Katherine Gieve
Partner and Head of Family Law
Family Law
Katherine specialises in cases concerning children, both public law care cases and cases following the breakdown of relationships between the parents. She represents parents and children, and on occasion grandparents and other family members. She advises regularly in cases involving social services.
Katherine has substantial experience of adoption and declarations of parentage. She also represents both children and parents in surrogacy cases which can give rise to complex problems.
She has also represented children and parents in cases concerning medical treatment: the most notable case was that of the conjoined twins when she was appointed by the Court of Appeal to represent ‘Jodie’ (Re A [2001] 1 FLR 1).
Katherine takes on abduction cases for the Central Authority and has also represented a number of children who are of an age to have their wishes taken into account. She represented a teenager in the first case in which a young person was represented (Re M (1994) 2FLR 126).
Katherine has been elected to the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and has also been re- appointed to the Family Justice Council for a second term. She is a member (and former chair) of the Resolution (formerly Solicitors Family Law Association) Children Committee. She is a member of the Nuffield Foundation committee on Child Protection and Family Justice and has been a member of the Law Society Children Panel since 1984.
Katherine is co-author of The Cohabitation Handbook (Pluto Press 1981, 1984), specifically contributing chapters on children. She also writes and lectures widely on women, children and the law.
Katherine studied philosophy and politics at Oxford and has been a solicitor since 1978. She started her legal career in a law centre and the Family Rights Group before coming to Bindmans in 1988.
What the professional directories say
Chambers 2010
Family/ Matrimonial - Children: Cross Border - London (Ranked in Band 1)
Family/ Matrimonial - Children: Public Law - London (Ranked in Band 1)
Katherine's full profile and ranking status on Chambers 2010
Chambers 2009
Family: Cross-Border Child Work – London (Ranked in Band 1)
Family: Public Law Children - London (Ranked in Band 1)
Katherine's full profile and ranking status on Chambers 2009
Legal 500 (2010)
Family - ranked in Tier 4
Katherine's profile on Legal 500(2010)
Legal 500 (2009)
Family - ranked in 3rd tier
Katherine's profile on Legal 500(2009)