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Meet the Family Lawyer Cardiff has hundreds of law firms, all offering conflicting statements and slightly different services – our handy guide helps you to find the right one for your family’s legal needs...
Sophie Hughes Watkins & Gunn Solicitors; Tel: 0300 1240400, watkinsandgunn.co.uk
What do you specialise in? I specialise in financial settlements on relationship breakdown, whether that be as a result of divorce, dissolution of a civil partnership or an unmarried couple separating. Often the cases are complex; involving significant property, assets, pensions and covering issues surrounding foreign jurisdiction, business valuations and taxation. What does your role involve? My role is to help clients at the most difficult time in their lives to achieve a financial settlement that will equip them and any children for their futures. What’s the best bit of your job? Each case is different. Whilst sometimes court proceedings are inevitable, the best aspect of my job is finding creative solutions for the family as a whole. What is your proudest acomplishment? Aside from my own family, the proudest accomplishment has been nurturing the talent in the team at Watkins & Gunn, and developing it into one of the biggest in the region with dedicated and committed specialists (lawyers and support staff alike).
Benjamin delve
Danielle Shreeve
What does your role involve? I specialise in family law, and advise clients on a range of contentious and non-contentious legal issues relating to their family life, particularly where there are financial aspects which need to be resolved.
What do you specialise in? Family Law, with an emphasis on publicly funded work. I deal with public law proceedings, private children disputes, domestic abuse and divorce matters.
Berry Smith Lawyers Tel 02920 345511 berrysmith.com
What misconceptions do people have about family law? Family lawyers are often viewed as a form of ‘after the event’ insurance for parties in a relationship breakdown. Increasingly, I advise clients in property disputes where the acquisition of property rights is assumed (rather than seeking proper advice at the time of purchase of a property), and clients have suffered consequences down the line. What’s the best bit of your job? It’s extremely satisfying helping steer clients through the legal minefield of a relationship breakdown, giving them guidance and support in what is often the most traumatic and emotional period of their lives, and stressful for both the clients. The energy in these cases should be channelled into achieving a fair settlement.
Luke Dixon
Hutton’s Solicitors Tel 029 2037 8621 www.huttons-solicitors.co.uk
What does your role involve? Managing my clients cases throughout, providing advice and assistance and I conduct advocacy at Court on behalf of my clients. What is the best bit of your job? I enjoy helping people when they are going through the most difficult times. I like to work with families to reach a practical solution to their family law issues. What is your proudest accomplishment? I was very proud to have obtained my Law Society Children Panel membership earlier this year. I am also very proud to be part of the team that recently won the Jordans Publishing Family Law firm of the year, Wales.
Martyn Prowel Solicitors Tel 02920 470909 martynprowel.co.uk What do you specialise in? I deal with divorce, financial issues, and child issues resulting from relationship breakdowns. The department as a whole are able to assist in all areas of family law. What does your role involve? I usually deal with high net worth financial settlements, so I essentially I spend my days reading bank statements! What’s the best bit of your job? Seeing people (when they first arrive) at their most vulnerable and witnessing their progression over time. I love being able to help people through the experience, allowing them to achieve their independence and improve their confidence. What is your proudest accomplishment? I sit on the board of trustees for local charity Seren in the Community. It’s exciting to be part of a new Cardiff charity which supports a play centre through volunteers who are encouraged and supported to deliver activities to children. The centre allows children in deprived areas to thrive, learn and play.
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