Special Educational Needs Solicitors
Legal services for Parents and Carers of SEN children and young people in England and Wales
If you are a parent or carer of a child or young person with special educational needs (SEN) and you want legal support, guidance or to challenge a Local Authority decision, our specialist SEN solicitors can help. We understand how challenging and overwhelming it can feel for parents trying to secure the right support for your child with SEN. Navigating complex systems and processes can be frustrating and, at times, exhausting.
Our team of specialist education lawyers are here to guide you with clear, practical advice, helping you understand your options at every step. We’re not only exceptionally experienced but dedicated to providing compassionate, personalised support, so you
never feel alone in this journey.
What we support with
We can provide support to parents in dispute with Local Authorities in a range of issues, including:
- Securing an Education Health and Care needs assessments by making a detailed application or appealing to the SEND Tribunal.
- Securing an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), appealing to the SEND Tribunal where the Local Authority has refused to issue one, or challenging a decision made to cease an EHCP.
- Undertaking comprehensive reviews of an existing EHCP or help responding to a draft EHCP.
- SEN appeals against the contents of EHCPs, including needs, provision, and placement disputes.
- Complex appeals for Education Otherwise than at School, residential school placements, or SEN appeals with health and social care challenges.
- Appeals concerning 16 to 25 year olds where the issue of capacity is often in question.
- Appeals to the Upper Tier Tribunal where you believe a decision of the First Tier Tribunal is unlawful.
- Advising on Local Authority statutory duties including judicial review proceedings and the preparation of pre-action correspondence.
- Making formal complaints to the Local Authority or the Local Government Ombudsman, or providing support at meetings.
Our legal services related to special educational needs are very broad. If your issue is not listed above, please contact us to enquire if we can help.
Why choose us?
Our education team are leading legal experts in special educational needs and disability law, with a strong reputation for delivering high quality legal support. We work closely with some of the best independent experts in the field, ensuring that each case is backed by the most credible and persuasive evidence. Our priority is always to work towards a swift and positive resolution with the local authority, helping to secure the right support for your child as quickly as possible while saving you time and expense. However, if reaching a resolution proves difficult, we won’t hesitate to challenge decisions tirelessly on your behalf.
Our award-winning and distinguished SEND team includes Qaisar Sheikh (Legal Director) and Kevin McManamon (Partner) who joined Winckworth Sherwood as a Partner in December 2025. Both are very highly ranked in leading directories (Chambers UK and Legal 500) and former winners of the Law Society’s prestigious Legal Hero award, for their relentless contribution and far-reaching work in education law and SEND. We are proud to be the only firm in the country to have two winners of this acclaimed award. The team is also supported by a number of enthusiastic and highly experienced lawyers, including Jack Howes (Solicitor) who has many years of experience supporting families in SEND appeals, many of which had significant case complexities. The team is supported by Catherine Easton, who has worked in the legal sector for several years, and more recently in the charity and education sector, including working alongside a SENDCo to support SEND children.
Costs
Our costs start from £260 plus VAT per hour. We do not operate a fixed-fee service as we believe our clients should only pay for the service they receive. For more details on our costs or an estimate for your matter, we’d be happy to have a discussion with you – our contact details can be found below, or you can complete our contact form.
We do not offer Legal Aid Services
We are not able to offer Legal Aid. To find out if you are eligible and for details of firms offering legal aid, you can contact the Civil Legal Advice (CLA) service on 0345 345 4345.
Contact our team
If you would like to find out more about our services or speak with one of our specialist SEN Solicitors please contact us on sendsupport@wslaw.co.uk , or use our contact form.
SEND Q&A Series – Cease to Maintain decisions: EHCPs
Our exceptionally experienced education law solicitor, Qaisar Sheikh continues his SEND Q&A series, focusing EHCP Cease to Maintain decisions.
DOWNLOAD SEND Q&A Series – Cease to Maintain decisions: EHCPs