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Hannah Whitehouse

Call 2019 | Barrister

“She is able, immaculately prepared, realistic and has a warm and sensible manner which win her the judge’s ear. She is a force to be reckoned with”
Legal 500, 2025

About

Hannah joined Coram in July 2024, having previously managed a busy practice at a leading set on the North Eastern Circuit for several years.

Hannah’s practice spans across all areas of family law, with a particular emphasis on complex care proceedings that involve challenging circumstances for parents.

Her expertise extends to financial remedies, private law children cases, and Family Law Act applications, such as non-molestation orders and occupation orders. As a direct access qualified barrister, Hannah has provided crucial assistance to clients navigating acrimonious private law proceedings.

Recognised by professional clients as a safe pair of hands, Hannah is known for her instinctive judgment, effective client handling, and efficiency. Members of the Bench consistently describe her as invariably well prepared, with polished and persuasive advocacy.

In her early years of practice, Hannah was instructed as sole and junior counsel in multiple complex multi-day fact-finding hearings. These cases have involved serious and rare non-accidental injuries, often accompanied by complicating genetic issues and extensive expert evidence from multiple court-appointed experts.

In June 2025, Hannah (led by Alison Easton KC on the appeal) successfully represented an Appellant Mother in the Court of Appeal, where her appeal was granted following a multi-day fact-finding hearing. Having represented the Mother at the original hearing before a Local Circuit Judge, Hannah was instructed to appeal the failure to make the findings sought. All parties and the Judges agreed with her application, resulting in a successful appeal without the need for a reported judgment.

Hannah regularly writes for and features in the Family Law Journal outside of her court work, contributing her insights on various aspects of family law.

Experience

Hannah read Law at Jesus College, University of Cambridge (2018), before completing her LLM in Bar Professional Practice a BPP University Law School, Birmingham (2019), where she was awarded on “Outstanding” in the BPTC element of the course (coming top in her cohort).

Hannah was called to the Bar in 2019 and was a member of a leading set on the North Eastern circuit from October 2020, following the successful completion of pupillage.

Hannah quickly developed a busy and successful practice in all aspects of family law, with her receiving frequent and repeated instructions from both professional and lay clients (on a direct access basis).

Hannah is regularly instructed in matters involving allegations of domestic abuse, implacable hostility, and alienating behaviour. Hannah also has a wealth of experience in representing parties in multi-day domestic abuse finding of fact hearings. Hannah has recently been instructed in cases relating to both internal and external relocation, resulting in an article being prepared for the Family Law Journal.

Hannah also has significant experience in representing the Local Authority, parents, and children (through their children’s guardian) in public law proceedings, with her workload frequently encompassing allegations of non-accidental injury (including fabricated and induced illness, head injuries, and complex bone injuries). Hannah has experience in managing vulnerable witnesses, including those that lack litigation capacity, and is accredited by the Bar Council for having completed vulnerable witness advocacy training.

Hannah is also experienced in dealing with a range of financial remedy matters, with her financial remedy practice encompassing modest to high value cases involving issues such as conduct, add-back, dissipation of assets, the management of small to medium businesses, managing debts, pensions, and enforcement. Hannah has also delivered several webinars and published articles on the topic of costs in financial remedy proceedings.

Hannah has been direct access qualified since 2021 and is regularly instructed in Private Law Children on this basis.

 

Practice Areas

Finance and Private Client
Private Law Children
Public Law Children
Family Law Act Injunctions

Publications

Temporary removal from the jurisdiction: practical advice and existing guidance [2024] Fam Law 508.

‘Failure to remove’ cases: when does the duty of care arise – and what is the impact on the family justice system? [2023] Fam Law 298.

Modest assets and the evolution of the financial remedy court [2022] Fam Law 881.

Modest assets at the time of Covid-19: practical considerations and cost-effective case management [2021] Fam Law 116.

The Barrister Magazine: “Domestic abuse case law update: a whistle stop tour of the last two years” number 97, Trinity Term Edition, 2023

Publication in the Legalease Journal: Domestic Abuse: What do we do now?, Family Law Journal, June 2021, Issue 204.

Cases

A (Transfer of Residence) [2021] EWFC B58 (19 August 2021)
The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police v FP & Anor [2024] EWFC 130 (07 May 2024)

Education and Professional Memberships

LLM in Bar Professional Practice, BBP University Law School, Birmingham – Distinction (2019) with an Outstanding in the BPTC element of the course.

BA in Law, Jesus College, University of Cambridge – Upper second class (2018)

The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple

Family Law Bar Association

Testimonials

“She is able, immaculately prepared, realistic and has a warm and sensible manner which win her the judge’s ear. She is a force to be reckoned with”
Legal 500, 2025. Leading Juniors – Rising Star