Forida Hakim

Solicitor - Director & Solicitor

SRA ID: 294949

I am a Director in the Family and Child Care Department at Duncan Lewis. I specialise in public law, care proceedings and private law proceedings. I also have experience in all other areas of Family Law. I regularly represents parents, guardians and children within public law proceedings. I am well equipped to represent vulnerable parents and children who are subject to removal. I have also represented parents and children where issues such as non-accidental injuries, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, mental health difficulties, chronic drug and alcohol abuse, disabilities and learning difficulties exist. In addition, I have assisted parents as well as Local Authorities in relation to discharging care orders and Adoption Orders. More recently, I have represented a child in a radicalisation case and frequently advise parents in similar cases in the High Court. I undertake many private law proceedings relating to arrangements for contact and deciding which parent a child should live with. These include complex alienation, implacable hostility, sexual abuse based, protracted contact dispute and domestic abuse cases. I represent parties in relation to removal from the jurisdiction and child abduction matters. I also represent parties in defended and undefended Divorce proceedings and financial proceedings. I have provided advice and assistance at the pro bono clinic in the East London Mosque and at Newham Asian Women’s Project. My expert knowledge and cultural background allows me to understand and appreciate the cultural difficulties faced by vulnerable people within the community and assist them accordingly. I regularly represent parties as Applicant and Respondent in relation to injunction and Forced Marriage Act Orders. I am also a member of the Law Society’s Children’s panel which means I have achieved a high level of competence and knowledge in the area of children law and the representation of children. In 2016, I was elected - and am currently - Vice President of the Society of British Bangladeshi Solicitors which is recognised by the Law Society and runs a legal clinic twice a month on behalf of the society. I was recently recognised for my services and commitment to the society at a prestigious ceremony held at the Law Society. I am well known in the East End of London for my contribution to the community and consequently I have an excellent reputation for my services. I have been chair of the East London Asian Families Counselling Service since 2007 and I am an active board member of Newark Youth London providing youth and other sports activities to young children in the East End. Although born in the U.K., I am of Bangladeshi heritage and therefore fluent in Bengali, as well as Hindi and Urdu. I am also able to read Bangla.