James Netto

Practice Areas

James is a Partner at The International Family Law Group LLP.

He specialises in all areas of children law, with particular expertise in international children matters.

James is a Solicitor Advocate, and regularly conducts his own advocacy in the Family Court and also in the High Court.

James is highly experienced in cases concerning the international movement of children. He is a specialist in international parental child abduction cases and is regularly instructed by the parents and children within the UK and abroad, as well as by the Central Authority.

In a series of firsts, James was involved in the first 1980 Hague Convention child abduction case between Japan and the UK, the first cases concerning the inherent jurisdiction and the 1996 Hague Convention to reach the UK Supreme Court, the first appeal case to concern the interpretation of Brussels II Revised enforcement provisions, and the first reported cases of children being returned to Algeria and to Sudan. He has also acted for clients in many high-profile and widely reported appeals, interventions and committals.

James is much in demand as a speaker at seminars and conferences both within the UK and abroad. He is one of just a handful of lawyers admitted to Bar of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, having appeared in what is thought to be the first international children case in that jurisdiction.

James is a Resolution Accredited Specialist in Child Abduction and in European and International Law.

James was shortlisted as Young Solicitor of the Year in 2017, and in 2018 he was ‘highly commended’ as Junior Solicitor of the Year at the Law Society Excellence Awards. His work was also been shortlisted in the 2020 Legal Week Innovation Awards, and the 2020 Family Law Awards. His work has also been shortlisted in the 2020 Legal Week Innovation Awards, and the 2020 Family Law Awards. He is regularly ranked in both Chambers and Partners and in the Legal 500 for his work in international children matters.

James’ work was praised in representing two teenage children within child abduction proceedings. In the final paragraph of his analysis and conclusions in the judgment of M (Children) (Abduction: Joinder of Children) [2021] EWHC 635 (Fam) –

“Mr James Netto is a solicitor of great experience who specialises in international child abduction proceedings. I am confident that he will properly discharge his duties as guardian to the older children and conduct proceedings on their behalf in accordance with their interests. As I have said, I consider that it is in their best interests that he be appointed to fulfil that role.” High Court Judge – (January 2021).

James has had over 50 reported cases including to the UK Supreme Court, the European Court of Human Rights and the US Supreme court. James recently acted for an appellant child in an appeal this year which involved high profile intervenors. This case will likely re-define how children are represented in future abduction proceedings.

In 2023, James was appointed Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine at King’s College London. He is the only qualified solicitor in this faculty with a portfolio in relation to legal issues arising out of ground-breaking parentage tracing cases using DNA sampling.

Professional Memberships

Supervising lawyer at the University of Greenwich's Pro Bono Law Clinic

Chair of Child Abduction Lawyers Association (CALA)

Resolution Accredited Specialist in Child Abduction

Admitted to the Bar of Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Qualified Solicitor Advocate

Work Highlights

Reported Decisions

A Father v A Mother [2024] EWHC 1149 (Fam)

ES v DC [2024] EWHC 968 (Fam)

WB v VM [2024] EWHC 302 (Fam)

Mother v Father (Re Child Abduction & Custody Act 1985 - Senior Courts Act 1981) [2023] EWHC 3555 (Fam)

Re D (A Child) (Abduction: Child’s Objections: Representation of Child Party) [2023] EWCA Civ 1047

Re A (Article 13(b): Mental Ill-health) [2023] EWHC 2082 (Fam)

C v M [2023] EWHC 208 (Fam)

C v M & Anor (No 1 Hague Abduction: Application for Re-Hearing) [2023] EWHC 1482 (Fam)

ES v DS [2022] EWHC 3397 (Fam)

Golan v. Saada 596 U.S. ___ [2022] - Supreme Court of the United States

Agarwal v Czech Republic - European Court of Human Rights - Application no. 44870/19 [2022]

Re N (Abduction) [2022] EWHC 3146 (Fam)

Re Q v R [2022] EWHC 2961 (Fam)

Re S (A Child) (Costs) [2022] EWHC 2064 (26 September 2022)

Re S (A Child) (Jurisdiction) [2022] EWHC 1720 (Fam) (4 July 2022)

Re Z (No 2 Welfare [2021] EWHC 3840 (Fam)

Re W and X and Y and Z [2021] EWHC 3840 (Fam)

Children (Private Law: Covert Recordings: Adjournment of Final Hearing), Re [2021] EWFC B82 (02 November 2021)

Re L (Return Order), Re [2021] EWHC 2737 (Fam) (13 October 2021)

A and B (Rescission of Order Change of Circumstances) [2021] EWFC 76 (08 September 2021)

F v M & Ors [2021] EWHC 553 (Fam) (11 March 2021)

A (Child Abduction: Article 13b) [2021] EWCA Civ 328 (09 March 2021)

AB v CD [2021] EWHC 375 (Fam) (25 February 2021)

Re M (Children) (Abduction: Joinder of Children) [2021] EWHC 635 (Fam) (22 January 2021)

Awards