Siobhan F Kelly
UK Bar Guide 2025
Band 2 : Family: Children
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
020 70923700Share profile
Band 2
About
Provided by Siobhan F Kelly
Practice Areas
Siobhan is a leading junior and specialist family practitioner with extensive experience in all aspects of the law relating to children. She is “Amazingly robust, she gets through to the root of the case and is incredibly effective.” and “A force to be reckoned with who will fight hard for the client”. Her main area of practice lies in acting for children, parents, and extended family members in both public and private law proceedings. She is frequently instructed to represent young mothers within care proceedings.
Siobhan sits as a Recorder and is an arbitrator qualified under the IFLA scheme for children matters.
Career
Siobhan is regularly instructed on highly complex matters including those involving the death of children, extensive medical evidence, allegations of non-accidental injury and extreme sexual abuse. She has detailed knowledge of cases related to factitious induced illness and cases in which there are parallel criminal proceedings.
She has a particular familiarity with representing children in private law applications whether through their guardian in Rule 16.4 cases or separately. She represents parents within any private law parental disputes, with a specific emphasis on applications for domestic and international relocation.
Siobhan is experienced in cases involving the international movement of children including both convention and non-convention abduction cases and other matters with an international element.
Professional Memberships
Association of Lawyers for Children - Siobhan was the co-chair from 2020 to 2023 and remains a member of the executive committee.
Family Law Bar Association
Chambers Review
UK Bar
Siobhan Kelly is an expert in public law children proceedings, who acts on behalf of guardians and parents in complex care cases, often in the context of non-accidental injury, child death, neglect and serious criminal proceedings. She has extensive experience of cases involving factitious induced illness allegations.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"When I know Siobhan is involved in a case, I instantly relax. She is always very well prepared and has an excellent grasp of all the issues involved."
"Incredibly bright and astute, she really gets straight to the issues and is never distracted. She's very plain-speaking, which is attractive to both the judiciary and also her own clients."
"Anything she doesn't know about children law isn't worth knowing. She's a formidable advocate."
"When I know Siobhan is involved in a case, I instantly relax. She is always very well prepared and has an excellent grasp of all the issues involved."
"Incredibly bright and astute, she really gets straight to the issues and is never distracted. She's very plain-speaking, which is attractive to both the judiciary and also her own clients."
"Anything she doesn't know about children law isn't worth knowing. She's a formidable advocate."