Sara Horncastle joined Ridley & Hall in April 2025 as a Partner in the Care Team.

A specialist Children’s Solicitor, Sara has practised exclusively in the field of children law since qualifying in 2010. She has been a member of the Law Society’s Children Panel since 2015—an accreditation that recognises her expertise and authorises her to represent children directly or through a Children’s Guardian in court proceedings.

Sara has extensive experience in Care Proceedings, particularly when a local authority applies to the Family Court due to concerns around a child’s welfare. She represents a broad range of clients, including parents, children, extended family members and intervenors, in complex and sensitive cases involving:

• Neglect
• Mental health issues
• Domestic and parental violence, including sexual violence
• Substance misuse
• Alleged physical and/or sexual abuse of a child
• Factitious Induced Illness (FII)
• Cases with international elements
• Forced marriage
• Deprivation of liberty of children
• Death of a child

She has a particular interest in highly complex matters, especially those involving serious injury, the death of a child, or allegations of significant physical or sexual violence between parents. In such cases, Sara is adept at managing sensitive information and carefully balancing the rights and vulnerabilities of all parties involved.

Sara frequently acts in cases where there are concurrent criminal and family proceedings, and is experienced in managing challenges such as cross-disclosure of documents. She regularly undertakes her own advocacy in the Family Court but also collaborates with respected barristers across the country to ensure the best possible outcomes for her clients.

Beyond court representation, Sara advises parents involved in ‘pre-proceedings’ processes—supporting families as they work with local authorities to avoid formal Care Proceedings.

Having trained in the North East and Yorkshire, Sara committed early to a career in children law. Following qualification, she joined FMW Law in London (later incorporated by GT Stewart), a firm specialising in family and children matters. After 14 years in London, Sara returned to her home county of Yorkshire, where she established the Children Law department at GT Stewart’s Leeds office before moving to Ridley & Hall. She continues to represent clients both locally and nationally.

Sara is passionate about her work and is known for providing clear, realistic advice. She is acutely aware of the emotional strain that clients may experience and tailors her approach to meet each individual’s circumstances. She has extensive experience working with clients who are care-experienced, neurodivergent, or who have mental health or learning difficulties, as well as those who require an interpreter.

Memberships:

Sara is a member of the Law Society’s Children Panel, the Leeds Law Society and the Association of Lawyers for Children.
She is also proud to be a Mentor with Lawyers Who Care, an organisation dedicated to supporting care-experienced aspiring lawyers.