Mark Smith

Mark Smith is a family barrister specialising in private children cases with an international element.

Mark has particular expertise in cases involving cross-border issues and parallel proceedings across multiple jurisdictions. Mark has appeared in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, as well as the High Court Family Division in relation to international family matters, including child abduction, permanent relocation and foreign adoption proceedings.

My work

Mark appears in family proceedings relating to child arrangements, including child arrangements orders, prohibited steps orders, and specific issue orders (e.g. relocation domestically or abroad) as well as injunctions, including passport seizure orders and other Tipstaff orders in the High Court.

Mark recently appeared in an application for contact where there was a risk of the child being abducted to Poland, advised on the enforcement of child arrangement orders in Belarus, and appeared in a High Court application for a passport seizure order where there was a risk of the child being abducted to Bangladesh.

Other recent cases include child abduction proceedings in relation to Malta and Germany where Mark has advised on the interplay with parallel asylum applications, and applications to recognise foreign adoption orders from Nigeria and Singapore.

Mark is currently instructed in an application for permanent relocation from the UK to Switzerland and in wardship proceedings where the children were wrongfully removed from Pakistan and there is a parallel UK asylum appeal.

What my clients say

"An outstanding professional service throughout. Mark was very professional, honest, helpful and respectful barrister. He treated me with dignity and really helped me throughout my stressful time. I would highly recommend him to anyone"
- Client.

"Mark is an experienced barrister. He is friendly, shows attention to detail, is very knowledgeable and, above all, willing to help you and guide you through your case. I can confidently recommend Mark"
- Client.

"The pre and post hearing conferences that you ensured we made time for gave the client a safe place to feel as though her thoughts were being listened to by you. I appreciated the simplified language that you used and the pace at which you delivered information. This positively impacted both her emotional management and her ability to concentrate on the topic of discussion in court"
- Intermediary assisting a vulnerable client.

Professional & academic

Education

  • BPP Law School, BPTC
  • Oxford Brookes University, GDL
  • University of Oxford, MPhysPhil (Physics and Philosophy)

Awards

  • Walter Wigglesworth Pupillage Scholarship
  • Kennedy Scholarship
  • Hardwicke Entrance Award
Specialisations