With a successful track record in his family cases combined with confidence, expertise and a sincere understanding of his clients’ circumstances, Sam is an acclaimed family law expert and advocate at this Legal 500 ‘Top Tier’ specialist family law firm. Demonstrating a wealth of knowledge in all areas of family law including divorce, separation, financial relief and cases of domestic abuse, his real skill and passion lies in children law matters. Much of his caseload involves advising and representing parents and extended family members on child arrangements regarding where a child lives and whom they spend time with, but he is also sought after for his ability to deal with complex children cases. Sam’s work involves dealing with urgent matters which may require an immediate court application to protect a child, for example, where that child has been placed at risk of harm or to prevent an unlawful abduction outside the jurisdiction. He also advises on international disputes regarding which country a child should live in or visit, as well as representing same sex parents on surrogacy law arrangements. Providing consistent and specialist representation is important to Sam and he offers exceptional advocacy in court, wherever possible, recognising the need for his clients to be represented by somebody they know and trust. With a first-class reputation in the field of family law, Sam is listed in the 2023 edition of The Legal 500 as a ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Recommended Lawyer’. Sam is not able to assist with Legal Aid matters.

An exceptionally well regarded figure in the field of family law, Joanne offers clear-sighted, shrewd, and carefully considered advice on all aspects of divorce and family law. She is consistently hailed by clients for her exceptional care, wisdom, and staunch dedication to serving their best interests. Founder and Managing Director of this specialist family law firm that was shortlisted for Family Law Firm of the Year 2023, Joanne offers innovative approaches to successfully resolving relationship disputes, bringing to bear her 27 years’ experience to every case, particularly family matters that involve family finances and financial settlements, regularly handling complex cases that include property, pensions, assets, businesses, and inheritances. For yet another year running, Joanne has been awarded the highly coveted Legal 500 “Hall of Fame” accolade for 2024 – the highest ranking possible by the publication – for her superior work and reputation nationally as a leading divorce and family solicitor. She is widely known for her tenacious approach, priding herself on her persistence to go the extra mile to ensure that her clients’ needs are met and that her team are operating at the highest standards of professionalism and efficiency. Joanne’s ability to negotiate outstanding strategic solutions on behalf of her clients is reflected in the wealth of 5 star reviews she has amassed from past clients. She is a very popular choice, often through recommendation from happy clients, their families, as well as other professionals in the legal sector. Joanne also takes very seriously her role of mentoring her thriving team, developing and guiding like-minded family solicitors who have the same high expectations and absolute dedication to achieving the best possible results for their clients.

Known for his detailed and meticulous approach to case preparation and advocacy as well as his excellent client care, Liam is an experienced family lawyer and divorce solicitor. Partner and Head of the Family Law Department, he brings over 27 years’ experience to bear on every case, and has extensive experience in respect of all types of family proceedings. Liam is particularly sought after for his experience of child care proceedings brought by the Local Authority, where he is able to provide representation to children, parents or other family members. He is also able to support private law family matters including applications in respect of child arrangements, special guardianship and divorce. Liam is a member of both The Law Society’s Family Law Accreditation Scheme and the Children Law Accreditation Scheme as well as being the current chair of the Durham Child Law Group.

A committed Managing Partner and highly accomplished family law solicitor, Lynne has been offering advice to couples and families for over 20 years. She is well known for her sympathetic yet robust approach in helping her clients to achieve their goals and provides high quality advice and support on a range of matters with a particular specialism on financial issues involving significant assets, businesses, pensions and farming cases. Lynne is a member of Resolution and The Law Society’s Family Law Accreditation Scheme, demonstrating her knowledge and expertise in this field of law.

Valued for his supportive and professional approach and his clear explanations of the legal issues arising from a relationship breakdown, Geoffrey has been practising as a solicitor since 1987. One of the firm’s Directors and Head of the Family Law department, he represents a wide range of clients in all matters with a particular specialism in financial disputes arising from a relationship breakdown. Geoffrey is a member of Resolution and has specialist accreditation as an advanced family law practitioner. He is dedicated to resolving cases amicably, where possible, and takes a conciliatory approach when this is in the best interests of her clients.

