Mary-Teresa Deignan
Year of Call: 1991 BSc (Hons); PhD
Butterworth's Law Prize (QUB),
Benefactor's Law Scholarship,
Lady Margaret Templeton Scholarship.
Affiliations: Family Law Bar Association, South Eastern Circuit, Kent Bar Mess
Specialist Areas: Family Law
Biography
Having moved on from a career in agricultural plant research, Mary-Teresa now practices with a focus on the areas of Family and Civil Law with particular emphasis on:
Children – Both public & private law
Ancillary relief – Including businesses, pensions and overseas assets
Property disputes between former cohabitants – Including applications pursuant to Trusts of Land & Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 & Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977
Health care regulatory work
Social care
Trained as an agricultural scientist obtaining a BSc from The University of Aston in Birmingham and a Ph.D from the Queen’s University of Belfast, Mary-Teresa undertook postdoctoral work both at the Queen’s University of Belfast & the University of Cape Town specialising in agricultural plant research. Mary-Teresa then went on to undertake a conversion course (Certificate of Academic Legal Studies) at the Queen’s University of Belfast where she was awarded the Butterworth’s prize for highest overall first year marks. She was called to the bar by Middle Temple in 1991 and was awarded a Benefactor’s Law scholarship & Lady Margaret Templeman scholarship by Middle Temple.
Now a Pupil supervisor and Middle Temple sponsor, Mary-Teresa has developed a practice centred almost exclusively on family law. Having previously practiced criminal law, which involved extensive cross-examination of experts, she is now greatly valued by instructing solicitors for her client care skills combined with her willingness and availability to advise in cases from their commencement. She has recently been instructed by the Nursing & Midwifery Council.
Regarding Private law, Mary-Teresa is frequently instructed in highly conflictual cases involving rule 9.5/16.4 guardians and applications for leave to remove. Fact finding is a particular area of expertise for Mary-Teresa. In the domain of Public law, Mary-Teresa largely represents parents and carers, involving adoption/SGO and the Hague Convention. Cases include those involving non-accidental injury, sexual abuse of a child, sexual assault/rape of another parent, death of a child, death of a parent with many involving parallel criminal proceedings. In many cases parents or carers have mental health issues, or other impairments such as hearing difficulties.
Mary-Teresa is Public Access trained.