Zoe Fleetwood
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A highly experienced children lawyer, Zoe heads the Children Law Team at Mills & Reeve. Zoe is a Resolution Accredited Specialist in children law, child abduction and adoption, a solicitor advocate (higher court civil proceedings) and a Law Society Children Panel solicitor. Zoe is recognized as a leading individual in both the Chambers Directory and the Legal 500 directories and in Spear’s 500 is recognized as “outstanding in the field – recommended family lawyer”.
Zoe is renowned for her strength as an advocate and for representing children and for her specialism in international children work including child abduction and relocation.
“She is very committed to her clients and works non-stop for them”
“She is unflappable and always on top of all her cases”.
Zoe has been described as “senior and experienced, and has helped to shape the modern law on relocation”. Zoe’s reported case of Re F (A Child) [2017] remains the lead authority on child relocation.
Relevant experiences and positions
Zoe is the head of the National Children Team at Mills & Reeve, a firm which has offices in London, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Cambridge, Norwich and Oxford. She frequently works with foreign lawyers and collegiately with opponent lawyers to achieve the best outcome for the child, frequently engaging in mediation where appropriate.
Zoe is on the National Committee of the National Family Law Charity Resolution and is a representative on the Family Law Reform Committee
Zoe is a frequent lecturer and commentator on the law and has written many articles and has a number of reported cases and matters which feature in the press.
Some personal questions
When did you first handle a child abduction case?
I have been conducting child abduction cases since 2009.
What makes a child abduction case different from other cases?
Child abduction cases are rightly dealt with very rapidly. The Hague Convention aims for matters to be dealt with from start to finish within eight weeks. The cases involve strategic decision making and engagement with foreign authorities to ensure the best and swiftest outcome.
What do you think is important to do or not do as an attorney in child abduction cases?
It is important to act swiftly and carefully, obtaining appropriate and necessary orders and making the best, most persuasive points in order to secure the outcome sought.
What do you think all people should know about child abduction cases?
Child abduction proceedings involve “summary procedures”. This means that the court tries to deal with the cases very swiftly and seeks to avoid lengthy hearings and large volumes of evidence. If a defence to the claim of child abduction is to be argued, careful and focused drafting of evidence is required.
What is your advice to parents dealing with international child abduction?
The courts have significant powers to address and remedy child abduction and so it is best to engage with the civil procedure around this process. In many cases criminal proceedings are a last resort.