Yvonne Spencer, Solicitor Advocate
Solicitor Advocate Yvonne Spencer joined Fisher Jones Greenwood in 2005. She previously worked as the Deputy Director of the Children’s Legal Centre based at the University of Essex. Yvonne gained her higher rights of audience in 2002 and is the Hon. Secretary of the Solicitors’ Association of Higher Court Advocates (SAHCA). She also has a Masters degree in human rights law. Yvonne offers a broad base of expertise in child and family law, as well as specialist expertise in education and public law.
Yvonne undertakes a range of family court work and High Court work in these specialist areas. With the higher rights qualification she is able to provide written legal opinions for public law funding applications. She also provides advocacy services in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal for parents appealing against local authority decisions regarding their children’s special educational needs provision; and the Care Standards Tribunal on issues relating to Ofsted inspections and appeals against Secretary of State decisions to bar individuals from working with children and vulnerable adults. Notably Yvonne appeared in the High Court for Shabina Begum, the Muslim schoolgirl who fought for her right to wear religious dress to school. Her recent publications include articles in: Legal Action Group – ‘Family and Child Law Update (co-written with Nigel Humphreys)’, ‘Education, Public Law and The Individual’, The Solicitors’ Law Journal, The Law Society Gazette, and The Education Law Handbook.
Other Solicitor Advocates: Chris Graves | Nigel Humphreys