Family Law
Alana was Called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2019 and has built a busy and successful practice in London and South-East England. Having transferred to the Bar of Northern Ireland in March 2025, Alana continues her work as specialist family barrister accepting instructions across the broad spectrum of the family discipline but with a particular emphasis on public law cases in respect of children and cases with an international element.
Alana is a sought after junior with a rising reputation for the quality of her preparation, her ability to establish rapport with her clients and the court and her advocacy which has been described as being far beyond that expected of her call.
Alana is particularly known by solicitors who regularly instruct her for her realistic and pragmatic advice, her ability to get to the core of the issues and her focus on moving forward. Alana is compassionate, empathetic and practical when representing vulnerable clients and when involved in cases with vulnerable parties.
Bar Professional Training Course (City, University of London, 2018-2019)
LLB (First Class Honours) (Queen’s University Belfast, 2015-2018)
Alana’s practice in England and Wales between 2021 and 2025 has been as follows:
International family law: Alana regularly appears in the High Court on cases involving child abduction within proceedings brought pursuant to the 1980 Hague Convention. Alana also appears in matters brought under the Inherent Jurisdiction such as Wardship proceedings.
Other cases with international elements include Alana’s experience working on cases involving Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage Protection Orders.
Public law: Alana has a busy public law practice on which she is frequently instructed on complex cases involving international elements such as the assessment of alternative carers who reside abroad, adoption, non-accidental injury and all forms of abuse and neglect.
Private law: Alana acts for parents and Guardians within private law proceedings that involve a range of complex issues such as domestic abuse, alienation and intractable disputes/implacable hostility.
Alana has extensive experience in cases involving international elements such as those brought pursuant to Article 21 of the 1980 Hague Convention.
Alana is regularly instructed on multi-day fact-find and final hearings within private children proceedings.
Alana also represents parties in injunction proceedings.
Ancillary relief: Alana has experience in financial proceedings arising for the result of relationship/marital breakdown. She advises and represents clients in cases with assets from the very modest to substantial at FDA, FDR and final hearing. Alana is particularly keen to ensure that clients have an understanding of what they can expect to achieve from proceedings and her advice in respect of the same is realistic and pragmatic.