Huddersfield Chambers
Founded in 2015
How We Can Help
Huddersfield Chambers has been helping parents, grandparents and separating couples, since 2015 and is pleased to welcome Susan Greeves to chambers as of 2022. Jane Sisson-Pell and Susan Greeves are practising barristers and sole practitioners specialising in family law.
Our specialist practitioners provide expert legal services for individuals who contact them directly, as well as when instructed by solicitors in the traditional way.
Whether you are seeking legal advice, document drafting, legal representation or negotiation on your behalf, we can help you with your case.
Jane Sisson-Pell
Family Law Barrister
Jane is a specialist practitioner in family law. She is a good listener, treating her clients with the respect and dignity they deserve when discussing very personal, often upsetting family matters. From the outset she identifies and focuses on the real issues in the case, bringing common sense, objectivity and reality to legal issues, which may appear overwhelming to her clients. Jane ensures all meetings are well structured and highly effective. She provides sound and realistic legal advice ensuring that her clients feel well supported and clear about the way forward. She is a strong negotiator, robustly asserting her clients’ case, working hard to obtain a fair deal.
Background
Jane obtained a Law and Politics (Hons) Degree, achieving the highest examination marks in her year. She then completed the Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law, London. Starting her career at Broadway House Chambers, her practice included public and private family law cases often involving appearances in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Representing divorcing husbands and wives at financial hearings often involved business ownership and shareholding, inherited wealth and family trusts.
Due to child care commitments, Jane needed regular hours and local travel. She therefore moved to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Starting as a Prosecutor, she was soon promoted to the role of Senior Crown Prosecutor. Appearing in court almost daily, Jane also undertook casework reviews and created and delivered national CPS training courses. As a result of Janes’ extensive legal knowledge and expertise, she was one of the first few prosecutors nationally to be selected for the flagship service known as CPS Direct. Jane’s particular area of expertise was domestic abuse. Whilst there, she became their Domestic Violence Co-ordinator. In her free time, Jane volunteered weekly, providing family law advice at the Kirklees Domestic Violence Partnership.
When Jane was promoted to Her Majesties Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) she became one of a team of lawyers inspecting CPS areas, nationally. Joint inspections with other Criminal Justice Inspectorates included inspecting HMRC (Carousel Frauds) and Customs and Excise. Whilst at HMCPSI, Jane was was a key figure in the national Criminal Justice Rape Review, an active member of the editorial group for National Safeguarding Children Report 2008 and a member of the Bar Council Equality and Diversity Sub-Committee.
Jane launched Huddersfield Chambers in 2015 as a sole practitioner. She returned to private practice and set up her chambers practising exclusively in family law, which is and always has been her preferred area of practice. Cases involving children require sensitivity and care. Jane is passionate about achieving positive outcomes for children, parents, step parents and grandparents, ensuring that there is the minimum delay, hostility, and expense.
Email: jane.sisson-pell@huddschambers.co.uk
T: 01484 660124
M: 07881 905139
Our People
Public Access Explained
In 2013, new legislation drastically reduced eligibility for legal aid in family law. Prior to this, to use the services of a barrister it was necessary to instruct a solicitor from the start or early in the case. The barrister was instructed further down the line. Under the public access scheme (also known as direct access), barristers can be contacted early in the case. Public access rules permit barristers to provide advice and representation to those who choose to manage their own case day to day and instruct barristers at particular stages of their case. In this way, public access clients remain in control of their case. They have a clear overview and can make informed decisions at every stage of the proceedings.
Advantages:
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Retain full control of your case, deciding when to use a barrister and when to complete tasks yourself
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Benefit from agreed, fixed fees for each stage of work, for better financial management
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Reduce your costs by carrying out administrative tasks yourself, removing the need for a solicitor
Public Access Services include:
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Analysing the case papers and identifying strengths, issues and gaps
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Providing advice and direction at each stage, at court, in meetings, by email or telephone
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Drafting documents e.g. letters, offers, position statements & skeleton arguments
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Representation at court
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Persuasively and effectively negotiating
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Preparing for and/or assisting clients at mediation
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Representation at round-table meetings
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Preparing Appeal documents
Public access is not suitable for everybody. There are tasks barristers are not authorised to do and that you will need to manage personally, including issuing proceedings or applications, instructing an expert witness on your behalf (although they can advise you on the choice of a suitable expert and they can draft a letter of instruction on your behalf, to be sent by you) and taking responsibility for the handling of clients’ affairs or of clients’ money.
Our Fees
All work undertaken by the barristers at Huddersfield Chambers is delivered on a fixed fee basis. Your barrister will scope the work involved and agree a fee with you. Once instructed, this fee will not vary, so you have a full understanding of the complete costs for that given piece of work.
As no two pieces of work are the same, your barrister will scope the work and provide a tailored fee. Factors to be considered when scoping the fee may include, bundle size, tasks involved, type or length of hearing and whether it is remote or attended.
Huddersfield Chambers is proud to offer fair and competitive fees and our barristers are committed to delivering value through their service. All Jane's fees attract VAT. Her VAT registration number is: 396 2232 82.
