Year of Call
2009Areas of practice
Children law (public), Children law (private), Regulatory, Direct Access
“Trisan is highly industrious and first-class preparation of extensive, voluminous papers. She is very engaging with the client and has excellent manners.”
Legal 500 Leading Junior 2024
Biography
Trisan has a busy and successful family law practice with a particular emphasis on children work. Noted for her empathetic approach to her clients, Trisan is adept at putting people at ease and excels in her ability to build a good working rapport quickly. Her friendly and understated exterior belies a steely core and absolute determination to get the right result for her clients, often in very difficult and distressing cases. Solicitors say "she has a very warm approach with vulnerable clients which puts them at ease" and "I know I can rely upon her to provide am impeccable and positive service". Trisan has been listed in the Legal 500 as a Leading Junior in children law cases since 2022.
She has experience in complex multi-day fact-finding hearing and final hearings in respect of serious physical injury, psychological harm, sexual abuse, neglect including arising from substance misuse and domestic violence.
Trisan has a background in education as a sociology and psychology lecturer and is a visiting part time Lecturer at the University of Westminster Law School. She is ideally placed to advise in cases where there are issues relating to capacity or allegations of psychological harm to children as well as physical harm. She has a growing practice in cases involving emotional abuse and parental alienation.
Trisan has experience in cases where private law proceedings morph into public law ones, and where family issues intersect with other areas of the law. She was involved in the first successful prosecution for Female Genital Mutilation in the Central Criminal Court, acting for the maternal aunt in the family law aspect of the case. Her practice also includes matters that involve forced marriage, mental health matters and immigration issues.
Children law (public)
In public law children cases Trisan acts for parents, children, local authorities and extended family. She has experience of cases involving non-accidental injury, sexual abuse, neglect and domestic abuse. Trisan also has experience of cases where there are concerns around substance abuse and addiction. She has acted in cases of forced marriages and cases involving issues relating to parental mental health, learning disabilities or capacity issues.
Trisan has a lot of experience of representing clients in remote hearings, and acted in a number of cases at the beginning of the Covid pandemic which set the terms for the way in which cases involving vulnerable children should be managed: K (Threshold - Cocaine Ingestion - Failure to give evidence) [2020] EWHC 2502 (Fam): Care proceedings arising from the death of a young child; A Local Authority v The Mother & Ors [2020] EWHC 1233 (Fam): Covid-19 - Fair Hearing – Adjournment – determination of how witnesses should give evidence, whether remotely or in person and C (Children: Covid-19: Representation) [2020] EWCA Civ 734.
Children law (private)
In private law proceedings, Trisan undertakes cases covering the full range of private law matters including:
- Child Arrangement Orders (including intractable disputes);
- Internal and External Relocation;
- Prohibited Steps Orders;
- Specific Issue Orders;
- Fact finding hearings including successful representation in cases involving: domestic abuse, sexual violence, emotional and psychological abuse.
Trisan represents all parties to proceedings including those with mental health difficulties, vulnerable parties and those where English is not their first language. She also has experience of private law proceedings which become public law ones, and is able to represent clients throughout both stages of such a case.
Publications
Deliberate salt poisoning of children: how does the Family Court grapple with cases of such rare occurrence? Lexis Nexis Family Law, November 2924 Volume 53
Instruct
To instruct Trisan please contact Jay Dorton or Stephen Bush.
Education
- B.A.(Hons) University of the West Indies
- LL.M. Queen Mary College, University of London
- Diploma in Teacher Education
- Visiting lecturer, University of Westminster
Memberships
- Family Law Bar Association
- Young Legal Aid Lawyers
- Discrimination Law Association
Notable Cases
Local Authority v RR & Ors [2021] EWFC B14: Represented a mother in respect of private and public law applications relating to her children.
LB Bexley v a mother and a father: Represented a father at a 11 day final hearing involving issues of neglect, emotional harm, poor home conditions, lack of boundaries and routines; domestic abuse; cannabis misuse; poor mental health and low cognitive functioning.
Z (Interim Care Order) [2020] EWCA Civ 1755: A case relating to the interim removal of children from their parents including issues of capacity, private law proceedings becoming public law ones and setting aside decisions on the grounds of procedural irregularity.
K (Threshold - Cocaine Ingestion - Failure to give evidence) [2020] EWHC 2502 (Fam): Care proceedings arising from the death of a young child.
A Local Authority v The Mother & Ors [2020] EWHC 1233 (Fam): A case from early in the Covid pandemic setting out a determination of how witnesses should give evidence, whether remotely or in person.
C (Children : Covid-19: Representation) [2020] EWCA Civ 734: Trisan was successful in defending an appeal by the mother to the decision regarding how she should give evidence, with her arguments described in the judgment as 'short and effective'.
S-P (welfare hearing) [2019] EWFC B77: Family law proceedings following the first successful prosecution for FGM.
Okunlola v Nursing and Midwifery Council [2015] EWHC 2456: Appeal against striking off.
Enemuwe v Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) [2016] EWHC 1881: Appeal against suspension.
Osammor, R (on the application of) v Nursing & Midwifery Council [2014] EWHC 4148: Appeal against striking off.