Heidi Burrows

barrister

Call: 2023

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Heidi accepts instructions across the full range of family law.

Heidi’s specialisation in family law began in 2017 when she received a full fee scholarship (based on academic excellence) to study an advanced specialist master’s in international children’s rights in the Netherlands. Having studied at five different universities in four countries in two languages, Heidi has an international approach to family law. Throughout her practice, Heidi has finessed strong communication skills meaning she is able to build a rapport with a variety of clients, even in sensitive and stressful circumstances.

She has a particular specialism in modern family law, including applications for Parental Orders following domestic and international surrogacy arrangements and Declarations of Parentage.

In private children work, Heidi represents parents from the FHDRA through to final hearing including in cases involving fact-finding hearings, intractable contact disputes, relocation, and proceedings in the new Child Focused Courts format.

Heidi accepts instructions in financial remedy proceedings, contempt of court and enforcement proceedings (representing both applicant and respondents) as well as in Family Law Act proceedings, including Transfer of Tenancy and Occupation Order applications.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Heidi worked in family law for 4.5 years including 3.5 years as a Senior Paralegal and Legal Manager specialising in domestic and international surrogacy and fertility law.

Specialist in:

Modern Families

A v W & C — acting for the Applicant in a successful Declaration of Non-Parentage in proceedings concerning a child conceived via a donor embryo at an overseas fertility clinic.
D & S v MH — acting for joint Applicants in their application for a Parental Order in the Family Division of the High Court following a surrogacy arrangement in Mexico, including making successful submissions on service on the surrogate.

Private Children

B v B — acting for the Mother throughout private children proceedings, including at a fact-finding hearing where the majority of findings were made in the Mother’s favour, and subsequently on appeal in the Family Division of the High Court, where the appeal against a Prohibited Steps Order was granted and the order set aside.
M v W — acting for the Father opposing an application for internal relocation of the children from the South of England to Manchester, securing a refusal of the relocation application, an increase in the Father’s contact, and a shared lives with order.
E v C — acting for the Father in proceedings in the new Child Focused Courts format, successfully challenging the author of the Child Impact Report, who changed her recommendations during her evidence.

Financial Remedies

V v V — acting for the Wife in financial remedy proceedings where the Husband had failed to comply with directions, persuading the Judge to proceed to give an indication at the FDR rather than adjourn, resulting in a favourable settlement for the Wife.

Contempt of Court

U v U — acting for the Defendant in a contempt application arising from an alleged breach of an undertaking, successfully arguing that the undertaking was being used as a form of abuse; no order was made and the undertakings given by the client were discharged.
S v R — acting for the Defendant in a contempt application, drawing the court’s attention to procedural defects in the application; the matter settled on terms favourable to the client and the contempt application was adjourned generally.

Scholarships & Awards

Gray’s Inn Ann Goddard Pupillage Scholarship
Gray’s Inn Frank Quickfall Scholarship
Leiden University Academic Excellence Scholarship
Mason Hayes Charitable Trust Scholarship

Education

BPP University, Bar Practice Course (Merit)
Leiden University, LLM Advanced Studies in International Children’s Rights (Distinction, 75%)
University of Sussex, LLB Law with Spanish (2:1)