Gina Allwood
Year of call
2002
Instructing Gina Allwood
For more information please contact our clerks by calling +44 (0)20 7242 3555.
Gina Allwood is a senior barrister specialising in complex family proceedings, spanning across Court of Protection and Public law challenges, with a particular focus on cases where financial, capacity and safeguarding issues intersect, often across multiple jurisdictions.
She is regularly instructed in high-net-worth financial remedy proceedings, including overseas divorces, foreign-held assets trusts and corporate structures, third-party interventions, non-disclosure and jurisdictional disputes. Her work frequently involves international families and cross-border wealth, requiring careful strategic coordination between domestic proceedings and foreign divorce or enforcement processes.
Gina has extensive experience in international child abduction, forced marriage and wardship, serious emotional and physical abuse, child fatalities and significant injuries with disputed medical evidence (often alongside linked criminal proceedings), allegations of sexual abuse, and fabricated or induced illness. She is particularly well known for cases involving cross-over issues between family law, mental capacity, immigration status and safeguarding.
In the Court of Protection, Gina acts in complex welfare and property matters, including disputes concerning capacity (to litigate, marry, decide residence, contact and care), deprivation of liberty, residence and contact, forced marriage, LPA’s, deputyship and care funding.
She has a strong practice in judicial review and public law challenges arising from both care proceedings and Court of Protection cases, particularly where local authority failures under the Care Act 2014 or Capacity Act 2005 have caused unlawful delay, funding refusal, procedural unfairness or safeguarding failures, including disputes between competing local authorities. She is frequently instructed to advise on strategic sequencing between the Family Court, Court of Protection and Administrative Court, including where proceedings run in parallel.
Gina is authorised to accept instructions under the Bar Council’s Direct Access Scheme.
Legal Expertise
Family Law
Family Law
Gina is an experienced and committed international family law practitioner. She is regularly instructed in the High Court in cases involving international parental child abduction and forced marriages, overseas divorces with foreign assets and has particular expertise in cases which involve family and immigration law.
She has been involved in several high profile national news cases and a number of other cases at the forefront of legal developments in the family field.
- International parental Child Abduction, Brussels II (Revised)
- Forced Marriage
- Proceedings under the inherent jurisdiction
- Application for leave to remove from the jurisdiction
- International disputes relating to divorce jurisdiction
- Complex care and adoption proceedings
- Publicity and disclosure proceedings
- Ancillary Relief
- Children Act proceedings, including Schedule 1 applications
- Committal proceedings
- Inheritance provision
- TOLATA
Notable Family Law cases
Re R 2023 EWFC 144
A case involving a 13 year old who experienced neglect and abusive parenting from an early age. The court found that a care order was unnecessary, as the child's more recent situation had been effective, and cited the need for collaborative working and stability.
Judgment >H and Others (Children) (Fact Finding: Rib Fractures) [2021] EWHC 2041 (Fam)
C (A Child: Interim Separation) [2019] EWCA Civ 1998
A recorder's decision to make an interim order for the separation of a four-month-old child from the care of his mother was set aside, as it was not a necessary and proportionate response to the situation that had arisen.
Y & Z (Children: Hague Convention) [2017] EWFC 102
The court ordered the return of 15 and 11 year-old siblings despite finding that they objected.
Re WM (Children) [2017] EWCA Civ 286
De Andrade v De Andrade [2015] EWFC 76
Re H (Jurisdiction) [2014] EWCA Civ 1101
H (Father) v B (Mother) [2013] EWHC 2950; [2014] FLR 38
Button v Salama [2013] EWHC 2972 (Fam), [2014] FLR 25
Re M (Children) (Contact) [2013] FLR 662, [2013] All ER (D) 94
Re Q (A Child) [2011] EWCA Civ 1610, [2012] 1 FLR 1228, [2012] 1 FCR 259, [2012] Fam Law 262, [2012] All ER (D) 153 (Jan)
Re L v LB Newham [2011] EWHC 1890 (Admin), [2011] All ER (D) 10 (Oct)
Re G & E (Vulnerable Witness) (2011)
Re P (Forced Marriage) [2011] EWHC 3467 (Fam), [2011] 1 FLR 2060
M v M (Residence) [2010] EWHC 3579 (Fam), [2011] 1 FLR 1951
Re F [2008] EWCA Civ 842
Care Proceedings & Adoption
Care Proceedings & Adoption
Gina has particular expertise in child fatalities and significant injuries, serious abuse with disputed medical evidence (often with linked criminal proceedings); allegations of sexual abuse; and fictitious illness.
