Helen Blackburn

Practice Areas

Helen Blackburn is a Partner at The International Family Law Group LLP.

She specialises in family law concerning children and has a particular expertise in child abduction law and other children cases with an international dimension or involving the cross-border movement of children. She has extensive experience of cases involving arrangements for children, custody/residence, contact/access (domestic and international), adoption (domestic and inter country), the reciprocal enforcement of foreign orders, international relocation/leave to remove applications and jurisdiction disputes.

Helen is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL).

Helen is accredited by Resolution as a Specialist Family lawyer with a particular specialism in Child Abduction and Private Children Law.

Helen has written for various legal journals and publications and is a frequent lecturer on family law. She has been interviewed by the BBC regarding child abduction issues.

Professional Memberships

The Child Abduction Lawyers Association (CALA)

Helen is a former Chair of CALA (Child Abduction Lawyers Association) from Autumn 2015-Spring 2018.

Resolution (Accredited as a specialist family lawyer)

Reunite: International Child Abduction Centre

The Law Society

Publications

'The International Family Law Practice' 2012 -2013 published by Family Law, LexisNexis (second edition) - chapters on : International Adoption and Legal Aid.

'The International Family Law Practice' 2013 - 2014 published by Family Law, LexisNexis (third edition) - chapters on : Child Abduction International Adoption and Legal Aid.

'The International Family Law Practice' 2015 - 2016 published by Family Law, LexisNexis (fourth edition) - chapters on : Child Abduction, International Adoption and Legal Aid.

'The International Family Law Practice' 2015 - 2016 published by Family Law, LexisNexis (fourth edition) - chapters on : Child Abduction, International Adoption and Legal Aid.

'The International Family Law Practice' 2016 - 2017published by Family Law, LexisNexis (fifth edition) - chapters on : Child Abduction, International Adoption and Legal Aid.

'The International Family Law Practice' 2021 -2022 published by Family Law, LexisNexis (sixth edition) - chapters on : Child Abduction, International Adoption and Legal Aid.

'The Modern Family' Resolution's publication - author of the chapter entitled 'The Global Child'.

Industry Sector Expertise

Reported Decisions:

Re M: Private Law Children Proceedings: Case Management: Intimate Images [2022] EWHC 986 (Fam) (29 April 2022)

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2022/986.html

Da Silva v Pereira Jr (Abduction: Article 13B and child's objections) [2022] EWHC 1193 (Fam) (11 May 2022) https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2022/1193.html

Re M (a child) [2021] EWHC 3225 (Fam) (1 December 2021)

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2021/3225.html

M (A Child) [2021] EWHC 3225 (Fam) (01 December 2021)

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2021/3225.html

AB v CD (Abduction; Undertakings) [2021] EWHC 665 (Fam) (16 March 2021)

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2021/665.html

NP v DP (Hague Convention; abducting parent refusing to return) [2021] EWHC 3626 (Fam) (17 November 2021) https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2021/3626.html

Re A (Hague Convention: Wrongful Retention) [2021] EWHC 1204 (Fam) (11 May 2021)

https://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2021/1204.html&query=(Children)

NP v DP (Hague Convention; abducting parent refusing to return) [2021] EWHC 3626 (Fam) (17 November 2021)

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2021/3626.html

JM v RM (Rev 1) [2021] EWHC 315 (Fam) (22 February 2021)

https:/www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2021/315.html&query=(Children)

AB v CD (Abduction; Undertakings) [2021] EWHC 665 (Fam) (16 March 2021)

https://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2021/665.html&query=(Children)

FX and MJX v CAFCASS Legal [2020] EWHC 1227 (Fam) (18 May 2020)

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2020/1227.html

M (Children : Habitual Residence : 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention) [2020] EWCA Civ 1105 (25 August 2020) http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2020/1105.html

B (A Child) (Abduction: Habitual Residence) [2020] EWCA Civ 1187 (10 September 2020) http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2020/1187.html

Re W (Children : Abduction: Implementation of Return Order) V [2019] EWHC 357 (Fam) (22 February 2019) http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2019/357.html

SR v MA (Temporary Leave To Remove From the Jurisdiction) [2019] EWHC 435 (Fam) (25 February 2019) http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2019/435.html

H (Children: Relocation), Re [2019] EWHC 2881 (Fam) (30 October 2019)

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2019/2881.html

W, Re [2018] EWCA Civ 664 (27 March 2018)

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2018/664.html

RVH v TF (Non Hague Convention: Refusal of Summary Return) [2018] EWHC 1680 (Fam) (14 June 2018) http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2018/1680.html

FE v YE [2017] EWHC 2165 (Fam) (25 August 2017)

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2017/2165.html

LS (A Child), Re [2015] EWHC 2824 (Fam) (08 June 2015)

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2015/2824.html

RS (A Child), Re [2015] EWHC 2880 (Fam) (29 July 2015)

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2015/2880.html

LC (Children), Re [2014] UKSC 1 (15 January 2014)

http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKSC/2014/1.html

G (a child), Re [2014] EWCA Civ 680 (19 May 2014)

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2014/680.html

G (A child), Re [2013] EWHC 4017 (Fam) (13 December 2013)

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2013/4017.html

LC (Children) [2013] EWCA Civ 1058 (15 August 2013)

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2013/1058.html

P v G [2010] EWHC 1311 (Fam) (30 April 2010)

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2010/1311.html

W v W [2009] EWHC 3288 (Fam) (10 December 2009)

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2009/3288.html