Thomas Duggan

Thomas has a busy Care practice dealing with a variety of matters well beyond his year of call. He is a confident and hard-working practitioner committed to providing exceptional client care while delivering sensible and focused advice. He is experienced in representing very vulnerable clients with a variety of complex needs.

Thomas is regularly instructed to represent parents, children, and local authorities at a full range of hearings including:

• Contested removals
• Interim contested hearings
• Re W hearings
• Part 25 applications
• Fact finding hearings
• Final hearings

In a recently reported case, Thomas represented parents with learning difficulties whose child has significant physical and developmental needs. The local authority’s application for a final care order and placement order was successfully resisted.

As a led junior, Thomas has just concluded a lengthy and complex public law case with a separately represented child involving urgent applications to the High Court for medical declarations. Thomas is currently instructed by a local authority as junior counsel as part of a 12 day sexual assault fact finding hearing.

Thomas has experience in High Court matters including applications for an order pursuant to section 97(4) of the Children Act 1989. He is also a qualified court appointed advocate.

Thomas has a detailed understanding of the Fostering and Adoption Regulations. Thomas was recently instructed to provide policy advice to a local authority in relation to their foster carer funding and payment contracts.