International Family Law
International Family Law
Gina is an experienced and committed international family law practitioner. She is regularly instructed in the High Court in cases involving international parental child abduction and forced marriages, overseas divorces with foreign assets and has particular expertise in cases which involve family and immigration law. She has been involved in several high profile national news cases and a number of other cases at the forefront of legal developments in the family field.
Notable International Family Law cases
Private Law Children Proceedings
Private Law Children Proceedings
Gina is regularly instructed in private law proceedings and has particular experience with parental alienation resulting in serious emotional abuse.
Court of Protection
Court of Protection
Gina has an established practice in High Court cases, dealing with disputes over the welfare and property of adults lacking capacity under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. She also has experience of acting in inherent jurisdiction cases and provides urgent assistance in cases where capacity is in dispute, and where the welfare of an elderly, disabled or otherwise vulnerable person is at stake.
Recent cases include disputes over statutory wills; registration of powers of attorney; appointment of deputies; forced marriage; medical treatment decisions; deprivation of liberty (DOLS); and care, contact and residence. These frequently involve consideration of Articles 5 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Media Applications In Respect Of Publicity
Media Applications In Respect Of Publicity
Gina has been involved in cases that have attracted media attention, resulting in reporting and publicity orders being obtained.
Family Finance & Divorce
Family Finance & Divorce
Gina has represented high profile individuals with high net worth, including those involving international issues, trusts and company assets.
Notable Family Finance & Divorce cases
Forced Marriage Protection Orders
Forced Marriage Protection Orders
Gina is instructed regularly in this area.
Notable Forced Marriage Protection Orders cases
Re P (Forced Marriage) [2011] EWHC 3467 (Fam), [2011] 1 FLR 2060
Public Law
Public Law
Gina practises in all areas of public law and judicial review, local government law, European Union law and human rights law. Gina’s cases have included withdrawal of medical treatment, immigration and unlawful detention.
Because of her extensive family law experience Gina has a full and detailed understanding of the cross-over between family and public law in cases involving challenging the lawfulness of decisions made in family proceedings.
Notable Public Law cases
R (C) v Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police [2013] EWHC 1174 (Admin)
R (on application of Ayoub Khan) (Claimant) v Election Commissioner for the Aston Ward of Birmingham City Council (Defendant) & (i) Mohammed Afsal (ii) Birmingham City Council (iii) Secretary of State for Justice (interested parties) [2009] EWHC 1757 (Admin)
Birmingham City Council v VB & HC & IF [2008] EWHC 1224 (QB)
Judicial Review
Judicial Review
Gina practises in all areas of public law and judicial review, local government law, European Union law and human rights law. Gina’s previous cases include withdrawal of medical treatment; immigration and unlawful detention.
Because of her extensive family law experience Gina has a full and detailed understanding of the cross-over between family and public law in cases involving challenging the lawfulness of decisions made in family proceedings. See for example R (C) v Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police [2013] EWHC 1174 (Admin).
Sports Law
Sports Law
Gina acted for Nottingham Rugby Club in its high profile dispute over a ground share agreement with Notts County FC.
Notable Sports Law cases
Nottingham Rugby Club v Notts County FC [2009] HC QBD
Instructing Gina Allwood
For more information please contact our clerks by calling +44 (0)20 7242 3555.
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