Maria Hancock *

Maria Hancock’s is a working door tenant at 30 Park Place and predominately practices from Westgate Chambers in Lewes, East Sussex.

With a qualification in Social Work and a background in Child Protection before being called to the Bar, Maria Hancock is adept at handling all Children Act work at all degrees of complexity in all levels of courts. She represents parents, grandparents and other relatives, Guardians (children), separately represented children, Local Authorities and particularly vulnerable parties through the Official Solicitor.

Her expertise in Children Act matters extends to all areas in applications brought in public law and private law proceedings, including Adoption, Care Orders, Special Guardianship Orders, Wardship, Inherent Jurisdiction and Secure Accommodation Orders – such applications arising from issues which include physical, sexual, emotional harm, cultural and religious issues, FII and Domestic Violence.

She is also trained in relation to the recently introduced DVPOs.

Maria Hancock is extremely approachable and gives expert advice, representation and guidance through all stages of proceedings.

She accepts work under the Direct Access scheme.

She also specialises in associated Judicial Review applications and has experience, for example, of cases where the lawfulness of a Local Authority’s approach to financial assistance provided under Special Guardianship regulations is under scrutiny, and where the lawfulness of a Local Authority’s Pathway Plans for Care Leavers is in question and where the lawfulness of a Local Authority’s action in deliberately frustrating a parent’s ability to apply for a revocation of Placement Order is criticised by the Court of Appeal.

Likewise, she specialises in Human Rights applications within care proceedings – for example, involvement in a case where children were entitled to findings being made against a Local Authority in light of that Local Authority’s decision-making about inappropriate foster placements, and where there have been breaches of a young person’s rights and unlawful deprivation of liberty in Secure Accommodation situations and where there has been insufficient adherence to guidance in respect of Police Protection Orders vs Emergency Protection Orders.

Court of Protection Maria Hancock is experienced in providing advice and representation and guidance in cases which involve, for example, capacity decisions involving care, medical treatment and safeguarding liberty (DOLS situations).