Nina Hansen

Nina Hansen is head of the Family Department. Her focus is on complex children’s law matters often with an international element. She is praised for her “tactical genius” and her “visionary support” for her clients and for her team. Her vast experience and knowledge both of domestic children’s law and international family law mean that she is known for guiding her client through the vagaries of the interlocking legal systems.

Nina specialises in representing those caught up in cases with complex factual or legal issues (or both); including child abduction, international relocation, adoption as well as cases involving allegations of sexual abuse, intractable contact disputes, alienating behaviours, radicalisation, factitious illness and non-accidental injury or death. Often her cases involve Jurisdictional issues, Social Services and care proceedings. Nina has conducted cases at every level of Court including the Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice. Nina regularly conducts her own advocacy.

Nina is one of a small number of highly skilled and specialised practitioners who are routinely instructed by children who are either the subject of, or who have siblings who are the subject of, child abduction proceedings. Her work in this area has been the subject of many reported cases and judicial guidance on the approach to be adopted in this developing area of international family law. She is considered by many members of the bar and fellow solicitors to be the first port of call in cases where children and young people wish their voices to be heard and to instruct lawyers directly. She has a reputation for ensuring the voice of the child is clear and independent.

Nina holds the unique position of being  top ranked in all of Chambers and Partners children law categories, namely  private law (child arrangements), Public law (Care proceedings) and is the star individual in  ‘Cross-Border’ Disputes. She is in the Hall of Fame of the Legal 500 Directory. Spears Directory  have classed her as ‘Outstanding’. In 2023 Nina was awarded the inaugural Children’s Champion award by Resolution.

From the Directories she is praised “Nina is in a class of her own, She has in-depth understanding across all aspects of children law and a down-to-earth way of engaging with people and  clients of all backgrounds. That she brings “a calm and astute perspective to cases”, and “is a particularly impressive lawyer with a great mind”.

Nina is a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers; the UK Central Authority’s International Child Abduction Unit Solicitors panel and sits on Resolution’s International Committee. She has been on the Law Society’s Children Panel for thirty years. She is a member of the Association of Lawyers for children (ALC) and a founding member of CALA (Child Abduction Lawyers Association)

Nina also lectures on the law relating to children and has written articles and submissions on the changing face of family law. She assisted in the preparation of evidence for the Justice Select Committee on the implications of Brexit for the Family Justice System, drafted guidance for the profession on the impact of Brexit on practice and procedure as it relates to family, and in particular the law relating to children. Nina also gave talks to both Resolution members and to the International Academy of Family Lawyers on the changes to family law in England and Wales on impact of the UK leaving the European Union.