Chambers of Helen Alexander
Direct Public Access
Bar Membership Number: 53422
Holborn Chambers,
Holborn,
London
Helen is a passionate, conscientious and strategically minded established family court barrister, with over a decade’s experience in family court practice dealing with a full ambit of Family Law proceedings.
She regularly accepts instruction from solicitors to represent family law clients in court. However, due to the increase of Litigants in Person, her main area of work is exclusively with accepting instructions directly from litigants in person, in the family court setting under public access, for legal advice, case preparation and representation at court.
Helen is an avid supporter of litigants in person, dealing with child arrangement orders, enforcement and injunctions. She specialises in providing practical, effective and prompt ‘no nonsense’ legal advice from start to finish of her instructions, tailored to meet individual client needs, whilst equipping them with the best legal advice, case preparation and procedure/law, in readiness to meet the challenges of conducting litigation on their own behalf.
She is an experienced Criminal and Immigration law barrister; a former CPS Crown Prosecutor in the Youth and Crown Court and Home Office (SSHD) Panel Advocate for the Immigration Tribunal; all of these skills and knowledge gained in these areas are used regularly deployed in court, ultimately to advance and achieve the most favourable outcome for clients.
Helen specialises in complex family and children cases, where there is an overlap with Criminal and Immigration law, using her skills and knowledge to deal with complex legal issues, which arise in the family court proceedings.
She is instructed to deal with complex final hearings and lengthy fact-finding hearings, dealing with allegations from historic serious sexual abuse, rape and assaults to parental alienation, relocation and controlling and coercive behaviour.
Helen’s forte lies in challenging expert reports such as psychiatric reports, advise on joint-instructions and her to ability to deconstruct the most challenging of expert reports, using robust and analytical scrutiny of the expert evidence to promote her client’s case.
My life was in ruins, I had been accused of a serious allegations by my partner and said that I not the father of our child and she wanted to get me deported as a criminal so I could never have contact with my daughter. All I ever wanted was to spend time with my daughter. I had no one to turn to until I got Helen, I didn’t even have much money but she took on my case. She represented me in court. She was brilliant. She cleared my name, got me contact with my daughter and got my life back. God bless you Helen, you were the only one who cared about me and my daughter.
Mr O – Public Access Client
Thank you for your help in my case. I wanted to say that Helen Alexander did a fantastic job. She was very clear, concise, and knowledgeable. I am so grateful for her guidance and the great outcome we achieved in court. I would definitely recommend her.
Ms LD – Public Access Client
(Helen Alexander) has been the best barrister I have personally met during my financial order case. She goes to any extent to help her client achieve the best possible outcome. Helen has systematic approach and her sincerity helps her clients rest assured that they will be well looked after. I would like to wish her all the best in life and will recommend her to anyone I know if they need any legal advice for family matters.
Dr V – Public Access Client
Just thought I’d let you know that I’ve been to court with Helen Alexander and extremely satisfied with the outcome. She was worth every penny spent. In the almost 7 years of going to court for such a complex case have taken 3 hearings, but we were able to come out with an agreement that will now see me reunited with my son after 1 hearing.
I was particularly impressed with Helen’s attention to details and thoroughness. She was strong and effective in advocating for me and negotiations. Her social skill is just as good as I was comfortable with her throughout discussions in and out the court room. I felt like she cared about my situation and my son’s wellbeing was very important to her. She is really good at what she does. Thank you for helping me.
Mr P– Public Access Client
Absolutely over the moon that I was appointed Helen as my barrister very friendly and easy to approach, great communication between us throughout my whole court case (2 years) also told me off when I needed it but I honestly couldn’t thank her enough, if it wasn’t for Helen I can honestly say I wouldn’t have got the result that I wanted and now I have my daughter.
And, outside the courtroom we built a great friendship and understanding and in the court room, she is pure sassy and firm. I am delighted with the outcome and Helen was worth every penny I spent.
I would 100% recommended Helen to anybody that is going through a court case once again a massive Thank You from me and my family thanks to Helen we can be a family again.
