Philip Bowen

Philip advises and represents clients in the following areas:

• Children matters (public & private): care, adoption, protection, child arrangements

• Divorce and financial settlements, including high-value and overseas assets

• Local Authority proceedings and public law children work

• Injunctive relief: non-molestation orders, occupation orders

• Court of Protection: capacity, deputyship, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), LPA/EPA

• Fact-finding hearings and serious allegations (domestic abuse, substance misuse, sexual abuse)

• Cross-jurisdictional child matters: removal, abduction, international orders

• Enforcement, variation, and appeals in family cases

Philip Bowen has a multifaceted practice combining family law and Court of Protection work. His background in policing gives him deep insight into investigative, welfare, and safeguarding procedures—an advantage in high-stakes family and children cases.

Children & Local Authority Practice

• Regularly acts in care proceedings, representing parents, guardians, and children

• Handles private law disputes over child arrangements, including residence, contact, removal from jurisdiction, and parental alienation

• Frequently instructed for cases involving complex social services involvement, leveraging understanding of children’s services

• Skilled at navigating public law thresholds, expert evidence, and witness cross-examination

Divorce & Financial Remedies

• Manages cases from First Directions Appointment (FDA) to Final Hearing

• Works on matters with complex assets, including businesses, property, pensions, and overseas holdings

• Acts in enforcement and variation applications, adjusting orders when circumstances change materially

Fact-Finding & Injunctive Relief

• Highly experienced in fact-finding hearings, especially where allegations are serious (abuse, violence, substance misuse)

• Reputation for handling fact-finding robustly and empathetically

• Conducts injunctive applications (non-molestation, occupation) often linked to contested protective hearings

Court of Protection & Capacity Law

• Accepts instructions from family, deputies, local authorities, Official Solicitor, and protected parties

• Expertise in deprivation of liberty, best interests decision-making, medical treatment disputes, and power of attorney matters

• Advocates from district-level hearings through to High Court, handling complex capacity challenges

Advocacy & Strategy

• Has appeared at all Family Court levels, including County Court, High Court, and in the Court of Appeal

• Known for authoritative court presence, persuasive argument, and capacity for both negotiation and robust litigation

• Applies analytic rigour from policing experience to legal issues, focusing on clarity, evidence, and outcomes

• Qualified as a solicitor in 1994
• Called to the Bar in 2019