Anita Guha KC

Anita’s areas of expertise include:

• international cross border disputes;
• child abduction (Hague and non Hague Convention cases);
• relocation disputes;
• wardship;
• stranded spouses;
• overseas surrogacy and parental order applications;
• Hague Convention adoption matters;

Significant cases

• A Father v A Mother (No2) (Art 21 Findings of Fact) [2025] EWHC 952 (Fam)
• Re B (Child Abduction: Settlement) Anita represented successful Appellant in Court of Appeal.
• Re S (Children: Transnational Marriage Abandonment) Second successful appeal to Court of Appeal in a case where Anita represented a highly vulnerable mother.
• Re A (A Child) (Abduction from Pakistan) Anita was praised by the court for the role she played as a Special Advocate.
• Re Z (A Child) Anita led Justin Slater for the Appellant in international family law case in Court of Appeal.
• Re Z (A Child) (Inherent Jurisdiction: Stranding: Significant Harm) Anita acted for the Applicant in a complex fact finding hearing before Henke J. The court dismissed the allegations of abuse made against her client and accepted her client’s case that she was the victim of stranding.
• H v O (Art 13(b) and Domestic Abuse) Anita established a Hague defence in a complex case involving the interplay between the Hague Convention and asylum law where she established her client is a victim of domestic abuse and coercive control.
• A Father v A Mother (Relocation to Australia) Anita successfully argued for permission for her client to remove her children to live permanently in Australia in face of objections of the father and a negative ISW report.
• N v E [2024] EWHC 3604 (Fam)
• Re S (Children) (New Evidence) Anita acted in the Court of Appeal for the Appellant in the first of two appeals in the same case.
• AOX v LSX [2024] EWHC 2379 (Fam)
• M v F [2024] EWHC 1689 (Fam) A case that attracted wide media interest. Anita represented the mother who successfully sought an order for summary return of her daughter to Kyiv.
• Father v Mother [2024] EWHC 1309 (Fam)
• A Father v A Mother and others [2024] EWHC 991 Complex 5-day final hearing in Hague Convention proceedings in which four Convention defences were relied upon by the Respondent including rights of custody.
• HZ v GA [2024] EWHC 489 (Fam) Acted for Applicant Father in successful application for return of child to New Zealand in a case where the Respondent Mother granted permission to adduce expert evidence upon impact of return upon her mental health.
• LB Hackney v P [2023] EWCA Civ 1213 Court of Appeal provided pivotal guidance as to the legal framework that governs jurisdiction in public law proceedings following the departure of the UK from the EU.
• Re S (A Child) (Abduction: Article 13(b): Mental Health) [2023] 2 FLR 439 Anita acted for successful Appellant in the Court of Appeal challenging the decision of High Court judge to make order of summary return of child to Australia.
• Sheffield CC v MFA [2023] EWHC 128 Appointed as Special Advocate for father facing allegations in forced marriage application in closed proceedings before Poole J.
• JC v SS [2023] EWHC 2063 (Fam) Represented vulnerable respondent in Hague proceedings before Roberts J. Court found in favour of respondent with respect to a number of Convention defences and dismissed application for orders for return of four children to Republic of Ireland.
• FJ v LT [2023] EWHC 1783 (Fam) Acted for respondent father in establishing defence of consent in Hague proceedings.
• The Father v The Mother [2023] EWHC 1454 (Fam) Complex private law proceedings with open and closed proceedings before Lieven J acting for successful applicant in internal relocation application.
• Re B (Children) (Abduction: Consent: Oral Evidence) (Article 13b) [2022] 3 WLR 1315 Anita was part of the legal team acting on behalf of the Intervenor, Reunite International, in this appeal before the Court of Appeal, where guidance was given upon the correct legal approach to the Art 13 defences of
  consent and acquiescence.
• LB Hackney v P & Ors [2022] EWHC 1981 (Fam) This is a landmark case heard by Macdonald J in which the court was requested to determine fundamental issues of importance in respect of the jurisdictional framework in children cases following the UK’s departure from the European Union.
• VB v LB (children) [2022] EWFC 60 Anita acted for the Respondent Father on a 3 day contested final hearing of the Mother’s application for permission to relocate with the children to the US.
• YP v XP [2022] EWHC 1954 (Fam) Anita acted for the Applicant Father in a successful 1980 Hague Convention application seeking the summary return of his daughter to France.
• IK [2022] EWHC 396 (Fam) Anita represented the Respondent Father in highly contested Hague Convention proceedings heard before Mr Justice Peel.
• W v W (Transnational Abandonment) [2021] EWHC 3411 (Fam) Findings were obtained at a contested hearing in the High Court on behalf of a vulnerable mother that she had been stranded in Pakistan by the Father.
• P v P (Divorce: Jurisdiction) [2021] EWHC 2306 (Fam) Mr Justice Cobb accepted the case advocated on behalf of a mother in highly acrimonious and protracted proceedings, with multiple causes of action having being issues by the parties in Bulgaria and this jurisdiction, that the court had jurisdiction in respect of the mother’s divorce petition.
• Re A (a child) (relocation) [2020] All ER (Nov) Acted for mother in successful application for international relocation and findings of fact in respect of domestic violence who had her passport seized and was prevented from leaving the jurisdiction by the court at the commencement of protracted and lengthy proceedings. Matter listed for a 5 day contested final hearing in High Court. Father was represented by Queens Counsel and sought a number of findings against the Mother in respect of cross allegations of violence and her mental health which were all dismissed by the
  court as untrue.
• AX v CY [2020] EWHC 1599 (Fam

Anita specialises in all areas of public and private law and has built a strong reputation in representing victims of domestic abuse, honour based violence and vulnerable adults and children in matters of great sensitivity and complexity.

Anita has experience appearing in SIAC, SVAP and the High Court in her role as a Special Advocate.