Tom Lawal
Call 2008
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Overview
Tom Lawal is a highly regarded barrister specialising in private children law and housing law. With over 15 years of experience, he is recognised for his passionate, tenacious, and tactically astute advocacy, underpinned by a thorough and meticulous approach to every case.
Tom has been recommended in the legal directories for more than a decade:
- Legal 500 (2026): “Tom is an exceptional barrister, with an extremely caring nature, always putting the client at the heart of everything
- Chambers and Partners (2026): “Tom is an excellent barrister. He is calm, rational and extremely likeable. This makes his approach measured and persuasive.”
- Legal 500 (2024): “Tom is intelligent, articulate and has great people skills… a star on his feet and commands the courtroom.”
- Chambers & Partners (2024): “A favourite amongst many clients… professional, personable and excellent on his feet.”
- Chambers & Partners (2023): “Brilliant with clients and an excellent advocate… commercially astute and impressive on his feet.”
His ability to combine rigorous legal analysis with an approachable style makes him a trusted choice for both professional and lay clients.
Having previously served as Joint Head of the Private Law Team, and as Head and Deputy Head for many years, Tom represents parents, children (through 16.4 Guardians), and grandparents in most complex, sensitive, and fiercely contested private law disputes. His advocacy is calm, assured, and strategically incisive, ensuring clients feel protected and understood, while their cases are advanced with clarity, passion and determination
Tom has extensive expertise in housing law, where he is regularly instructed in multi-day trials, committal hearings, injunctions, and possession proceedings. He is also highly regarded for drafting pleadings and delivering clear, practical advice on complex legal and factual issues.
Tom’s blend of experience, commitment, and personable advocacy has firmly established him as counsel of choice in his specialist fields.
Specialist Profiles
Tom accepts instructions across the full spectrum of housing law and is well regarded nationwide for the quality of his advocacy and written work. He is frequently instructed in cases raising substantial legal arguments, including those involving the Equality Act 2010, Article 8, proportionality, and public law issues.
He has extensive experience in multi-day trials, covering committal hearings, injunctions, and possession proceedings, often involving complex legal and factual disputes. Alongside his trial work, Tom is regularly instructed to draft pleadings and provide advice on challenging housing matters.
Acknowledged for his affable manner with lay clients, meticulous preparation, and engaging courtroom style, Tom is valued for his collaborative approach. He works closely with instructing solicitors to shape case strategy and ensure clients feel supported throughout proceedings.
As an active member of the Housing Law Team, Tom also provides training on a wide range of housing law topics.
Tom is a specialist private law practitioner with extensive experience representing parents, children (via r16.4 Guardians), and grandparents in complex, highly contentious, and sensitive cases before both the Family Court and the High Court.
He is regularly instructed in a broad range of matters, including:
- Complex child arrangement proceedings.
- Multi-day finding of fact and welfare hearings.
- Allegations of parental alienation and implacable hostility.
- International and internal relocation cases.
- Serious allegations of physical and/or emotional harm.
- Cases involving 16.4 Guardians.
- Forced-Marriage Protection Orders.
- Cultural and religious issues.
- Proceedings requiring expert evidence, including psychological assessments.
- Matters involving local authority intervention.
Tom is regarded as a robust and incisive advocate, recognised for his passion, care, and tenacity, as well as his appreciation of the profound impact family proceedings can have on his clients. He is known for identifying the key issues in the most complex cases, providing clarity in seemingly intractable disputes, and delivering precise, effective advocacy, particularly valuable in emotionally charged hearings.
His background in representing local authorities, parents, grandparents, children (through Guardians), and interveners in public law proceedings has given him a wealth of safeguarding experience across a wide range of serious issues. In addition, his Masters in Human Rights Law provides a strong legal and practical foundation to his approach in family cases.
Tom also accepts Public/Direct Access instructions where appropriate. To enquire, please contact: familyclerks@stiveschambers.co.uk.
Tom sits as a Deputy District Judge in both the Family and Civil jurisdictions. He has extensive judicial experience in managing complex and sensitive family law disputes, drawing on over 15 years of practice in both public and private law, including acting for children, parents, grandparents, and local authorities.
