Qualified as a Solicitor in 1997, Shahnaaz has worked as a family and child care lawyer in some of the most prestigious law firms locally before becoming a Consultant in the Family team that specialises in representing children, parents and other family members when they become involved in court proceedings where children are considered to be at risk of harm.
Shahnaaz is an accredited specialist on the Law Society’s Children Law Panel.
She undertakes her own advocacy and represents parents, extended family members, children’s guardians, and children. Having been a member of the Children’s Panel for over 25 years, Shahnaaz has gained a reputation due to her tenacity and sharp legal acumen amongst the judiciary. Shahnaaz deals with complex cases involving non-accidental injury, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, alcohol and drug dependency and female genital mutilation (FGM). She regularly represents vulnerable clients with mental health or learning difficulties, as well as clients who require the use of an interpreter. Shahnaaz has also been instructed by the Official Solicitor in cases where her clients have been assessed as lacking capacity to conduct litigation independently. Shahnaaz combines strategic thinking with a genuine commitment to every child and parent’s welfare.
Specialist practice areas:
- Care proceedings involving Social Services or Children’s Services
- Contact with a child in care
- Discharge of care orders
- Applications for Placement Orders when plans for children are adoption
- Secure accommodation proceedings and applications for the depravation of liberty for children
- Discharge of Placement Orders
- Contested Adoption