Career:
John was called to the Bar in 1981. In 1982 he was placed second in the Inner Temple Scholarship examinations in the core subjects. Although he has always practised in ancillary relief work, for many years he also had a broad civil litigation case load (contract / commercial, personal injury with an emphasis on traumatic brain injury cases and, latterly, MMR, contentious probate and family provision, landlord and tenant, professional negligence and commercial / building arbitration work). In July 2002 he joined 1, Mitre Court Buildings (now 1, Hare Court) and he has since concentrated on ancillary relief work as well as continuing to deal with cohabitation claims, probate, family provision and professional negligence in the context of ancillary relief. His last reported civil case was Canary Riverside Development - v - Timtec International [2003] Construction Law Journal Volume 19, No 5, 283 which dealt with the interface between the Adjudication procedure under the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 and the RSC summary judgment procedure in the context of an insolvent company and against the backdrop of an appeal from the Registrar in Bankruptcy.
He has had articles published in the New Law Journal, Family Law and Family Law Week and lectures regularly on cohabitation and family provision claims. In April 2009 his book, Cohabitation Claims: Law, Practice and Procedure was published by Lime Legal http://www.limelegal.co.uk/cohabitation_claims.htm. Foreword by Ward LJ
John is a Prosecuting Counsel for the Bar Standards Board.
Education:
1970 - 1973 Ampleforth College
1973 - 1976 St John Rigby Sixth Form College
1977 - 1980 Pembroke College, Cambridge
1980 - 1981 ICSL
Membership:
FLBA
Personal:
John comes from Wigan and is accordingly a fervent supporter of Wigan Warriors (Rugby League) and Wigan Athletic. His other interests include literature, the theatre and France. He is married to Sue Tilley, a specialist matrimonial solicitor / mediator and lecturer in Family Law at Westminster University. They spend as much time as they can, when not working, in the South of France.
What the directories say:
"highly recommended" Legal 500 2004-2005
Recommended as a family law junior (ancillary relief) by the Legal 500 from 2004 to date and by Legal Experts from 2005 to date.
Interesting Cases:
H-J v H-J (Financial Provision: Equality)
(2002) 1 FLR 415: October 17, 2001
Kimber v Kimber
(2000) 1 FLR 383: January 20, 2000
H v P (Illegitimate Child: Capital Provision)
(1993) Fam Law 515: January 28, 1993
Turner v Blunden
(1986) 2 FLR 69: November 29, 1985
Downloadable Files:
The family home,the bank and undue influence; lecture notes (Word file 120K)
