- Resolution accredited specialist
- Offers fixed fee interview
- Accepts legal aid
Provides legal aid for
- Family work
- Children work
Amanda is a Resolution Accredited specialist in international child abduction law and private children law cases.
She specialises in cases concerning children and represents parents and other family members in a wide range of complex private and public law cases.
She has been a member of the panel of Solicitors who receive instructions directly from the international child abduction and contact unit (ICACU) for many years and has expertise in acting for both applicants and respondents in international child abduction and contact cases.
Amanda has represented clients in a number of reported cases in both the High Court and Court of Appeal.
The types of case that Amanda has been involved in include:
- child abduction cases involving both Hague and non-Hague Convention countries. She regularly represents parties in applications made under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court and in wardship proceedings.
- making emergency applications to stop a child being removed from the country on behalf of parents;
- acting for parents in agreeing arrangements for children in regard to contact and residence, and relocation especially where there is an international element;
- representing parents in local authority care proceedings, including situations where there are concerns in relation to learning difficulties, sexual abuse, radicalisation, domestic abuse and non-accidental injury;
- disputes between parents and families where there are issues of alternative families, mental health, personality disorder or domestic abuse; and
- committal proceedings, where individuals face serious consequences as a result of allegations of being in contempt of court.
Amanda is recognised in the 2021 Legal 500 with the following testimonial:
‘Amanda Dench is exceptionally pragmatic, wise, hardworking and empathetic. Amanda safely steers cases (and clients) towards the best outcomes and is able to offer advice beyond black-letter law.’
As a member of Resolution, Amanda adopts their code of practice and wherever possible aims to resolve matters swiftly and in a non-confrontational and constructive manner. She is also a member of the Child Abduction Lawyers Association (CALA) and the Association of Lawyers for Children (ALC).