Sian Churchill

I joined the Family Team at Crane & Staples in May 2019. I became a Senior Associate Solicitor in April 2022 and Head of the Public Law Care team in September 2022.

I qualified as a solicitor in 2014, and since then I have specialised in Children Law and Domestic Abuse matters including:

• Representing parents, grandparents and other family members in care proceedings in cases involving allegations of non-accidental injuries, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, drug and alcohol misuse, neglect, mental health concerns, and lack of capacity, amongst others.
• Representing parents in contesting adoption applications.
• Representing prospective adopters in contested adoption applications.
• Representing parents in private law Children Act proceedings, including Child Arrangements Orders (previously contact and residence), Prohibited Steps Orders, Specific Issue Orders and Wardship.
• Assisting victims of domestic abuse and representing them in obtaining a Non-Molestation Order to protect them.

I am passionate about providing vulnerable clients the best representation available. I work with local support services to ensure that this happens. I am a member of Resolution, which means I will try to resolve matters with an amicable approach wherever possible.

Awards and Accreditations

I am an Accredited Resolution Specialist in Private Law and Public Law Children Act matters.

In 2022, I was part of the team of barristers and solicitors to win the 'Family Law Case of the Year' Award at the Lexis Nexis Family Law Awards, for our work on the ground-breaking Supreme Court case, H-W (Children). 

In 2023, I won the Hertfordshire Law Society Award for Excellence in Client Service.

I am a Recommended Lawyer in the Legal 500 2023.

Memberships

• Resolution - You can find out more about the Resolution Code of Practice here.
• The Law Society's Disabled Solicitors Network
• Hertfordshire Law Society
• Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce

Herts Chamber of Commerce 2023 Inspiring Herts Awards at Harry Potter Studios

Reported Cases

• H-W (Care Proceedings: Further Fact-Finding Hearing)
• H-W (Children) (No 2) [2022] UKSC 17 On appeal from: [2021] EWCA Civ 1451. More information about this Supreme Court case can be found here.
• H-W (Children: Proportionality) [2021] EWCA Civ 1451 (07 October 2021)
• S (A Child: Adequacy of Reasoning), Re [2019] EWCA Civ 1845 (31 October 2019)

Outside the office

I love attending music concerts with my husband and ‘music’ concerts with friends and my sister. I am a sucker for punishment and enjoy true crime documentaries, and Drag Queen shows.

I completed the Herts Young Homeless Fire Walk in 2021.