is a dispute over jurisdiction when P, a dual British citizen, had arrived in the UK from abroad for a holiday, remained in disputed circumstances and then lost capacity
Acted on behalf of the local authority in proceedings concerning residence and contact with P, a young adult who had been subject to care proceedings due to sexual exploitation by family members