Anthony Forde

Anthony has over a decade of expertise in Family Law, Children Law, and the Court of Protection.

He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2022 and was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales in 2014. He gained Law Society Children Panel Accreditation in 2015 and holds Higher Rights of Audience – Civil, making him a highly skilled advocate.

Anthony has a keen interest in complex Children Act proceedings, including fabricated or induced illness, domestic violence, non-accidental injuries (with a specific focus on allegations of non-accidental bruising in pre-mobile children), forced marriage and allegations of parental alienation.

He is regularly instructed by all parties in care proceedings and frequently appears as Counsel in cases where children require separate representation. As a Law Society Children Panel-accredited solicitor, Anthony has extensive experience representing teenagers in the Family Court in highly complex situations, including Secure Accommodation Orders and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS).

Anthony is often instructed at an early stage of proceedings to assist with case preparation, providing continuity for clients both in pre-proceedings and at court.

He has been involved in highly complex care proceedings, including 10-day fact-finding hearings, covering matters such as:

1. Non-accidental injury of children
2. Forced marriage
3. Female genital mutilation (FGM)
4. Terrorism
5. Murder
6. Parental alienation
7. Allegations of serious domestic violence
8. Inter-generational sexual abuse

Anthony regularly delivers seminars for other professionals on areas of children law, most recently focusing on DOLS and non-accidental injuries in 2024 and 2025.

Beginning his career as a Solicitor Advocate, Anthony specialised in matters under the Children Act 1989 and is accredited under the Law Society Children Panel Scheme. He joined Coram Chambers in July 2024.

1. Children Law – Public Law Care Proceedings.
2. Children Law – Private Law Child Arrangement Orders.
3. Court of Protection

1. University of Kent, LLM and LLB
2. College of Law, Legal Practice Course
3. Altior Barbari, Higher Rights Civil

Recently Reported Cases

A (Care Proceedings; Late Application for Assessment), Re [2024] EWFC 339 (B)

Anthony represented the child in the final hearing concerning a one-year-old girl, A, with the Local Authority seeking care and placement orders for adoption. The mother, B, a young care leaver with a traumatic childhood and mental health challenges, demonstrated love and some recent improvements but remained inconsistent, resistant to advice, and had previously absconded with the child to the U.S.A. The mother’s relative was proposed too late and also had mental health issues. Independent assessments concluded that the mother could not safely meet A’s needs. The court granted care and placement orders for adoption and refused further assessments, determining that additional assessments were not in A’s best interests.

Full case report: A (Care Proceedings; Late Application for Assessment), Re [2024] EWFC 339 (B)

Bracknell Forest Council v Mother & Ors [2024] EWFC 68 (B)

Anthony represented the child in a complex non-accidental injury case. Initial hospital assessments raised concerns about bruising and potential non-accidental injury in an infant, prompting a child protection investigation. The expert paediatrician, however, proposed that the marks were more likely cutis marmorata—a benign vascular condition—citing their unusual shape, rapid healing, and absence of systemic illness. After careful consideration, medical evidence supported cutis marmorata, and the judge concluded that the Local Authority had not met the burden of proof for non-accidental injury. The child returned home to the care the parents.

Full case report: Bracknell Forest Council v Mother & Ors [2024] EWFC 68 (B)

London Borough of X v M & Ors [2023] EWFC 171 (B)

Anthony represented the Father, led by Brendan Roche KC, successfully securing minimal findings being made against the Father and the ultimate return of the children to the care of their parents. This case highlighted significant shortcomings in both the Local Authority’s safeguarding practices and the police’s handling of a vulnerable child. The Local Authority faced criticism for poor communication between councils, inadequate information sharing among schools, inconsistent terminology use (e.g., “disclosure”), and insufficient training on handling abuse allegations. Procedural issues included delayed responses to child protection concerns, poor record-keeping, limited involvement of experienced social workers in joint investigations, and inadequate planning for Achieving Best Evidence (ABE) interviews. Oversight in care proceedings was also questioned, particularly regarding assessor expertise, inter-sibling abuse cases, and the proper use of interpreters.

The police’s management of a young suspect (Y) similarly failed to meet best practice and safeguarding standards. The arrest was conducted publicly without adequate planning, insufficient consideration of the child’s welfare, and lack of support for the family. Y was held in inappropriate conditions, denied basic needs, subjected to poorly timed interviews, and exposed to inappropriate questioning. Additional procedural failures included mishandling of body-worn camera footage and lack of interpreter support. Overall, both the Local Authority and police demonstrated systemic deficiencies in safeguarding, training, communication, and good practice, underscoring the need for improved policies, oversight, and professional accountability.

Full case report: London Borough of X v M & Ors [2023] EWFC 171 (B)

Other Cases

2024-2025

• Represented a father in care proceedings, successfully obtaining findings of parental alienation against the mother.
• Represented a mother in a complex care proceedings case involving bruising to a non-mobile infant, cross-examining multiple medical experts; only limited findings were made against the mother, and the child was successfully reunited with her.
• Represented a guardian in a multi-day final hearing concerning the forced marriage of the subject child.
• Represented a Local Authority via their social worker to seek displacement of a nearest relative on safeguarding grounds, including modern-day slavery; successfully obtained interim displacement.
• Represented a mother in proceedings for the discharge of a Care Order, successfully securing the discharge and demonstrating that it was in the child’s best interest to return to maternal care.
• Represented a child in the High Court via his Guardian with complex physical and emotional needs. Successfully persuaded the Local Authority to withdraw the care proceedings and accept the care proceedings should not have been instituted.

2019-2023

• Represented a father in an inter-sibling sexual abuse case, resulting in minimal findings against the parents and progression to a final welfare hearing.
• Acted for children in contested vaccination proceedings under interim care orders.
• Represented a teenager as both victim and alleged perpetrator in a sexual abuse case, successfully amending Threshold Findings to remove the client as a perpetrator.
• Represented clients in cases involving fabricated illness and complex fact-finding hearings, including allegations of coercive control, rape, and domestic abuse.
• Represented surviving children in cases involving parental murder, family cults, and concurrent criminal proceedings, including leading extensive hearings.
• Acted for a child in secure accommodation and Deprivation of Liberty (DoLS) proceedings involving religious radicalisation, successfully securing court-authorised return to parental care.
• Represented a mother in High Court abduction proceedings, successfully enabling her to remain in the UK.

“Anthony is an incredibly experienced counsel with a wide range of expertise. As a CG of many years, Anthony is my go to counsel as he quickly grasps highly complex issues which he breaks down into clear, actionable advice. Anthony consistently brings a calm, solution-oriented approach. His responsiveness and sound judgment make him a dependable counsel.”
Guardian 2025

“Anthony is an excellent advocate with a strong knowledge of the law and is always well prepared. He is patient, understanding and able to work with vulnerable clients.”
Instructing Solicitor 2025

“You just know when you brief Anthony that not only is your client in talented hands, but he just gets the case, has always prepared and cares about the client. You bring Anthony in on complex cases as he assists along the way with preparation and will always go the extra mile for clients. You know he will be taken seriously in Court.”
Instructing Solicitor 2025

“Anthony was the best person I ever had to help me in my case, he fought for my children and myself, he was passionate and persuasive and I could not have done it without him.”
Parent Client 2025

“Anthony is a fierce advocate called on for complex cases, he helped me to better understand the nuances and complexity of the case, without his expertise, I think the case may have had a different outcome, he never forgot his purpose to represent the children and fought for them every step of the way.”
Professional Client 2025