Henry Hawkesworth

Henry Hawkesworth took up a third six pupillage at Pump Court following successful completion of pupillage and a period as a tenant in a leading set of common law chambers in the North East of England. During his second six he was instructed in Family, Civil and Criminal matters.

As a second six pupil and tenant he regularly appeared in Stage 3 hearings and small claims involving credit hire, debt recovery, road traffic, and liability under the Animals Act 1971. He has dealt with applications for relief from sanctions, pre-action disclosure, and expert evidence in Fast Track cases. He has also advised and drafted pleadings in a number of matters including the sale of houses under TOLATA 1996, and he is keen to develop his paper practice.

As a Family practitioner, his practice equally encompasses children matters in Private Law and Public Law proceedings. He has been instructed up to final hearing for parents and local authorities, and has experience of representing Guardians at interim hearings and applications.

He has been instructed now in several extended final hearings involving large numbers of siblings, where the care planning has been complex. The most recent of these was a five day final hearing for a Father, involving the proposed separation of seven siblings and the cross examination of a child psychologist. He also has experience of designation hearings, and hearings involving applications for deprivation of liberty orders.

In Private Children work he has conducted matters through to final hearing, and has experience of fact findings hearings in cases where there have been significant cross allegations of domestic abuse.

In Ancillary Relief proceedings, he has represented clients at Maintenance Pending Suit hearings and interim hearings. He also gave a CPD presentation to solicitors in the North East on the court’s treatment of post-matrimonial assets in the wake of recent case law on the subject.

Henry has represented applicants and respondents in Non-Molestation Order applications up to final hearing. He recently secured the discharge of an order for a respondent, and a finding from the District Judge that no molestation whatsoever had occurred.

He also has a solid grounding in crime, having appeared in bail applications and trials in the Magistrates court and appealed convictions in the Crown Court. He has been instructed to appear at sentencing hearings, and recently secured a suspended sentence in a £100,000 fraud, where the Defendant had held a position of significant responsibility in a company.