With a focus on offering excellent customer care as well as expert legal advice without the jargon, Christine has a career spanning over 25 years in the field of family law. Director and Head of the Family Department at this firm serving the Durham area, she leads an expert team of solicitors who assist in a broad range of cases involving divorce and related financial arrangements, cohabitation, pre-nuptial agreements, separation agreements, children law, care proceedings, adoption and domestic abuse. Christine is a member of The Law Society’s Children Law Accreditation Scheme as well as Resolution and is committed to resolving matters amicably and fairly.

One of the firm’s Partners, Kirstey specialises in family cases concerning children, particularly care and adoption proceedings brought by the Local Authority seeking to remove children from the care of their family. As a member of The Law Society’s Children Law Accreditation Scheme, she is able to represent children as well as parents, grandparents and other family members in such proceedings. Her work often includes complex cases, involving allegations of sexual abuse, non-accidental injury, substance misuse, and allegations of neglect and has represented children and parents in appeals – including to the Court of Appeal. Kirstey is a member of the HAPEN network which provides holistic advice and support for a wide range of individuals, as well as a member of The Law Society’s Children Law Scheme as a Child Representative.

Angela joined the firm in 2005 and became a director in 2019. Since qualifying she has specialised in all aspects of family law including divorce, separation, financial matters, private arrangements for children, cases involving domestic violence and cohabitation cases. Angela is a member of The Law Society’s Children Law Accreditation Scheme and can therefore represent children in care proceedings. Angela is a keen advocate and frequently appears in courts across the North East.

Standing out for her ability to deliver pragmatic and realistic family law advice and to offer creative solutions across the full spectrum of family law issues, Nicky is a highly regarded family law expert at this specialist family law firm. She has over 20 years’ experience in working with married and unmarried couples on a range of matters including separation and divorce, financial disputes, and arrangements for children. Nicky is committed to tackling complex and challenging cases, often involving high asset values, business interests, trust interests and pension sharing. She is also well versed in advising individuals who are looking to protect their assets in the form of nuptial agreements and living together agreements. Another key area of Nicky’s work is cases relating to children and she has vast expertise in advising families in care proceedings issued by the Local Authority or when CAFCASS Children’s Guardians are involved. Practising as a collaborative lawyer, and a member of Resolution, Nicky aims to reach negotiated settlements, ensuring the needs of the children are prioritised, but is also able to robustly represent her clients in court when required.

With a strong combination of family law expertise and high-quality client care, Rebecca has represented clients in matters relating to divorce, financial relief proceedings, domestic abuse, and private law children for over 15 years. She fully understands the sensitive nature of family law proceedings, and deals with her cases in a compassionate and empathetic manner, aiming to resolve family disputes through negotiation and seeks amicable and workable solutions for her clients and their families. Rebecca’s clients regularly come from recommendations made by her previous clients.

A Partner, a family lawyer and divorce solicitor with a career spanning three decades, Carole is one of the most highly regarded specialists in the Darlington area. She has dealt with a wide range of cases, from the straightforward to the highly complex, guiding her clients through their divorce and separation, financial issues and matters involving children. A trained collaborative lawyer, Carole encourages her clients to work with the other party to constructively resolve issues, with the emphasis being upon keeping matters out of court and finding solutions together on an amicable basis. Appreciated for her sensitive but pragmatic approach, she works with clients to provide a clear, sensible, fair and dignified outcome by the most appropriate methods based on their individual needs and objectives.

Director and Head of Dispute Resolution, Julia is a superb all-round family law specialist with more than 19 years’ experience. She has extensive expertise in guiding clients through all family disputes including divorce, dissolution proceedings, separation and the associated financial and child arrangements that often arise. Collaboratively trained and a skilled negotiator, Julia will always adopt a non-adversarial approach to settling matters for her clients, whenever possible, but is also an experienced and confident court advocate, particularly in children and financial proceedings. She is also a member of Resolution with an accredited specialism in complex lower income financial remedies and children law private.