Isabel Hawkins
Consultant Barrister

Year of Call: 2021

“Isabel is focused, switched-on, and very much a reassurance that we will get the best outcome for a client.”

— Solicitor

“Isabel is frequently my ‘go-to’ Counsel. She continuously goes above and beyond and clients are always very happy with her evidently well-prepared, thoughtful and rigorous when required advocacy.”

— Solicitor

“The client thought Isabel was fantastic - client did have other counsel on this case but she was particularly pleased with Isabel. This was a difficult case and a great outcome on this thanks to Isabel.”

— Solicitor

Isabel is a Consultant Barrister at Unit Chambers, having been called to the bar in October 2021. Prior to this, she was a well-respected family law paralegal for a number of years.
Isabel prides herself on her ability to connect and build relationships with clients from the first instance and is skilled at putting clients at ease and guiding them through the Court process.
Isabel accepts instructions in all areas of children law and domestic abuse injunctions, to include:
- Care proceedings;
- Placement applications;
- Adoption proceedings;
- Section 8 orders (including child arrangements orders, prohibited steps orders, specific issue orders, relocations);
- Deprivation of liberty proceedings;
- Secure accommodation proceedings;
- Discharge of care proceedings;
- Fact finding hearings;
- SGO applications;
- Non-molestation orders;
- Occupation orders.
Isabel accepts instructions from all parties, including local authorities, parents, grandparents, intervenors and children and has a particular interest in Deprivation of Liberty cases.
G, Re (Designation of Local Authority) [2024] EWCA Civ 1565 – Isabel was junior to Lisa Edmunds representing Cheshire East Borough Council on appeal by Calderdale BC against the decision on designation by the lower Court. The appeal was rejected, therefore upholding the original decision that Isabel had secured in the first instance.
The E Children, Re [2024] EWFC 250 (B) (25 April 2024): Isabel represented the father in this case in which findings of parental alienation were made against the mother.

Assisted as first six pupil on the case of – GC v AS (No.2) [2022] EWHC 310 (Fam): This was an application by the mother for the Court to exercise its parens patriae jurisdiction to order the return of her children from Libya to the UK.
2021 - Present | Barrister, Unit Chambers
2021 - 2022 | Pupillage
2020 - 2021 | Family Paralegal, Berkson Family Law
2018 - 2020 | Family Paralegal, BDH Solicitors
2017 - 2018 | Support Through Court
2022 | Completed Pupillage
2021 | Called to the Bar
2020 - 2021 | Bar Practice Course at University of Law, Manchester
2017 - 2018 | LLM in Qualifying Law at Liverpool John Moores University
2013 - 2016 | History and Politics BA at University of York
Member of Middle Temple
Member of the FLBA
Member of the Northern Circuit
Queen Mother Scholarship. Middle Temple, 2020