Rhian Wood

Children:

Rhian is frequently instructed to represent parents in all areas of private children law including applications for Child Arrangements Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders and Specific Issue Orders. She has experience in complex cases including those involving the Local Authority and issues surrounding parental alienation. She has conducted multi-day fact finding hearings within Children Act proceedings involving serious allegations of sexual and child abuse. She has experience representing vulnerable and neurodiverse clients. 

Financial remedies:

Rhian acts in all aspects of family finance proceedings including matrimonial finance, applications under Section 1 of the Children Act 1989 and applications pursuant to TOLATA 1996. She has experience in cases involving third party interventions, commercial property and pre/post-marital assets.

Rhian has experience representing clients both in court and through alternative dispute resolution means including Arbitrations and Private FDRs.

Injunctive proceedings:

Rhian regularly represents parties at all stages of Family Law Act proceedings. She has experience of urgent, without notice applications and final contested hearings.

Rhian accepts instructions in all areas of criminal law and regularly prosecutes and defends in the Crown Court. Rhian is a CPS Level 2 Prosecutor. She has completed the Advocacy & the Vulnerable training at Lincoln’s Inn.

Rhian represents defendants in a variety of serious criminal matters including sexual offences, violence and drug offences. She is adept at handling vulnerable witnesses and defendants and has experience dealing with vulnerabilities including age, mental health conditions and learning difficulties. She has prosecuted and defended POCA hearings.

Rhian also has experience defending clients in Local Authority prosecutions including in relation to Tree Protection Orders.

Rhian regularly attends hearings on behalf of police forces in civil applications relating to injunctions, banning orders and forfeiture of cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. She has particular experience in Football Banning Orders, Sexual Risk Orders, Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and Stalking Protection Orders. Rhian has also carried out independent assessments of police policies including a comprehensive assessment of the Simple Caution Guidance and the Adult Factor Matrix.

She advises and represents police forces involved in civil claims in a number of areas including personal injury, intentional torts to the person, defamation and data protection breaches.

Rhian also has experience advising on and defending contested forfeiture proceedings against the police.

Rhian has a broad civil practice with a focus on the field of personal injury. She frequently appears in claims for both claimants and defendants and has extensive experience of road traffic accident claims often involving fundamental dishonesty and fraud issues. She has some experience of inquests and is keen to develop this area of practice.

Rhian is able to advise across a broad spectrum of cases including road traffic accidents, occupier’s liability, employer’s liability, public liability and holiday sickness claims. She also acts in cases involving credit hire and the Animals Act 1971. Rhian advises on liability and quantum as well as drafting pleadings.

Rhian appears in court for trials and interlocutory hearings on a regular basis. She is frequently instructed for strike out/summary judgment applications and other interim hearings.

Prior to pupillage, Rhian worked as a paralegal to a senior junior barrister practising solely in catastrophic personal injury and clinical negligence. She is proficient at drafting complex Schedules and Counter-Schedules in high-value personal injury claims, Fatal Accident claims, military and clinical negligence claims.

Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
Hardwicke Entrance Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
Waugh Academic Scholarship, Exeter College
Choral Scholarship, Exeter College