Fern Crabtree

Fern Crabtree is a Solicitor in our Public Law department based in London, specialising in Court of Protection matters.

Professional Biography

Fern graduated from the University of the West of England in Bristol with an LLB (Hons) Law degree in 2009. She went on to complete her postgraduate Master of Laws (LLM) in Professional Legal Practice at the University of Law in 2020, further strengthening her expertise in legal practice.

Fern joined Simpson Millar’s Public Law department in August 2016 as a Paralegal. Over the course of six years, she gained invaluable pre-qualification experience, working closely with Solicitors and other legal professionals on a wide range of cases. Her commitment, skill, and contributions to the firm were recognised when she was awarded a training contract through Simpson Millar’s internal development programme, which supports staff in achieving professional qualifications. Fern completed her training contract and qualified as a Solicitor in October 2022.

In her role, Fern specialises in Court of Protection work, handling cases that involve challenges to decisions depriving vulnerable adults of their liberty and resolving disputes concerning their capacity or best interests. She has substantial experience with a variety of complex issues, including disputes about residence, care, contact, marriage, sex, and internet and social media use. Fern also has experience preparing Deputyship applications for clients.

Fern frequently represents individuals who lack capacity, working directly with Independent Mental Capacity Advocates (IMCAs), Relevant Persons Representatives (RPRs), and the Official Solicitor (a government-appointed legal representative for individuals who lack the mental capacity to instruct a Solicitor themselves).

In addition to her Court of Protection work, Fern has experience in Child Care Proceedings, primarily representing parents and other family members when Local Authorities become involved in their lives. This includes advising clients on pre-proceedings involvement and assists in cases involving domestic violence and private law matters, such as child arrangement disputes. Her expertise extends to family and Court of Protection crossover cases, including disputes about forced marriage, Forced Marriage Protection Orders (FMPOs), capacity to marry, and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) cases involving young people.