Jacky Starling

Jacky has been with the firm since joining as a trainee in 1993. She qualified as a solicitor in 1995. Jacky mixes casework with supervision and management. She is passionate about the provision of high quality, holistic legal advice and representation, publicly funded wherever possible. She acts as duty solicitor on possession days in both Bow County Court and the Stratford Housing Centre. She also sits as a part-time Tribunal Judge (Social Security).

Jacky specialises in all areas of housing law, particularly defending possession proceedings, brought on grounds of rent arrears and anti-social behaviour; succession cases; housing benefit issues;applications to suspend warrants of eviction and for re-entry; disrepair; and homelessness matters. Jacky also undertakes community care law, especially where there is an overlap with housing law, including obtaining legal redress for those who can have no recourse to public funds, who have children in need and or who require aids and adaptations. She is listed in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.

Notable cases

• N v Chief Adjudication Officer [1999] 4AIIER 677: Instructed solicitor in the lead House of Lords case on the definition of ‘habitual residence’. 
• S and others v UK [2005] 42 EHRR: Instructed solicitor in the ECHR case on the definition of social security benefits as possessions under article 1 Protocol.

Panel memberships

• Housing Law Practitioners’ Association

Recommendations

A true long standing legal aid warrior.

– The Legal 500 (2023)

Jacky Starling and ‘very well-respected solicitor’ Katie Brown, who jointly lead the practice, are experienced in defending possession claims brought on the grounds of rent arrears and anti-social behaviour, as well as sub-letting, breaches of tenancy and under the section 21 notice procedure.

– Legal 500 UK (2022)

Sources describe Jacky Starling as “excellent”. One client notes: “She is one of the best; she is experienced, knowledgeable and makes good judgments.”

– Chambers and Partners UK (2016) 

A very committed, completely reliable practitioner, who focuses on possession proceedings, homelessness and community care.