I am a specialist family law barrister in the law as it relates to children. I have particular expertise in cases where children are alleged to have suffered serious harm leading to the intervention by social services. The overwhelming majority of my caseload involves proceedings where children are alleged to have suffered serious inflicted injuries or sexual abuse. My practice also includes private law proceedings, including applications for child arrangement orders, as well as more complex applications in cases of surrogacy and the international movement of children. I have experience of, and a particular interest in, applications for FGM Protection Orders, Forced Marriage Protection Orders and cases of serious domestic abuse. I am a Family Law Arbitrator on the IFLA scheme and a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. I am Band 1 ranked junior by Chambers & Partners and a Tier 1 ranked junior by the Legal 500. Chambers and Partners 2023: “He is one of my definite go-to barristers. Matthew provides excellent service and is always willing to go the extra mile.” “Matthew Maynard has got presence in the courtroom and his statements and analysis are excellent.” “Matthew is a very good advocate and well-liked by clients.”Legal 500 2023: “Matthew is a barrister of great talent, who manages to mix an in-depth knowledge of the law with strong advocacy skills and a personable approach to the clients.”Chambers & Partners 2022: “He’s very issues-focused, always well prepared and has a great manner with clients.” “Matthew is straight-talking and gets straight to the point rather than making things more complicated than they need to be.”Legal 500 2022: “He is a silk in the making.”Chambers and Partners 2021: “He is one of the top barristers on the circuit. He is a true gladiator in his command of the courtroom. Not only is his written work impeccable, he is also a fearless advocate.”