This review is for a different branch.
Disabled Litigant in Complex Case to a Clear Shared Lives With Order: A Testament to Damian McDermott
(Moses Family Case – 2025)
Before I met Damian McDermott, I had endured over three years of navigating the family court, and at times the criminal system, entirely on my own. I was a litigant in person with no legal training, trying to defend myself against a sustained false narrative, complex accusations, and the ongoing challenges of my mental health, including a diagnosis of Complex PTSD. I was exhausted, marginalised, and almost entirely depleted of faith in the legal system.
What Damian achieved was far more than a legal outcome, it was the restoration of fairness, dignity, and above all, a secure future for our daughters. Through his representation, we were awarded a Shared Lives With Order, an outcome granted to only a small percentage of fathers, and even more rarely to disabled fathers with complex needs. This order reflects a structured, long-term, and equal parenting arrangement: two loving homes in parity, built on evidence, not assumption.
Damian’s approach is unlike anything I’ve encountered before. From the outset, he communicated with honesty, directness, and authenticity. There was no showmanship. He never once spoke of “strategy” or performance. Instead, he consistently brought focus back to the facts, the law, and the best interests of our children. His instincts are precise. He has the rare ability to cut through complexity, remain child-focused under pressure, and deliver clarity in the most emotionally fraught of circumstances.
What makes Damian stand apart is not only his legal expertise, which spans multiple complex areas, but his humanity. He adapted to us. He worked with me through periods of emotional fatigue and mental health struggle. He understood the nuance of parenting with trauma, the barriers I faced in communication and clarity, and he never once made me feel lesser for it. Instead, he created calm when there was chaos. He held space for me to recover, while ensuring the legal direction was always focused, sharp, and child-centred. It often felt like an intricate dance, and when I could not find my footing, Damian took the lead with grace and strength.
The trust I placed in him, and still do, was not easily earned. As a father who had been misjudged and failed by systems before, I was cautious. But Damian never gave me reason to doubt. He was steady, principled, and vocal at the right times. He brought integrity to every stage of the process. When others might have discharged me or stepped back, he stood firm. That alone speaks volumes about his professionalism and values.
I also wish to acknowledge the exceptional work of Victoria Westwood, who supported this case alongside Damian. Her presence in court was composed and precise, and her advocacy complemented Damian’s leadership seamlessly. Together, they operated as a unified force for good. Their teamwork delivered results not just on paper but in the lives of two children who now benefit from stability, fairness, and a long-term parenting framework designed to reduce conflict and restore trust.
Working with Damian has transformed not only the legal landscape for our children, but also my own understanding of co-parenting and family law. I have learned from him how to listen, how to focus on what matters most, and how to be the best version of myself as a parent, even in the most trying circumstances.
If I could give one message to others overwhelmed by the weight of the family court process, it would be this: there are still solicitors, barristers, firms, and judges who care deeply about truth, justice, and the well-being of children above all else. Damian McDermott is one of them. He is not only a solicitor of the highest calibre, he is, in my view, a quiet force for justice and long-overdue reform in a system that too often forgets the people it serves.
Thanks to Damian, and to Victoria, my daughters now have two safe, loving, and equal homes. Our future feels protected in a way it never has before. The weight of years of litigation has been replaced by a structure built to last. For that, I will always be grateful.
JM
Father, Advocate, and Client of Ison Harrison Solicitors