Mr B Sharpe – Public Access
I have no words to express my gratitude for your help today. You spoke to me in such clear and understanding way that made me truly inspired and empowered. You spend 45 minutes of your valuable time to help and advice someone who was looking for help.Because of people like you the world will be a better place one day!Thank you again !Ps I mean it from the bottom of my heartMs.Tania N – Final Order Matrimonial Finance May 2020
Notable Cases in Family Proceedings
Public Law Children**
Re M v Bournemouth Children Authority – (Permission to appeal against a placement/adoption order) (unreported)
Helen represented the mother seeking permission to appeal the making of an adoption/placement order and succeeded in obtaining permission to appeal on compelling grounds.
Re A, B, E v Newcastle Children Authority – (mental health, human rights Article 8, forced adoption of the children and immigration) and (unreported)
Helen represented the Father in care proceedings, which involved Refugee convention (asylum) and forced adoption. The mother had acute mental health difficulties and made serious allegation of FGM and fled with the children. Father successfully challenged the placement order and secured the return of his children.
Re J v Birmingham Children’s Authority – (allegation of trafficked child, foreign adoption, placement/adoption order) (unreported)
Helen represented the British mother who faced allegations of child trafficking having lawfully adopted a child from outside the UK – advised on the international adoption, challenging the Home Office evidence and potential prosecution. Helen drafted grounds of appeal to the Court of Appeal on the legitimacy of foreign adoption and parental responsibility.
Re K v Norwich Children’s Authority – (Special Guardianship Order) (unreported)
This case related to a child who had been abandoned in the care of her grandfather by her heroin-addicted Mother and the father was in prison for a lengthy sentence and authorities removed the child and were seeking a placement and/or adoption order.
Helen represented the Grandfather and children’s guardian and solicitor did not support him and the matter was listed for 5 days. Grandfather successfully obtained contact and subsequent return of the child supported by the Children’s authority.
Private Children Law – Child Arrangement Orders **
Re M (Mother makes an allegation of historic rape against the Father without immigration status in the UK) in the fact finding hearing at Central Family Court (unreported)
Helen represented a Father, an over-stayer facing immigration deportation who sought a child arrangement order. The British mother made an allegation of historic rape of a vulnerable adult (disabled) and controlling and coercive behaviour against the Father. Matter was listed for a 4-day fact finding hearing which included evidence of mobile phone footage and recordings and police disclosure. Father’s successfully challenged allegation and an order made for contact with the child with immediate effect.
Re C (International Child abduction from habitual residence in Europe) matter listed for trial in the Royal Court of Justice [
Mother resident in the UK refused to return the children to their habitual residence. Mother was in breach of the German court child arrangement order. Father made an urgent application to the High Court alleging child abduction.
Helen advised on Brussels II Regulation (BII) Art 1(1) (b) EEA and Art 11-13 and Art.8 and as BII extends the children provisions of BII to all children involved in proceedings, makes changes to the process of recognising and enforcing access orders in other countries, changes the jurisdiction rules on children cases and strengthens return provisions in child abduction cases and the defence available to challenge the finding of abduction by one party.
Divorce Money – Financial Remedies Hearing – Notable Case **
M v Ors and third party in the Family Court Coventry – (financial remedies hearing – fraud, beneficial interest/resulting trusts, transfer of property via a declaration of trust) (unreported)
Helen represented both the husband and his partner against the claim of the wife and a third party interest – complex case listed for 4 day trial – involved multiple properties, beneficial interest/resulting trust, allegations of mortgage fraud, breach of contract, transfer of land under a declaration of trust, expert valuation of property in Pakistan and breaches of immigration law. Helen successfully challenged the foreign valuation and the third party’s claim for a resulting trust.
S v S in the Family Court Watford (FDHRA) (unreported) – complex high value matrimonial property which included a large portfolio of ‘buy to let’ properties in the UK and investment in properties in UAE and other businesses, capital gains tax and the duty of candour and disclosure.
Helen represented the respondent at the FDHRA, she successfully challenged the financial accounting expert report, successfully argued that the valuation for the sale of property is different from the valuation for a business with sitting tenants under a buy to let mortgage and therefore without the proper valuation, that calculation for capital gains tax (CGT) is not ‘fit for purpose’ and further argued that expert report for CGT tax has a number of exceptions which had not been considered in report and therefore FDHRA cannot be effective and sought costs.
** names and dates changed to preserve the anonymity.