Daniel Hooker
2008 (Middle Temple)
Date of call
2008 (Middle Temple)
Qualifications
LLB Law – University of Kent at Canterbury
BVC – Very Competent – College of Law
LPC – London Metropolitan University
Memberships
SSFA: Kent, Middle Temple
Daniel was originally called to the Bar in 2008, then also qualified and practised as a solicitor. He had always planned to be a barrister, but, having worked for a firm of solicitors while studying for his Bar exams, he stayed to develop his advocacy skills and build up to taking on more complex cases. In 2023 he decided it was time to use his skills to represent clients as a barrister, and joined Becket Chambers.
Daniel has extensive experience in Family Law and offers a range of services including divorce and matrimonial finance, child arrangements orders, injunctions, and public law care proceedings.
He has been a member of the Children’s Panel since 2015, and has vast experience of representing children and their Guardians, including competent children who are able to provide instructions to their legal team directly.
He has experience of working with an interpreter for clients who need assistance in a language other than English, and of working with clients with additional and sometimes profound learning needs.
Daniel’s previous experience as a solicitor makes him particularly easy to work with, as he has a lot of empathy with solicitors, and understands how busy they are, with a need for realistic timescales and expectations. He is also familiar with legal aid and its requirements.
As a solicitor, he experienced how much the role involves handholding and support, and now he aims to bring that into his client care as a barrister.
The lines between what a solicitor can do and what counsel (a barrister) can do are becoming blurred, so his experience in both roles is useful.
Wherever possible, Daniel undertakes advocacy from start to finish, including contested hearings, to give his clients continuity and the confidence that he understands every aspect of their case. He takes a robust but sensitive and sympathetic approach, ensuring he is frank and honest with clients, so they know what to expect at each stage of proceedings.
Daniel’s attention to detail is meticulous, and he goes over everything scrupulously to find every positive aspect of a client’s case. His experience helps him to look into the details, and to anticipate what the other side might ask.
This awareness enables him to prepare thoroughly, and often to limit the extent that his clients will have to be questioned in court – because the information has already been presented. His thorough approach helps to prepare his clients for an appearance in court, and many of his previous clients have commented that he is easy to talk to and to feel relaxed with.
His style in the courtroom is adaptable to the situation and the case in question; robust when needed, but aware of when a sensitive case calls for a softer approach.
Daniel has extensive experience in Family Law. Family Law matters, especially those involving children, go right to the root of our emotions, and he brings a sympathetic yet pragmatic approach to private children cases.
He has experience in removal from jurisdiction from Hague and non-Hague convention countries, including South Africa and Thailand, cases involving domestic abuse, allegations made by children, children giving evidence and cases involving parental alienation and transfer of residence, which is an area of particular interest to him.
He has acted for parents and children alike in proceedings, and has experience of using and challenging expert witnesses including psychologists/psychiatrists.
Daniel has represented clients and children in fact finding hearings as well as final welfare hearings and also have experience of appeals.
He has experience in removal from jurisdiction from Hague and non-Hague convention countries, including South Africa and Thailand, cases involving domestic abuse, allegations made by children, children giving evidence and cases involving parental alienation and transfer of residence, which is an area of particular interest to him.
He has acted for parents and children alike in proceedings, and has experience of using and challenging expert witnesses including psychologists/psychiatrists.
Daniel has represented clients and children in fact finding hearings as well as final welfare hearings and also have experience of appeals.
Before transferring to the Bar, Daniel was an accredited member of the Law Society Children’s Panel Family law, and he has extensive experience of public law work – seeing and acting for children, parents, and guardians. He has worked with many vulnerable clients including people with mental health issues and those with learning differences. He prides himself on his ability to explain things in a way that people can understand, whatever their challenges.
A difficult conversion for any lawyer is to tell a parent that it is likely that their child is going to be temporarily removed from their care or adopted.
Daniel is experienced with having those difficult conversations, which he approaches with compassion as well as pragmatism. Whilst being sympathetic, he is robust in his advice. His clients are often grateful for his approach, as it means that they don’t hear such frightening news for the first time in the courtroom, giving them time to prepare emotionally.
Daniel believes that it’s important to be aware that judges can lose sight of the fact that we are dealing with the most important thing to a person – their family, and he wants any client to know that his job is to put their case to the best of his ability, no matter the situation – without judgement of their decisions or actions –to achieve the best possible outcome.
Daniel’s public law experience includes representing parents and children in multi day hearings, allegations of non-accidental injuries/child death, challenging medical and expert reports and cases involving fabricated and Induced Illnesses.
A difficult conversion for any lawyer is to tell a parent that it is likely that their child is going to be temporarily removed from their care or adopted.
Daniel is experienced with having those difficult conversations, which he approaches with compassion as well as pragmatism. Whilst being sympathetic, he is robust in his advice. His clients are often grateful for his approach, as it means that they don’t hear such frightening news for the first time in the courtroom, giving them time to prepare emotionally.
Daniel believes that it’s important to be aware that judges can lose sight of the fact that we are dealing with the most important thing to a person – their family, and he wants any client to know that his job is to put their case to the best of his ability, no matter the situation – without judgement of their decisions or actions –to achieve the best possible outcome.
Daniel’s public law experience includes representing parents and children in multi day hearings, allegations of non-accidental injuries/child death, challenging medical and expert reports and cases involving fabricated and Induced Illnesses.
Daniel represents parties in divorce and financial proceedings. As a former solicitor, he is at ease with quickly identifying areas that require more detailed disclosure, and is familiar with the circumstances when expert evidence is required.
Costs in financial proceedings are a key component to consider. Daniel will identify when pursuit of a certain aspect of a case is disproportionate to the costs that are likely to be incurred, and is adept at explaining these, often complex, issues in a way that enables his client to make a pragmatic and informed decision.
His experience in financial cases includes scenarios with intervenors including public bodies such as the Crown Prosecution Service and the interplay between the Proceeds of Crime Act and the Matrimonial Causes Act.
Costs in financial proceedings are a key component to consider. Daniel will identify when pursuit of a certain aspect of a case is disproportionate to the costs that are likely to be incurred, and is adept at explaining these, often complex, issues in a way that enables his client to make a pragmatic and informed decision.
His experience in financial cases includes scenarios with intervenors including public bodies such as the Crown Prosecution Service and the interplay between the Proceeds of Crime Act and the Matrimonial Causes Act.