Sam is well known as a calm and collected advocate when it comes to dealing with the most complex of issues with the ability to grasp new information quickly. He is often chosen by solicitors looking for counsel who will take a forensic approach to voluminous evidence and prepare for trials thoroughly, this was recognised in the Legal 500 2022, where Sam’s attention to detail is described as ‘second to none’.

Sam has gained a significant following for representing vulnerable clients due to his sensitive approach. He represents many clients assisted by an intermediary and tailors his approach to each individual client.

Sam is frequently sought after for reinstruction on cases from beginning to end and is happy to provide tactical advice to solicitors and lay clients throughout the proceedings.

In addition to complex finding of fact hearings with allegations including sexual abuse, serious violence, and non-accidental injury, Sam has experience of cases involving honour-based violence, radicalisation, and fabricated and induced illness. In private law proceedings he has acted in many cases involving parental alienation and cross-allegations of domestic abuse.

Sam is specifically pursued for instruction on cases involving complex legal arguments, often at High Court level, and has experience of:

• Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS)
• Secure accommodation orders
• Forced marriage & FGM protection orders
• Section 34(4) applications to refuse contact
• Transfer of proceedings under Article 15 of Brussels IIa
• Recovery orders
• Complex disclosure issues

Sam’s recent caseload include:

• Representing the children, through the instructions of the guardian, at a finding of fact hearing in the High Court in a ‘shaken baby’ case. The children gave live evidence with Sam asking questions on behalf of all the advocates.
• Being led by Queen’s Counsel in a complex High Court case which included legal argument on disclosing findings of sexual abuse to a GP and an order permitting the refusal of contact, including between siblings.
• Securing findings on behalf of the local authority in a case where a very young baby had serious injuries to his penis.
• Being led in a complex six-week fact finding hearing in the High Court representing a competent child. Separate allegations were sought on behalf of the child which the court found to be true.
• Acting in a finding of fact hearing in a case where an adult had given MDMA to a young baby. This involved cross-examination of an expert toxicologist.
• Representing the mother in a High Court case where the teenage child had made extremely serious allegations of sexual abuse. Following legal argument, the court agreed with Sam’s submissions that it was not necessary for the findings to be determined.
• Representing the mother in a ‘shaken baby’ case. As a result of Sam’s representations on the medical evidence, the local authority removed the mother from the ‘pool’ of potential perpetrators shortly before the trial began.
• Acting for a mother at a final hearing where the local authority sought a placement order for the children to be adopted. Following Sam’s cross-examination of the professional witnesses, the local authority withdrew its application for a placement order and the children remained in foster care and maintained regular contact with their mother.
• Acting in a difficult finding of fact hearing where a child had been left with multiple injuries including a skull fracture. The court made the findings sought by Sam’s client.

Representing the mother in a private law fact find where she had stabbed the father causing serious injury. The court found that the mother had stabbed the father in self-defence and at the end of the proceedings the children were returned to her care.

The Mother v The Father and Anor [2024] EWHC 272 (Fam)

Re H and Others (Children) (Fact Finding: Rib Fractures) [2021] EWHC 2041 (Fam)
Junior to Louise Sapstead in a complex six-week fact finding hearing before Mr Justice Poole representing a competent child.

Re ABCDEF (Fact Finding: Honour Based Violence) [2019] EWHC 406 (Fam) 
Representing the mother in a finding of fact hearing before Mr Justice Keehan where there were allegations of honour-based violence, forced marriage, and domestic abuse.

Senior Local Authority solicitor 
“Sam Coe is a highly personable yet tenacious, professional and persuasive advocate who thoroughly researched his brief whilst happily providing additional advice and guidance. His input at a later stage of highly challenging care proceedings involving an extremely combative litigant in person revitalised and altered the course of those proceedings and ultimately resulted in a positive outcome for the child concerned supported by a comprehensive judgment.”

Legal 500 2023 – Child Law (Public and Private) Ranked: Tier 3
“Samuel is very good at adapting to the needs of a client and is a very patient person. He makes clients feel that they have been listened to and will make sure every client has understood and is OK before finishing his involvement with them. He is very knowledgeable, and this is always a benefit with clients.”

Legal 500 2022 – Child Law (Public and Private) Ranked: Tier 3
‘Sam’s attention to detail is second to none. He has a very professional and sympathetic approach with clients and his advocacy is highly skilled. I would have no hesitation in recommending him.’

Gemma Curtis – Johnson Astills
“Sam is a brilliant barrister. I always feel clients and their cases are dealt with professionally and in the most efficient manner when Sam is involved. Clients are always happy with Sam representing them and will often ask if he can help them with further hearings as well, frequently requesting Sam personally. Sam is brilliant at communicating with clients and manages to help put them at ease in the most difficult times in their lives. Sam is also easy to work with as a solicitor and always makes himself available to help when he can with issues before, during and after his involvement with a case.”

Senior Local Authority solicitor following a complex led case
“Sam is a personable advocate who gets his points over with skill.  He has a meticulous and careful approach to his cases which together with excellent client care skills makes him a first choice.”

Chambers & Partners 2024
Family: Children – Band 3
“Samuel’s client care and case presentation to the court is exceptional.”

Legal 500 2024
Family: Children & Domestic Violence Ranked: Tier 3

Appointments

• Chair, Nottingham Bar Mess
• Committee, Young Legal Aid Lawyers
• Pupillage Committee & Pupil Supervisor, KCH Garden Square
• Committee, Midland Circuit Social Mobility Committee
• JUSTICE Working Party ‘Improving Access to Justice for Separating Families’
• Advisory Board, Accent Discrimination and the Bar, NTU & DMU
• Mentor for Young Legal Aid Lawyers, University of Nottingham Bar Society & DMU Bar Futures Programme
• Junior to the Midland Circuit (2018-19)
• Assistant Junior to the Midland Circuit (2017-18)

Awards

• Pegasus Scholarship, Pegasus Trust (2018)
• International Legal & Professional Development Grant, Bar Council (2016 & 2017)
• Continuing Education Bursary, Lincoln’s Inn (2016)
• Criminal Bar Association Bursary for Excellence in Advocacy, (2015)
• Eastham Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2014)

Hardwicke Award, Lincoln’s Inn (2011)

Sam was called to the Bar in 2012 and is a Hardwicke and Eastham Scholar of Lincoln’s Inn. He studied law at the University of Leicester for three years with a further year spent at La Trobe University in Melbourne. Sam completed the Bar course at the University of Law where he was awarded prizes for achieving the top marks in family law, drafting and opinion writing. During his studies he volunteered for Victim Support, the Refugee Council, and Birmingham TUC Centre for the Unemployed.

After completing the Bar course, Sam spent three months at the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center in New Orleans where he assisted lawyers defending people facing the death penalty. His work included prison visits, mitigation research, and drafting. Following this he joined legal action charity Reprieve for five months as Clive Stafford Smith’s intern where he worked exclusively on the case of Kris Maharaj.

Sam was an intern at JUSTICE, a human rights charity, working to reform the UK justice system with a focus on the most vulnerable and marginalised in society. He then worked as a paralegal at John Ford Solicitors in London where he had his own caseload in community care, education, and public law.