Past disciplinary findings

Martha Knowlden, a barrister in self-employed practice on or about 1 October 2014 accepted public access instructions to act in family proceedings in the Family Court at Maidstone with case numbers MS13D0081 and MS14F000696 and failed to notify her public access client in writing of the matters set out in rule rC125 in breach of that rule and by reason of the same failed to take reasonable steps to manage her practice competently and in such a way as to achieve compliance with her legal and regulatory obligations contrary to core duty 10


Martha Knowlden, a barrister in self-employed practice while instructed by a public access client to conduct litigation on her behalf in family proceedings in the Family Court at Maidstone with claim no MS13D0081 between 20 November 2014 and 20 January 2015 failed to advise her client to and failed herself to take steps to ensure compliance by her client with paragraphs 1 to 4 of the order made on 24 November 2014 by District Judge Smith following the First Appointment Hearing in those proceedings on 20 November 2014 and thereby failed to provide a competent standard of work and service to her client in breach of rule rC15 and so contrary to core duty 7

Martha Knowlden, a barrister in self-employed practice instructed by a public access client to conduct litigation on her behalf in family proceedings in the Family Court at Maidstone with case numbers MS13D0081 and MS14F000696 failed to provide her client with records supporting fees charged or claimed or details of the work she had done in respect of the period 1 November 2014 to 20 February 2015 as were reasonably required for the purpose of verifying her charges contrary to rule rC88.2 and by reason of the same failed to take reasonable steps to manage her practice competently and in such a way as to achieve compliance with her legal and regulatory obligations contrary to core duty 10

Martha Knowlden, being a barrister in self-employed practice instructed by a public access client to conduct litigation on her behalf in family proceedings in the Family Court at Maidstone with case numbers MS13D0081 and MS14F000696 received client money by receiving £500 “on account” on or about 2 October 2014 and between £3000 and £4000 “on account” on or about 8 December 2014 from her client contrary to rule rC73 and by reason of the same failed to take reasonable steps to manage her practice competently and in such a way as to achieve compliance with her legal and regulatory obligations contrary to core duty 10.

Martha Knowlden, being a barrister in self-employed practice while instructed by a public access client to conduct litigation on her behalf in family proceedings in the Family Court at Maidstone with claim no MS13D0081

1) on or about 8 December 2014 procured a payment to her of between £3,000 and £4,000 from her client on terms that this sum or part of it would be applied by her to discharge the outstanding fees of X another barrister instructed by her client in that case;
2) thereafter purported to apply all that sum to discharge her own fees claimed as due in respect of the period before and after 8 December 2014; and
3) made no payment to X

and thereby acted without integrity contrary to core duty 3 and in a way which could reasonably be seen by the public to undermine her honesty or integrity contrary to rule rC8 and by so doing behaved in a way which is likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in her or in the profession contrary to core duty 5.