Deborah specialises in public law children matters and undertakes her own advocacy in all of her cases. She represents children in a wide variety of public law and adoption cases. She is a specialist in Care proceedings including cases concerned with issues of radicalisation; fabricated and induced illness, non-accidental injuries; serious sexual, physical, emotional abuse and neglect. She is also experienced in cases involving contact with children in care, assessment applications, finding of fact hearings, placements abroad and cases with international jurisdiction issues.
Deborah undertakes her own advocacy in all levels of courts and is a Higher Rights Advocate in Civil Law.
Deborah is noted in in the current Legal 500 directory as a key lawyer at TV Edwards LLP.
Deborah is the Chair of SAHCA – The Solicitors’ Association of Higher Courts Advocates.
Deborah was a finalist in the Legal Aid Practitioners’ Group’s public family legal aid lawyer of the year for 2017.
Deborah is also a finalist in the Legal Aid Practitioners’ Group’s family law lawyer of the year for 2022. The winners will be announced at the ceremony on 12th July 2022.
Area of specialism
- Public law children
Notable cases
- Re MP (Fact-Finding Hearing: Care Proceedings) [2013] EWHC 2062 (Fam),
- Re MP (Fact-finding Hearing: Care Proceedings: Art 15) [2013] EWHC 2063 (Fam), [2014] 1 FLR 702,
- London Borough of Barnet v The Father & Anor [2014] EWFC B144 (11 July 2014)
- London-Borough of Newham v KA Mother Ors [2016] EWFC B11 (4 March 2016)
- Re SL Permission to Vaccinate [2017] EWHC 125 (Fam) (30 January 2017)
- Re J, G And H (Children: Supervision Orders) [2021] EWHC 884 (Fam) (29 March 2021)
Accreditations
The Law Society Children Law accreditation and higher rights of audience (civil). Vulnerable witness training accreditation obtained.
Memberships
- Association of Lawyers for Children
- Chair of the Solicitor’s Association of Higher Courts Advocates (SAHCA)
- Member of the East London Family Court Local Family Justice Board
- London Children’s Lawyers Group
- Lesbian & Gay Lawyers Association
- NSPCC
- Associate member of the National Association of Guardians ad Litem and Reporting Officers (NAGALRO)
- Barnet, East London and Central Family Court User Groups.
Recommendations
“Deborah is a real credit to the profession… she is the paradigm Solicitor-Advocate…”
“She worked incredibly hard … was absolutely tireless in nailing down all the details on a complicated case.”
Every solicitor I have worked with has been excellent. A very high standard of service: prompt, efficient, friendly, excellent and clear legal advice, proactive, and takes a lead with other parties. Hannah Perry and Deborah Piccos are particularly exceptional and go the extra mile”
– Legal 500, 2021
