Maia specialises in complex care proceedings involving non-accidental injury and practises extensively in the Court of Protection.
Before qualifying as a barrister, Maia worked as a doctor for the NHS, specialising as a surgeon. Her medical expertise gives her a distinct advantage in managing complex clinical evidence in the Family Courts and the Court of Protection.
Public Children Law
Overview
Maia accepts instructions for all stages of care proceedings including contested hearings, deprivation of liberty applications and multi-day fact-finding and final hearings. She acts for parents, family members, children, NHS Trusts and interveners.
Maia has experience of dealing with vulnerable clients. The Court said she provided “excellent representation” in a multi-day final hearing, where she represented a mother who had learning difficulties and was facing care and placement orders for her tenth child after already having had nine children removed from her care and placed for adoption. She recently achieved success in M (A Child: Intermediaries) [2025] EWCA Civ 440.
Her experience as a doctor means she is highly proficient in interpreting medical notes and expert reports with ease and accuracy. In her first non-accidental injury trial, Maia was described as “fearless” in her cross-examination of one of the medical experts. In these cases, she capably holds her own alongside practitioners with considerably more years of call. She has acted in numerous non-accidental injury fact-finding hearings and been led by King’s Counsel.
Notable Cases
M (A Child: Intermediaries) [2025] EWCA Civ 440
The Court of Appeal overturned the lower court’s refusal to appoint an intermediary for a vulnerable mother during a nine-day fact-finding hearing. The decision is now the leading authority on the use of intermediaries in the Family Courts.
Contact Dr
Court of Protection
Overview
Maia accepts instructions from the Official Solicitor, Accredited Legal Representatives, family members, local authorities and NHS Trusts.
Maia’s medical background enables her to understand, scrutinise, and explain the medical and capacity evidence on which the court relies. This is particularly valuable in serious medical treatment cases, including disputes concerning the withdrawal or withholding of treatment, best interests decisions relating to medical care, and end-of-life matters.
