Elizabeth Morton

Beth specialises exclusively in Family Law. Called to the Bar in 1999, she has practiced in both public and private law children work but since 2024, she has decided to focus her practice exclusively on her private children law work.

Beth commenced her career in London with a general common law pupillage and early years of tenancy at 4, King’s Bench Walk Chambers in the Temple. She specialised in Crime and Family initially and often defended and prosecuted at Crown Court level. However by 2004, she had also established a thriving family law practice and developed a keen interest in the subject. She decided to concentrate solely on Family Law. 

Beth then relocated with her family back to Manchester, where she was born and brought up.  She then joined 18 St John’s Street Chambers, Manchester in 2005 and practiced there successfully for five years before being invited to join Deans Court Chambers in 2010. There she represented Local Authorities, parents and Guardians. She appeared in the Court of Appeal and in the High Court. She was involved in the leading case relating to electronic tagging of parents in care proceedings before Sir James Munby, the then President of the family Division, led by Julia Cheetham KC. 

She appeared in the High Court before Mr Justice Jackson (now Jackson LJ) led by Mr Karl Rowley KC in a case involving issues of radicalization and allegations that parents attempted to take their children to a war zone namely ISIS controlled Syria.

Beth is currently involved in a case for Cafcass led by Susan Grocott KC involving allegations of extreme severity and an issue being the proportionality of a finding of fact hearing and the guidance set out in Oxfordshire County Council v DP, RS and BS [2005] EWHC 1593. 

Beth has developed a busy and thriving specialist family law practice and enjoys representing private clients and children and obtaining the best outcome for them. She uses a sensitive and yet forceful approach and has an eye for detail and an objective point of view.  

Beth is an experienced practitioner who has dealt with a vast array of work of the utmost seriousness and complexity, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, FGM, parental alienation, international and internal relocation. She is regularly instructed to appear for Guardians at Cafcass and for NYAS caseworkers on Rule 16.4 FPR matters. Beth has experience of complex and unusual cases, involving finding of fact hearings, domestic abuse and drug and alcohol misuse. 

She has recently dealt with cases involving contested issues of parental responsibility (between two adoptive parents), denied controlling and coercive behaviour (required a 7 day finding of fact before HHJ Singleton KC), contested non molestation injunctions and occupation order (required several hearings at DJ level). She has also recently dealt with cases relating to change of residence (NYAS recommendation contested by Mother), section 37 direction (serious emotional harm that warranted intervention by the Local Authority). 

Please contact Beth’s clerks, Gavin Reeves or Louise McCarty if you wish to enquire about her availability. 

Associated Chambers

4, King’s Bench Walk, 2nd Floor, Temple, London, EC4Y 7DL
0207 822 7000