Tom Wilson

Practice Areas

Tom specialises in all areas of the law relating to children, including public and private law proceedings, adoption, child abduction, cases concerning donor-conceived children or international issues, and judicial review. He regularly appears in complex, high profile or ground-breaking cases, including those with international elements or novel legal issues. He has been appointed to the Attorney General’s B Panel and regularly advises and represents the government in relation to family law issues.

Tom has been instructed at all levels of court, including the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

In 2024, Tom was shortlisted for Junior Barrister of the Year at the Chambers Bar Awards and the Family Law Awards. He is described by Chambers and Partners as ‘a rising star and silk of the future’, ‘a superstar in the making’, and ‘an exceptional barrister’.

Children (public law):

Tom acts in care, adoption and other public law proceedings, representing parents, local authorities, children and other family members.

Tom is regularly instructed in complex cases, including those involving allegations of non-accidental injury, child death, sexual abuse and radicalisation. He has appeared in the Family Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal, both alone and as a led junior.

Tom is also regularly instructed to advise and act in both domestic and international adoption proceedings, including many of the recent decisions concerning applications to revoke an adoption order.

Children (private law):

Tom acts for parents, children and other relatives across all private law matters concerning children. He has a wealth of experience in child arrangements disputes, including those involving complex issues such as implacable hostility and allegations of serious physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Many of Tom’s cases have an international element, including international child abduction and applications for permanent or temporary leave to remove.

Tom also has considerable experience in private law disputes concerning donor-conceived children and those from atypical family structures.

Modern families & surrogacy:

Tom regularly acts in cases involving donor-conceived children and children born through surrogacy arrangements. He has appeared in the High Court and Court of Appeal in a number of such cases, including applications for parental orders, declarations of parentage, and private law disputes arising out of surrogacy arrangements and in relation to donor-conceived children and transgender young people.

Tom also appeared in a number of cases arising from administrative errors on the part of fertility clinics and the General Registrar’s Office. He appeared in Cases K, L and O before the President, and has successfully represented parents in a judicial review claim arising from the incorrect registration of a child’s birth in such circumstances.

Judicial review & administrative law:

Tom advises and represents local authorities and parents in relation to judicial review and other claims relating to children.

Tom is appointed to the Attorney-General’s B Panel and regularly advises and represents Government departments and other public bodies in matters relating to children.

International family law:

Tom’s work frequently involves consideration of international issues. He has appeared in such cases at all levels of court, up to and including the Court of Appeal, with and without a leader. He regularly acts for parents and children in matters involving international child abduction, international adoption, permanent leave to remove and temporary leave to remove to non-Hague countries.

Tom also has experience of cases involving the cross-over between family law and immigration law and those in which issues of immunity arise.

Career

LLB, First Class (hons), Durham University.

BPTC, Very Competent, Kaplan Law School.

Wilfred Getz Scholar, Gray’s Inn.

Anne Goddard Scholar, Gray’s Inn.

Professional Memberships

Attorney General’s B Panel.

Family Law Bar Association.

Association of Lawyers for Children.

Resolution.

Bar Pro Bono Unit.

Gray’s Inn.

Publications

Tom writes and lectures on a range of family law issues. He has published articles in Family Law and Family Law Week. He is an author of the Family Breakdown section of Butterworths Civil Court Precedents and of the book ‘Applications under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989’.

Tom provides seminars and training on a range of family law matters. He regularly speaks on matters concerning surrogacy and donor-conceived children.

Tom has commented on a number of family law developments for Lexis Nexis and regularly provides case summaries for Family Law Week.

Work Highlights

Re Z (Infant Fatality) [2024] EWHC 618 (Fam)

O v P & Anor [2024] EWHC 1077 (Fam)

Re AB (A child) [2024] EWHC 586 (Fam)

A v B & Ors [2023] EWHC 1680 (Fam)

A v B & and C [2023] EWCA Civ 360

B & Anor v D & Ors [2023] EWFC 18

K v Maya & Anor [2023] EWHC 293

A & Anor v B & Ors [2022] EWHC 3089

C (A Child) (Parental Order & Child Arrangements Order No. 3) [2021] EWHC 3045

C (A Child) (Parental Order & Child Arrangements Order No. 4) [2022] EWHC 2501

Re A (Children) (Pool of perpetrators) [2022] EWCA Civ 1348

F v M [2022] EWHC 2564

Re AZ (A Child) (Recusal) [2022] EWCA Civ 911

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum v Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein [2022] EWFC 16

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum v Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein [2021] EWHC 3480 (Fam)

Re G (Adoption; Notice Under s35 ACA 2002; Revocation of Placement Order) [2021] EWFC 93

AX v BX & Ors (Revocation of Adoption Order) [2021] EWHC 1121 (Fam)

Re H-N And Others (Children) (Domestic Abuse: Finding of Fact Hearings) (Rev 2) [2021] EWCA Civ 448

Newman v Southampton City Council & Ors [2021] EWCA Civ 437

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum v Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein [2021] EWCA Civ 1216

Re Al M (Fact-Finding) [2021] EWHC 1162 (Fam)

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum v Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein [2021] EWCA Civ 129

Re Al M (Non-Molestation) [2020] EWHC 3305

Re Al M (Foreign Act of State) [2020] EWHC 2883 (Fam)

Z v X (Declaration of Parentage) [2020] EWFC 67

Prospective Adopters v Sheffield City Council [2020] EWCA Civ 1591

Re C (A Child: Parental Order & Child Arrangements Order) [2020] EWHC 2141 (Fam)

Re C (A Child: Parental Order & Child Arrangements Order) [2020] EWHC 2474 (Fam)

R v P (Children: Similar Fact Evidence) [2020] EWCA Civ 1088

R (Leave to Oppose The Making of an Adoption Order), Re [2020] EWFC 97

Re X (Revocations of Testamentary Guardianship) [2020] EWFC 33

Re Al M (Assurances and Waiver) [2020] EWHC 67 (Fam)

Re Al M (Publication) [2020] EWHC 122 (Fam)

Re Al M (Children) [2020] EWCA Civ 283

Re Al M (Fact Finding) [2019] EWHC 3415 (Fam)

PQ v RS and Others (Legal Parenthood: Written Consent) [2019] EWFC 65

LR v A Local Authority & Ors (Application to Terminate Appointment of Guardian) [2019] EWFC 49

A Local Authority v M & Ors (Placement Order) [2019] EWFC 50

ZH v HS & Ors (Application to Revoke Adoption Order) [2019] EWHC 2190 (Fam)

Re RP (A Child) (Foster Carers Appeal) [2019] EWCA Civ 525

Poole Borough Council v GN (through his Litigation Friend ‘the Official Solicitor) & Anor [2019] UKSC 25

Re ST (A Child) (Surrogacy: Iran) [2018] EWHC 3439

AB v CD [2018] EWHC 1590 (Fam)

In the Matter of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (Case K) [2017] EWHC 50 (Fam)

In the Matter of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (Case K) (No.2) [2017] EWHC 783 (Fam)

F v M & Others (Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants intervening) [2017] EWHC 949 (Fam)

Re H (A Child: Surrogacy Breakdown) [2017] EWCA Civ 1798 Re TG (A Child: Future Care Arrangements) [2017] EWFC 85

Re K (A Child) [2016] EWCA Civ 931

In the Matter of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (Case O) [2016] EWHC 2273 (Fam)

In the Matter of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (Case L) [2016] EWHC 2266 (Fam)