Leanne Hewett

Leanne joined TV Edwards in 2021, as a legal executive within the Child Law Team, having been experienced in family law matters since 2016 and civil litigation prior to making the change to family law. She has represented many clients in both private and public law proceedings, always exhibiting great skill in client care and providing advice in a clear and no-nonsense manner. 

She regularly acts for parents and other family members in complex care cases where children have suffered neglect, abuse, non-accidental injuries, and in deprivation of liberty cases; and for parents within private law proceedings including where parental alienation/implacable hostility is an issue. Leanne also acts for parties who are experiencing domestic violence in a fast and discrete manner.

Memberships and Accreditations

• Graduate Member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.
• Level 6 professional diploma in law and practice.

Notable Cases

• Parental Alienation / Implacable hostility case – represented a mother within private law proceedings in which the father raised parental alienation. The mother alleged domestic violence and coercion control perpetrated by the father. These were long running proceedings which necessitated the appointment of a children’s guardian and the instructions of expert witnesses. The case required a fully contested fact-finding hearing and a fully contested final hearing. Judgment found no evidence of parental alienation and an order of no contact granted.
• Unexplained injury case – this case involved a fracture of a child’s skull. Leanne represented a mother in an application for an emergency protection order and subsequent care proceedings. The child was of pre-school age and non-verbal. The child was brought to hospital due to concerns of drowsiness and instability on his feet and an x-ray showed a fracture of the skull which neither parent could account for. Expert opinion from a paediatric neurosurgeon was sought on the basis that the child had a pre-existing diagnosis of hydrocephalus, which was granted an obtained. The expert confirmed that the irregularity noted in the x-ray was an abnormal joining of the skull due to the child’s diagnosis and the fracture was a misdiagnosis. Child returned to the care of the parents and the proceedings concluded in favour of the client.
• Deprivation of Liberty Application – represented a mother within care proceedings in which the teenage child was placed into the care of the local authority but absconded for long periods of time. The local authority  made an application to the High Court to deprive the child of her liberty to place her into a residential placement. The application was opposed by the mother on the basis of the child’s wishes and feelings in addition to the local authority’s inability to work with the child and to secure her safety. The application was successfully opposed.