This breadth of experience provides him with a unique vantage point and strong foundation for his judicial philosophy and approach. Tom is acutely aware of the importance of ensuring that all participants feel engaged in and involved with the court process. He has a reputation for balancing firmness with sensitivity, ensuring proceedings run effectively while maintaining an atmosphere of dignity and respect. In addition, Tom is recognised for adopting a patient, understanding, and child-focused approach in every matter he hears, ensuring fairness and clarity in even the most challenging cases.
This dual role as both practitioner and judge enhances Tom’s standing as a dispute resolution specialist, equipping him with valuable insight into the decision-making process.
LL.B (Hons)
LL.M (International Human Rights)
Bar Vocational Course (Very Competent)
Birmingham Black Lawyers 2023 – Special Recognition Award, Outstanding Role Model
Worcestershire Law Society Awards 2021 – Barrister of the Year
Black British Business Awards 2015 – Leader of the Year for Professional Services
Birmingham Law Society Legal Awards 2011 – Pupil Barrister of the Year
Undergraduate Law Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Law
Deputy District Judge (Midlands, 2022) Civil & Family
Chambers and Partners 2026: “Tom is an excellent barrister. He is calm, rational and extremely likeable. This makes his approach measured and persuasive.”
“Tom is sheer class and one of the most likeable characters you will meet which, when combined with his skill and advocacy, is a fearsome combination. Tom is warm and friendly in his manner, but also a committed and technical lawyer.”
“Tom communicates with passion and enthusiasm and is a joy to work with. In conference he is respectful of client questions, approachable and his advice and skeletons are fantastically incisive.”
“An absolute joy to work with. His unique style combines humour with intelligence and he always goes the extra mile to achieve the right results.”
Legal 500 2026: “Tom is an exceptional barrister, with an extremely caring nature, always putting the client at the heart of everything. His advice is proactive, realistic and robust. He is not afraid to highlight weaknesses but provides clear strategies to counter them. His advocacy skills are exceptional – he fights his clients’ corners and strives for the best possible outcome.” Tom is “excellent with clients and helps to put witnesses at ease.”
Legal 500 2025: ‘Tom is a highly engaging and competent barrister. His preparation is thorough and he is a compelling and persuasive advocate. He quickly wins the confidence and trust of clients and witnesses, and has the gravitas to command respect in court. Tom is also highly approachable, provides pragmatic advice and is a joy to work with. ”
Legal 500 2024: “Tom is intelligent, articulate and has great people skills. He is enthusiastic about any case he is instructed on and instantly becomes part of the team. He is a star on his feet and commands the courtroom.”
Chambers and Partners 2024: “Tom Lawal is a favourite amongst many of our clients. He is professional, personable and excellent on his feet. Tom gets to grips with complex issues and puts the clients at ease. He is an excellent barrister.” “Tom Lawal is an outstanding advocate. He is wonderfully reassuring with vulnerable witnesses.” “Tom Lawal has great technical ability. He is brilliant with clients, really personable and well liked.”
Chambers and Partners 2023: “Tom is brilliant with clients and an excellent advocate. Tom is commercially astute, always builds an excellent rapport with clients and is impressive on his feet. Tom is a favourite among many of our clients.” “Tom is creative and really fights the client’s corner.”
Chambers & Partners 2022: “With Tom you can really rest assured that your case is in the best possible hands; he has an enthusiasm and passion for the job and engages from the get-go.” “I would recommend Tom and his positive, personable and proactive approach to any instructing solicitor or litigating client.”
Chambers and Partners 2021: “He is full of energy, very personable and builds immediate relationships. He is very good on his feet in court, always very well prepared and has excellent knowledge of the practice area.”
Chambers & Partners 2020: “He is extremely thorough and has the likeability factor so he is very easy to get on with.” “He always gets fantastic results and he is a joy to work with.”
Chambers & Partners 2019: “He is incredibly easy to work with. He also has great technical ability and excellent judgement.” “A fantastic advocate who is great at getting results for clients.”
Chambers & Partners 2018: “He is energetic and you can tell he has a good understanding of what’s going on. He’s also really good on his feet and gets on well with clients.” “His way of cross-examination is very charming and he also has a great eye for detail.”
Chambers & Partners 2017: “He’s a real fighter, who is very vivacious and very protective of his clients and witnesses when he’s in court.” “He has a great rapport with clients and offers sound, pragmatic advice.”
6 Recommendations
Chambers and Partners 2026
Legal 500 2026
Chambers and Partners 2025
Chambers and Partners 2025
Legal 500 2025
Legal 500 2024
