The best way to help is to see the client all the way through the process.
Legal Advice Clinic
Simon Bruce
Simon Bruce is a family lawyer. He divides his time between working at pro bono clinics, and working as a Partner at Dawson Cornwell LLP. He loves his work and does his best to help the clients. He insists that the children are always the priority.
He cares for his clients.
He is a member of his beloved Liverpool football club. Simon loves reading novels, playing chess and listening to poetry podcasts. Simon brings his dog Clover, a golden labrador, to the weekly meetings at our law clinic. He looks forward to meeting you.
Gorkem
Gorkem is a Senior Associate in the Family department at Branch Austin McCormick LLP. He specialises in all areas of family law, with extensive experience in financial division following divorce and Children Act applications. Gorkem is dedicated to guiding clients through complex legal matters with expertise and compassion. Passionate about pro bono work, Gorkem is committed to making legal support accessible to those in need, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to seek legal advice regardless of their circumstances.
Veryan Exelby
Veryan Exelby is a Senior Counsel within the Safeguarding Unit with a particular focus on safeguarding in schools. Previously she was a partner of the Family team at Farrer & Co. Alongside client work, Veryan runs the firm's annual Governor and DSL Training days as well as events for AGBIS, a body that advises on the governance of independent schools.
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Victoria Teymourian-Yates
Victoria Teymourian-Yates is a Senior Associate solicitor at Nockolds. Victoria has volunteered since 2022.
Victoria is deeply committed to supporting clients through difficult circumstances and working to achieve the outcomes in the best interests of the children.
Victoria also serves on the committee of the Law Society Ethnic Solicitors Network, which supports solicitors from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and the Resolution Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee, promoting a more inclusive and diverse legal profession.
Kate Lamont
Kate is a barrister specialising in public and private law disputes relating to children and a member of Deka Chambers. She appears in Court on a regular basis, representing parents, children and local authorities and so has experience and understanding of how a Court will likely approach disputes between parents and safeguarding issues. Kate is committed to doing what she can to promote universal access to support and solutions in disputes about children and is delighted to be part of the work that Dad’s House does to help those who may otherwise feel that the system is stacked against them.
Alan Bates
Alan is a barrister with over 20 years’ experience and a Deputy High Court Judge. He developed an interest in family law relatively late in his career by taking on Children Act cases through the Bar’s pro bono organisation, Advocate. Most of his work has been in other areas of law, including administrative law and human rights law – areas in which he continues to practise from his professional home, Monckton Chambers. He was a member of the independent panel appointed by the Government to review the working of the Human Rights Act. He is always looking for opportunities to use those areas of law to complement family law and find innovative solutions for Dads’ House clients and their families. He is a trustee of a social care charity, a school governor of three schools, and can often be found walking on the North Downs with his three-legged dog Bonnie.
Ceri Parker-Carruthers
Ceri is the Family Law Clinic manager for Dads House. She has been a practising lawyer for over five years and uses her court advocacy experience to help our clients. She manages the clinic with our founder, William McGranaghan.
Ceri is the winner of the Unsung Hero at the British Legal Awards 2024.
Ceri was a shortlisted finalist for Champion of the Year in the Family Law Awards 2024 and 2025.
Ceri was nominated for the Champion of the Year for the Inspirational in Women in Law Awards 2024.
Ceri is a member of the Bar Council’s Pro Bono and Social Responsibility committee.
Jacqueline Fitzgerald
Jacqueline is a partner and highly experienced family lawyer and trained mediator with over 25 years of experience. Specialising in various family law areas, from divorce to nullity proceedings and rights of unmarried cohabitants, Jacqueline is well-regarded for her clear strategic advice and expertise in handling complex financial disputes involving company and business issues, trusts, and agricultural cases. She is also experienced in dealing with international matters which often involve issues of domicile and habitual residence.
Sophie Hill
Sophie Hill is a highly experienced barrister called in 2003. She regularly advises and represents parties in complex private law children disputes and financial remedies proceedings. She has represented Dads House clients since early 2021. She was appointed Honorary Counsel to Dads House Family Law Clinic in 2025.
Anna Gowen
Anna is a partner with Hanne & Co solicitors with over 20 years’ experience in family law, with a particular interest in complex children matters that involve allegations of domestic abuse, substance abuse, implacable hostility, parental alienation and permanent removal from the jurisdiction. Her goal is to offer accessible, expert support to those who might otherwise struggle to navigate the legal system and achieve child focused outcomes for families.
Ask for Help and How to Donate
If you need family law advice, please get in touch by clicking the button below
Please donate to our £100,000 appeal to help us, help our dads and mums see their children
Insights - Dad’s House Family Law Clinic
The 2025 Figures
Our clinic
Each clinic consists of at least three 1-hour sessions.
Hours
400 client-facing hours and 3200 hours outside of the clinic.
Billy and Ceri make appointments, vet clients, and offer practical support and primary advice;
Our Solicitors, Barristers and students volunteer with client emails, preparing documents, and general assistance to the legal team.
Coram Barristers prepare cases and represent clients in court.
Costs
This has resulted in the provision of pro bono advice to the value of £1,375,962.75 per annum. As broken down by:
£228,217.50 per annum worth of in person advice from our two afternoon clinics per week.
· £547,256.25 per annum as our pro bono practitioners work between 5 – 10 hours outside the clinic.
· £66,000 worth of pro bono representation through Coram Chambers.
· £27,000 worth of combined pro bono representation from other chambers such as 4PB and 36 Family.
· £251,160.00 per annum from Billy supporting our clients and filtering enquires.
· Two of largest cases, have each been valued at over £100,000.00.
No. clients
In total we have provided over 1050 clients appointments.
83% of of our clients were men.
Over 45% our clients have repeat sessions with us so that we can continue to help them and their case.
Enquiries
We receive approximately 7,700 enquiries per annum:
2,500 by email, including 600 through form submissions on our website, and 5,200 by telephone.
It takes 2 1⁄2 hours a day to respond to all enquiries. This means 1092 hours per year spent talking to clients before they step through our doors.
Simon Miller’s Legacy
Simon Miller, Barrister at Harcourt Chambers, was a children law specialist, who practised exclusively in children matters for more than 27 years since pupillage. He was a founding member of the team and advised at Dads House Family Law Clinic from the beginning in 2020 until his death in March 2025.
His spirit will live on in the advice we give our dads and mums and how we support and mentor our students.
Simon Miller - Pro Bono Barrister and Dads House volunteer story
"Pro bono work is even more vital for the family courts today. With the legal aid cuts and now the cost-of-living crisis, many people are left with no funds to afford costly legal advice and representation. My advice is simple – it is hugely rewarding to take a client from their first appointment with us to final hearing and see the joy on their face when they know they will see their child again." - Read the full story here —>