Catherine Hirst

Catherine has recently relocated from Kent to Swindon and joined Pump Court Chambers in December 2023.

Catherine joined the bar in 1999 and spent the first 11 years of her career at Guildford Chambers, quickly specialising in family law. Having been a military spouse for over 15 years she has had the opportunity to take two sabbaticals to live in Naples and The Netherlands. Catherine has practiced as an employed barrister for several years and has extensive experience as an in-house advocate for both Derbyshire and most recently Kent Local Authority. She is an experienced public law advocate, with an in-depth knowledge of the intricacies of Local Authority work, having on an almost daily basis dealt with urgent, short notice hearings. Catherine prides herself on being able to build strong rapports with both professional and lay clients. She is experienced at dealing with highly emotive situations, easily adjusting to the changing circumstances and has an ability to be both robust and sensitive at the same time.

Catherine specialises in Public Law and accepts instructions from Local Authorities, parents, other family members and Guardians and is looking forward to practicing in the local area.