Susan Fitzgerald

Director

Call Susan on: 020 3866 5720

email: Susan.fitzgerald@beckfitzgerald.co.uk

 

About Susan

Susan Fitzgerald is a co-founder of Beck Fitzgerald. The practice was established in order to provide excellent family law services in a way which is accessible and modern and also with the aim of influencing changes to make the family justice system fairer to families and children.

Susan is a specialist care practitioner who has been on the Children Panel since 1998.  She acts for both parents and children, in the latter case receiving instructions from their Children’s Guardian. Susan also regularly acts for parents who lack litigation capacity and in these cases she works closely with the Official Solicitor. Susan is an excellent advocate and  undertakes a range of highly complex public law work including cases involving non-accidental injury, deprivation of liberty orders, neglect, sexual and emotional abuse. She also acts in adoption matters and other complex cases between parents involving their children.

An Accredited Specialist, Susan has considerable experience in acting for parents in international child abduction cases and disputes alongside private law children and domestic abuse cases.

Susan takes an holistic approach to her clients needs taking time to ensure that they are properly understood so that she can ensure their voices are properly heard. Her professionalism and compassionate approach are regularly commented on by both clients and other professionals with whom she works.

What motivates Sue is to ensure that her clients are able to fully and fairly participate in their case and achieve the best and fairest outcome.  She is proud to work with such an excellent team who are so committed to doing their very best for their clients.

Specialist Accreditations include:

Membership of The Law Society’s Children Panel
Resolution Accredited Specialist status in child abduction, private law children and domestic abuse

Susan Fitzgerald is an excellent child care lawyer who has extensive experience and knowledge of representing children in court. Susan is always reliable and professional and when she is appointed to a case, I know that she will represent a child’s wishes and feelings accurately. She works with children and young people in a sensitive and confident way.

A Children's Guardian

I act as a professional, lay litigation friend, so I am one remove from the client. This means that it is important to me that the Solicitor I instruct gives me clear advice, but is also someone who is willing to make allowances for any vulnerabilities / limitations of the protected party-which can mean that dealing with them can take longer than other clients. Susan took the time to keep our client in the picture, to the extent that this was possible

A Lay Litigation Friend

In addition to your expertise you have been very patient with me and particularly good at explaining things.  This has given me a lot of comfort and has made me feel prepared for what is to come.

A Client

I would like to say a big thank you to Susan, Evangeline and my barrister for all the amazing hard work and support they have given me over the last year. You guys are amazing and have done such a great job, I couldn’t have asked for better, you were always professional, made sure I understood everything and made me feel very comfortable. Thank you !

A Client

Two major breakthroughs for access to justice

Clients from Beck Fitzgerald have put themselves forward to help us challenge two particularly unfair rules in the application of the legal aid ‘means test’. Trapped capital The brilliant Public Law Project took this matter to judicial review regarding the...

Current legal aid regime puts victims at risk

Punched in the face. Strangled. Stalked. Expected to always cook homemade meals. Kicked in front of the children. Over the threshold to qualify for legal aid to protect herself. Had to make an ex parte order on her own (her furious husband turned up at her house the...

Jenny Beck new Chair of Nuffield Family Justice Observatory board

Nuffield Foundation has appointed Jenny Beck as Chair of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory’s board. Jenny Beck is a family lawyer, founding partner and Director of Beck Fitzgerald, committed to accessible and fair justice and the rights of the individual. Jenny...

Domestic abuse awareness…much to be done

Two days ago, we saw the announcement that, under Jade’s law, parental responsibility will now be automatically suspended for parents who have been sentenced for killing someone they shared parental responsibility with. We welcome this announcement and what it...

Transparency in the family courts

It has been a long standing debate whether there should be more transparency in the family court. Until now, family court proceedings have been a strictly private and confidential process. Whilst this is essential to protect the privacy and safety of parties to family...

Transgender and the Family Courts

More than 250,000 people in England and Wales identify as transgender, according to the Census 2021 data which gave us the first true picture of gender identity in Britain. Awareness of transgender issues in the Family Court is gradually increasing however the law of...

Mediation – how can it help you?

We are using this opportunity to shine a light on mediation and how it can help resolve financial disputes or arrangements for children in a cooperative and non-adversarial manner.  What is Mediation? Family mediation is a voluntary process in which a professionally...

LASPOA – 10 years on

Ten years have passed since the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPOA) devastated access to justice. A staggering 80% of family law cases were removed from scope leaving tens of thousands of families unsure and insecure about their legal rights...

The Times best law firms

The Times Best Law Firms   Beck Fitzgerald are delighted to have been named in The Times ‘Best Law Firms 2023’ publication for family law. This is a brilliant achievement for the firm and acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the team. We would like to thank...

Until we have a level playing field justice will remain a challenge

‘Until we have a level playing field justice in the family courts will remain a challenge. The system needs proper funding and we need fast action to implement ctitical changes highlighted in the Harm Panels review. This really cannot wait’ Victims of domestic abuse...

Beck Fitzgerald appoints two new Directors and five Associates

We are delighted to announce that we have invited Amy Woolfenden and Sarah Stace to become Directors of Beck Fitzgerald with immediate effect. Sarah will continue to lead and mentor in private client, finance and unmarried family cases and Amy will continue to head up...