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Barrister Profile

SARA MCCAUSLAND

Year of Call: 2009

Main Areas of Practice

Company Law
Criminal Law
Family Law
Personal Injury

Biography

I enjoy a varied practice of criminal law, family law and civil litigation. My criminal practice is mainly at Magistrates’ Court level, including the Youth Court, and on occasion in the Crown Court. My family law practice covers both public and private family law and is divided between Children Order Proceedings (parental responsibility, contact, residence, care order etc.) in the Family Proceedings Court, Family Care Centre and High Court, domestic proceedings in the Domestic Proceedings Court and County Court and divorce and ancillary relief proceedings in the County Court and High Court. I also have a civil practice consisting mainly of small claims, civil bills, personal injury claims, contractual disputes and bankruptcy proceedings as my pupillage was spent training in civil law, litigation and drafting.

Qualifications

2009; Called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in Michaelmas term

2009; Placed first for advocacy skills at the Northern Ireland Bencher’s Competition

2008 – 2009; Institute of Professional Legal Studies Completed the Institute of Professional Legal Studies with Merit. Placed eighth overall in the Institute of Professional Legal Studies examinations

2005 – 2008; Queen’s University, Belfast. Completed LL.B Law degree achieving 2:1.

Awarded an entrance scholarship at Queen’s University for being a top 5 placed candidate in the faculty of Legal, Social and Educational Sciences, as well as one of the top 33 entrants to the University overall.

Experience

I have extensive experience of family law proceedings, in both a private law and public law capacity. I have spent a considerable amount of time conducting criminal law proceedings and contests in the Magistrates’ Court and Youth Court. Contested matters have required strong advocacy skills, note taking skills, knowledge of the legal issues, knowledge of the particular trial judge and an eye for detail, which I have employed. In uncontested matters I make detailed, cogent, persuasive submissions to the judge on my client’s behalf. I also have strong drafting skills as statements of evidence and written pleadings are often required. I have conducted several small claims and county court civil actions and completed a civil pupillage in 2009, which focused on drafting, litigation and client care particularly in the fields of personal injury and contractual disputes.