Shona Love

Shona accepts instructions across the full spectrum of family law: private & public children, divorce and dissolution of civil partnerships.

Shona has expertise in cases involving serious allegations of domestic and sexual abuse and has appeared for both applicants and respondents at all stages of private children and Family Law Act proceedings including complex cases involving international jurisdiction issues (removal of children to non-Hague countries). She equally has experience of matters which cross over into public children law and represents clients in matrimonial finance disputes.

Selected Cases

M v P (2024)

Represented the applicant mother at an urgent hearing, successfully obtaining an order for the immediate return of the children who were unilaterally removed from her care by the respondent father and also persuaded the court to make a Prohibited Steps Order.

O v E (2024)

Represented the respondent in a case which involved high risk sexual and domestic abuse allegations and successfully resisted an application to dismiss an existing Non-Molestation Order.

M v M (2023)

Represented the respondent mother before a Circuit Judge in a complex case involving serious honour-based domestic abuse and child abduction allegations. Shona successfully secured the dismissal of an existing Prohibited Steps Order which sought to prevent the mother from temporarily removing the children from the jurisdiction to non-Hague Convention countries.

F v F (2023)

Represented the respondent at a final hearing and successfully secured the dismissal of a Non-Molestation Order. Following Shona’s cross-examination of the applicant where significant inconsistencies came to light, the Recorder found the applicant’s evidence unreliable and dismissed the application.

M v M (2023)

Represented the applicant at a final hearing and successfully secured an occupation order having satisfied the District Judge the applicant and children were likely to suffer significant harm if the order was not made.