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0117 927 2144

Call: 2006 | Solicitor: 1994

Alternative Dispute Resolution Child Law Private Child Law Public
Sarah Pope MCIArb

Albion Chambers

Broad Street Bristol BS1 1DR

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  • Overview

    Sarah is the head of Albion’s Private Law Children Team and has 30 years’ specialist experience of both private and public children law.   She is one of only six barristers on the Western Circuit to be ranked in the highest band for children work in Chambers & Partners UK.  She is also ranked as a leading junior in the Legal 500.

    In private law, Sarah’s in-depth knowledge of safeguarding and child protection makes her well placed to act in disputes between parents where these issues arise.  She is instructed in the most serious cases, including those involving domestic abuse, relocation, allegations of emotional harm, parental alienation, addiction and poor mental health.   She is a qualified Children’s Arbitrator.

    In the public law sphere, Sarah covers the full range of issues, with a particular interest in cases concerning non accidental injury, fabricated induced illness, poisoning and sexual abuse. Having practised in the Court of Protection in the past, Sarah regularly acts in cases involving the deprivation of liberty of children and young people.

    Sarah joined Albion Chambers in 2014, after practising in London for over 20 years. She is an experienced trial advocate, is quick witted and fights her client’s corner. Clients and instructing solicitors have praised her for her client care skills, her meticulous preparation, her effective cross-examination and her “incisive”, “straight talking” approach. A significant proportion of Sarah’s work arises through personal recommendation and in all her work she offers pragmatism and a solution based approach.  Sarah has completed the FLBA’s Vulnerable Witness Training and is alert to issues of vulnerability and appropriate safeguards in her dealings with clients.

    Before she transferred to the Bar, Sarah was a solicitor for over 10 years. During this time, she founded Wilkinson Pope, a niche family law practice in Islington, where she specialised in representing children (both directly and through their guardians) and their parents.   On her transfer to the Bar, Sarah joined 14 Gray’s Inn Square (now Fourteen), where she was instructed by some of London’s leading specialist family law firms.

    Public Access: Sarah is licensed under the Public Access rules and her previous experience as a solicitor equips her well for this type of work.

Sarah Pope MCIArb

Recommendations

Chambers and Partners 2025

“Sarah is a formidable advocate who will always put the client’s case forward in the strongest terms.”

“Sarah’s strong advocacy is combined with empathetic client care.”

“Sarah is a fantastic barrister with a wealth of knowledge and a no-nonsense approach.”

Legal 500 2025

“Sarah is a tenacious advocate who makes clients feel she is fighting their corner. She is extremely well prepared both in her paperwork and advocacy.”

Chambers and Partners 2024 

“Utterly focused on the right outcome for her client. A fearless, brilliant advocate who gets results”

“Sarah is a fierce advocate who would not compromise the client’s position. She is able to assure clients and ensure that their approach is reasonable”

“Sarah is fantastic with putting the client’s case forward and assisting the solicitor with progressing the case”

Legal 500 2024 

‘Great with clients and opponents alike’

‘Sarah is a very strong advocate with extensive knowledge. She has a calm presence and clients trust her. She is able to deal with the most difficult cases and navigate tricky counsel on the other side with ease.’

Chambers and Partners 2023

‘Sarah gets to grips quickly with the real issues in the case.’

‘Sarah is a very strong advocate and will fight for her clients to the end.’

‘If you’re up against it in a private children case, Sarah is the counsel you want by your side.’

Legal 500 2023 

‘A tenacious advocate who gets results’.

Sarah has been recognised as a Leading Family Junior in both Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 over many years.

“Sarah is wonderful with clients and extremely knowledgeable in children matters. She is very effective in front of a judge, authoritative in court and yet sympathetic where required.” “She’s robust and fiercely protects her clients’ interests.” Chambers and Partners 2022

“Sarah is a formidable advocate. She radiates confidence and is a really safe pair of hands for children work. She is brilliant to work with.” Legal 500 2022

“Sarah is brilliant to work with. She listens to what solicitors and clients have to say. She is very knowledgeable and experienced. She is confident and an excellent advocate, fearsome in cross-examination. She is very good at dealing with clients and coming up with solutions. She inspires confidence.” Legal 500 2021

“Children law junior frequently representing parents, interveners and local authorities in both public and private matters. Her expertise ranges from non-accidental injury and death of baby cases to sexual abuse fact-finding proceedings. She is often instructed in care proceedings.”

“She is authoritative, decisive and a formidable advocate.” “She has an excellent ability to take in a large volume of complex material and identify the issues, explaining and advising with succinct clarity thereafter.” Chambers and Partners 2021

“Sarah is committed to client care of the highest standard. She has a pragmatic approach, but deals with clients in a sensitive and friendly way. She is well liked by lay and professional clients alike. Sarah is meticulous in her preparation and her attention to detail, which is borne out in her advocacy.” Chambers and Partners 2020

2020 –“Very experienced and a very effective advocate. She is absolutely fantastic at dealing with difficult clients.”

2019 – “Assiduous and robust advocate. Very good with clients.”

2018 – “Sarah is committed to client care of the highest standard. She has a pragmatic approach, but deals with clients in a sensitive and friendly way. She is well liked by lay and professional clients alike. Sarah is meticulous in her preparation and her attention to detail, which is borne out in her advocacy.”

2017 – “Often acts for guardians on public children law cases. She has experience in a wide variety of issues, including FGM, international relocation, child death and sexual abuse.”

2016 – “Very hard-working, very well prepared and very thorough. She’s a very good advocate, who has good judgment and lots of experience as both a barrister and a solicitor.”

2015 – “She’s very approachable, very good with the client and she produces very good paperwork. Very gutsy, she always puts the clients’ interests first. She reads everything in detail and is very persuasive in front of a judge”

2014 – “Sarah Pope is highlighted in particular for her strong performances in court and for the experience she brings having been a former solicitor”
“A very experienced childcare lawyer”
“Because she was a solicitor she appreciates all the difficulties her instructing solicitors have to put up with”

In the legal directories prior to 2014 Sarah has been praised for being:

Chambers and Partners

  • the “determination and energy” she brings to a case
  • the emphasis she places upon client care
  • her ability to analyse information well
  • her ability to guide the instructing solicitor along the right path
  • her “tenacious and thorough” advocacy

The Legal 500

  • “simply a great barrister”
  • “highly respected and advances difficult cases with skill and sensitivity”
  • “Approachable and helpful and meticulous in her preparation”

Education

  • BA (Hons) Law & French

Professional memberships

  • FLBA
  • ALC
  • IFLA
  • Western Circuit

Appointments

  • Qualified Children’s Arbitrator
  • Chair of the Bristol Family Law Bar Association 2018 – 2023
  • Member Executive Committee of the Association of Lawyers for Children 2015 – 2018
  • Former Independent Costs Adjudicator for the Legal Aid Agency

Languages

Sarah speaks fluent French and conversational Italian.

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