Called 2013 
Email Maxine
Maxine was offered tenancy at Zenith Chambers following successful completion of her Pupillage in September 2015. Maxine joined Parklane Plowden Chambers in February 2020. Since becoming a tenant, Maxine has developed a specialist family practice and now accepts a broad range of instructions across the family law spectrum.
Maxine prides herself on her client-centred approach, both with the lay client and the professional client. She always ensures the lay client fully understands the process before a hearing and the outcome following it. She is able to offer a tenacious and dynamic advocacy style, combined with empathy and compassion in order to achieve the best result for her client.
As a hard-working and approachable advocate, Maxine maintains a high-quality service throughout her involvement.
"Miss Best is an impressive junior and comes across as far more competent and experienced than her year of call suggests. Miss Best is always extremely well prepared, her advocacy and written work is of very high quality and she has a real knack of grasping the facts quickly and getting to the heart of the case."
Legal 500 2021Simply click 'Add +' on an area of expertise to add it to collate in your downloadable brochure.
Maxine is regularly instructed on behalf of local authorities, parents and children in the High Court, Family Proceedings Court and County Court. Her areas of expertise include:
In particular, Maxine receives instructions in cases involving serious child protection issues including non-accidental injury and child sexual abuse. These cases often involve advising on the evidential quality of abuse allegations and performing cross-examination based on ABE interviews of children. Maxine has also recently worked on cases involving child death.
Maxine is frequently instructed at the early stage of proceedings in order to advise on case management issues, however she is also capable of quickly getting to grips with a case towards the latter stages of proceedings in preparation for a contested hearing.
Maxine undertakes work on low to high value matrimonial finance cases. In particular, Maxine is regularly instructed in cases involving issues of pre- and post-marital assets, and financial provision for children.
Legal 500 (2021) Rising Star (Child Law: Public and Private) - Band 1
‘Miss Best is an impressive junior and comes across as far more competent and experienced than her year of call suggests. Miss Best is always extremely well prepared, her advocacy and written work is of very high quality and she has a real knack of grasping the facts quickly and getting to the heart of the case.’
Re BH (A Child: Human Rights Act: Injunction) [2017] EWFC 15 - representing the maternal great-aunt seeking to prevent the local authority removing the 2 year old child from her care, notwithstanding the child was the subject of a final care order in favour of the local authority.
Re: R, 2019 – Maxine acted for a 15-year old whose sister alleged she had suffered sexual abuse perpetrated by their Father, which was denied by Maxine’s client. This case necessitated a Re W application and considerable disclosure from online teenage chatrooms.
Re: B, 2019 – Maxine represented the Mother in her application for injunctive proceedings to prevent the LA removing her child under the Care Order. Maxine secured judgment in favour of the Mother against the recommendations of professionals.
Re: B&V, 2019 – Maxine represented the Local Authority in a case that involved serious allegations of child sexual abuse made by a teenager against her male foster carer.
Re: LW, 2018 - Maxine acted as junior Counsel to Clare Garnham for the Local Authority in a 4-week case involving serious allegations of inflicted injury and the death of a child.
Re: K, 2018 - Maxine acted for the Father in care proceedings alleged to have caused physical harm to five children, resulting in one child sustaining a fractured arm. The hearing necessitated a Re W application and the cross-examination of a 15 year old child. Maxine achieved judgment in the Father’s favour for his three biological children to be returned to his care.
Re: M, 2018 - Maxine acted for the Local Authority in both the finding of fact hearing and welfare stage of the proceedings. The issues were allegations of inflicted injury to a child by shaking and other non-accidental injury, including rib and wrist fractures allegedly inflicted.
Re: S-F, 2018 - Maxine acted for the Father in a 20+ day fact-finding hearing and subsequent welfare proceedings, facing allegations of physical & emotional harm & neglect. Satellite litigation was regularly interposed throughout the hearing to deal with issues of parental recordings of professionals, breach of exclusion orders, permission to withhold contact between the parents and a child, interim removal application in respect of a 15 year old subject child, contact applications for adult siblings and allegations of dissemination of confidential information to the public.
Re: A, 2017 - Maxine acted for the Mother in a private law application for relocation of the Mother with the child to Scotland. This was opposed by the Father and a finding of fact hearing was conducted. Maxine achieved judgment in favour of the Mother who was granted permission to relocate with the child.
Exhibition Scholar, Inner Temple, 2011 - 2012
Exhibition Scholar, Inner Temple, 2012 - 2013
“Identification of Perpetrators in care proceedings: a legal round-up” August [2019] Fam Law, 935
Maxine regularly attends and speaks at seminars on matters of both Children Law and Matrimonial Finance.
Bar Professional Training Course (Very Competent), BPP Law School
Graduate Diploma in Law (Commendation), BPP Law School
Geography BA (First Class Honours), Newcastle University
Association of Lawyers for Children
Inner Temple
North Eastern Circuit
