Max Konarek

Practice Areas

I am a specialist family law solicitor dealing with complex child protection cases involving Non-Accidental Injuries & Fabricated or Induced Illness [FII].

I have a particular interest and speciality in representing clients who:

🔹Are neurodivergent;

🔹Have learning difficulties or learning disabilities;

🔹Are from the travelling / Roma communities;

🔹Are children in Care Proceedings and Deprivation of Liberty proceedings;

🔹Are parents and other family members facing the most serious of allegations that a family court can deal with;

I have had the privilege of working with some of the best legal minds in the country on cases, instructing highly experienced King’s Counsel where necessary in proceedings dealing with issues of:

🔸The death of a child;

🔸Shaken Baby allegations;

🔸Genetic disorders mimicking child abuse;

🔸Non-accidental injuries (NAI) including head injuries (NAHI), fractures and bruising;

🔸Sexual abuse including cases involving paedophile rings ;

🔸Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII), Medically

Unexplained Symptoms (MUS), Perplexing

Presentations (PP);

🔸Cases where there are concurrent criminal proceedings;

🔸Re-opening previous fact finding or final hearing decisions with adverse findings made against a client;

🔸International / jurisdictional disputes arising that involve citizens of the European Union;

🔸Emerging or new medical diagnoses & medical science (e.g. PANS & PANDAS);

I have experience in acting for clients in:

🔸Lengthy hearings (15+ days).

🔸Complex cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal that have raised issues of law and of note there are several reported cases that have been published in the Law Reports.

🏆 Ranked Tier 3 in Chambers & Partners U.K. - 2025 for Family/Children Law: Public Law Matters (UK-wide)

🏆 Ranked as an “Up and Coming” partner in Chambers & Partners U.K. - 2023 & 2024 for Family/Children Law: Public Law Matters (UK-wide)

🏆 Recommend Lawyer for 6 consecutive years 2020 - 2025 rankings of the Legal 500 UK publication

🏆 Legal 500 UK 2024 - “Firm to Watch” in Family Law - Achieved in the first year of joining GT Stewart

🏆Legal 500 UK 2025 - Tier 3 Family Department - First ever department ranking & achieved in the Second year of joining GT Stewart

I represent clients that are based in the U.K. & worldwide, specialising in complex child protection court proceedings across England & Wales.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch by:

📧 Emailing: [email protected]

☎️ Phoning the office on: 0208 299 6000

💻 www.gtstewart.co.uk

👤 https://gtstewart.co.uk/our-people/max-konarek/

🏢Offices - https://gtstewart.co.uk/our-offices/

Career

I joined GT Stewart Solicitors in October 2022 as Partner and Joint Head of the Family and Childcare Department. Prior to that I worked at a well-respected Legal 500 firm where I previously was a partner and headed up the Care Department.

Professional Memberships

Accredited on the Law Society’s Children Panel [a recognised quality standard for practitioners representing children in children law proceedings].

Affiliate Member - Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) - RCPCH number: 300837

Member of Neurodiversity in Law

Publications

For links to the below articles please see the Articles section on my GTS profile - https://gtstewart.co.uk/our-people/max-konarek

Article: Choosing the right Solicitor

Article: Exoneration

Keeping Care Proceedings Fair – Article for the New Law Journal

The SIHIS’s impact on care proceedings – Article for Yorkshire Legal News

Concerns raised regarding the Suspected Inflicted Head Injury Service in family care proceedings – Article for the Solicitors Journal

The difference an intermediary can make in court – a solicitor’s viewpoint – Guest post for Communicourt

Vulnerable parties and the use of intermediaries in family proceedings (N (a child) (care proceedings: evidence) – Article for Lexis Nexis – Family analysis: What duties should solicitors and advocates observe in relation to a vulnerable party to family proceedings? – Max Konarek, who represented the Appellant, considers this issue in the context of the Court of Appeal judgment in Re N (A Child) [2019] EWCA Civ 1997

Work Highlights

Reported Cases:

6 May 2022: A Local Authority v Mother & Ors [2022] EWHC 2793 (Fam)

21 September 2021: Kent County Council v C & Ors [2021] EWFC 122

23 July 2021: A (A Child) (Fact-Finding Modern Slavery) [2021] EWFC 79

21 July 2020: B-T (A Child) – UKSC 2020/0134

3 June 2020: B-T (A Child: Threshold Conditions) [2020] EWCA Civ 697

19 November 2019: Re N (A Child) [2019] EWCA Civ 1997

18 October 2018: Z v Kent County Council (Revocation of placement order – Failure to assess Mother’s capacity and Grandparents) [2018] EWFC B65 (18 October 2018)

20 March 2018: Kent County Council v C & Ors [2018] EWFC B28 (20 March 2018)

18 July 2017: Kent County Council v Z (Family Assistance Order or Supervision Order) [2017] EWFC B63

17 July 2017: A & Ors (Progress by adults with large family over 12 months. Finely balanced departure from experts opinions) [2017] EWFC B95

1 March 2017: Kent County Council v A,B,C and D (children) (Weight to be attached to evidence of child after flawed ABE interviews) [2017] EWFC B72

28 July 2016: Kent County Council v C and D and A and B (Jurisdiction: Article 20)– [2016] EWFC 73 (Fam)

25 May 2016: Kent County Council v C and D and A and B – [2016] EWFC 72 (Fam)

13 May 2016: Kent County Council v M and K (section 20: declaration and damages) [2016] EWFC 28 (Fam)

22 March 2013: N v B & Others [2013] EWHC 820 (Fam)

1 February 2103: LA v DG & Others [2013] EWHC 734 (Fam)