Family Law Partners — England

About

Family Law Partners are a specialist firm dealing exclusively with family law in the South East, in Brighton, London, Horsham, Tunbridge Wells, Ascot, Chelmsford, Eastbourne, Fleet, Petersfield, Winchester, Woking and Lewes. We always look to work collaboratively with clients and fellow professionals to achieve the best outcome for our clients and their families. We have a team of 32 qualified lawyers: Sarah Jelly, consultant (qualified 1978); Robert Williams, director (qualified 1994), Alan Larkin, director (qualified 1997), Jayne Llewelyn, consultant (qualified 1989); Hazel Manktelow, consultant (qualified 2003); Lisa Burton-Durham, director (qualified 2004); Kate Elliott, director (qualified 2006); Gemma Hope, director (qualified 2006); Louise Buttery, consultant (qualified 2011); Chris Maulkin, director (qualified 2011); Bethan Campbell, senior associate (qualified 2015); Polly Dallyn, senior associate (qualified 2017), Charlotte Plowman, senior associate (qualified 2016); Emily Pain, consultant (qualified 2011); Rachel Nicholl, director (qualified 2013); Mimi Hadley, solicitor (qualified 2020); Alice Scambler, director (qualified 2008), Raj Patel, solicitor (qualified 2019); Amanda Phillips-Wylds, Director (qualified 2009); Eleanor Pollard, solicitor (qualified 2020); Sarah-Jane Riddell, senior associate (qualified 1993); Craig Yeung-Williams, associate solicitor and mediator (qualified 2010), Lucy Naish, senior associate (qualified 2017); Zoë Summers, consultant (qualified 2009); Hannah Gumbrill-Ward, senior associate solicitor (qualified 2019); Victoria Burrows, senior associate (qualified 2004); Katy-Louise Allen, senior associate solicitor (qualified 2010); Lauren Heathcote, senior associate solicitor (qualified 2012); Kimberley Parry, associate solicitor and mediator (qualified 2019); Matthew Richardson, consultant, mediator and arbitrator. We are committed to non-court dispute resolution (DR); presently offering 15 mediators, 17 collaborative lawyers and 2 arbitrators. The willingness to provide and signpost to DR options (including arbitration) is fundamental to our practice and in the “DNA” of all the team, as evidenced by the commitment we make to train the team in DR disciplines. Types of work undertaken: In all our work we look to ensure the client has the right team in place to support their needs. This may include specialist counsel, pension experts, financial experts, forensic accountants, counsellors and family consultants. Divorce, judicial separation and dissolution: our team of divorce solicitors are highly experienced and will work with our clients to make an informed decision as to which option is appropriate and if so when it would be in their interests to start the process. Mediation: our mediation team are all experienced family law specialist comprising Kate Elliott, Gemma Hope, Emily Pain, Amanda Phillips-Wylds, Hannah Viet, Sarah-Jane Riddell, Polly Dallyn, Charlotte Plowman, Katy-Louise Allen, Sarah Jelly, Jayne Llewelyn, Craig Yeung-Williams, Matthew Richardson, Hazel Manktelow, Louise Buttery and Alice Scrambler. As a wider team, we advise clients on how mediation can be used as an effective way of resolving family law issues, including arrangements for children. Financial issues: our family solicitors are highly experienced in complex financial issues and approach their advice holistically and strategically to ensure cases are dealt with in the most appropriate, sensitive and cost-effective way. We aim to adopt a non-adversarial approach to resolving matters and encourage the use of mediation, round table meetings and the collaborative law model. Even when involved in litigation we remain issue focused to ensure the best outcome is achieved in the most cost-effective way. Cohabitation: we look at all the issues that may impact our client and advise how to address these in the most appropriate, sensitive and cost-effective way. We aim to adopt a non-adversarial approach to resolving matters and encourage the use of family mediation, round table meetings and the collaborative process. When cases require it we will litigate but we do so in a solution-focused way. Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements: we prefer to facilitate pre-relationship agreements using round table meetings or the collaborative model if possible so there can be honest and open discussions, and issues can be explored and reality checked. Children: we take a solution-focused approach to arrangements for children, involve third party support to improve communication and parenting differences and we work with our clients to find lasting outcomes. Agreeable: In 2022 we launched Agreeable - an experience where one of our specialist mediators who is also a qualified family lawyer works together with our family consultant to offer a new model where one lawyer acts for both parties. The service is ground-breaking and was borne out of our many years’ experience in mediation and listening to what clients want. Surrogacy: our specialist surrogacy team are experienced in advising on the different aspects of surrogacy. We help same-sex and heterosexual couples both married and unmarried and from diverse backgrounds and cultures. We can assist with surrogacy planning, parental order applications, surrogacy disputes, international surrogacy issues, immigration and British nationality for children born abroad. - Offices - Brighton (Sussex) - Horsham (Sussex) - Ascot (Berkshire) - London - Tunbridge Wells (Kent) - Fleet (Hampshire) - Petersfield (Hampshire) - Winchester (Hampshire) - Chelmsford (Essex) - Lewes (Sussex) - Eastbourne (Sussex) - Woking (Surrey) - Number of directors: 10 - Number of additional lawyers: 18 ### Languages - English ### Memberships - Resolution - Family Law Advanced Panel - Law Society Family Law Advanced Accreditation - Family Mediation Council ### Staffing Figures - 10 Number of UK partners - 18 Number of other UK lawyers

Office locations

Practice areas

Lawyers in this office

Alan Larkin

Founding Director, Head of Innovation & Technology/Solicitor & Collaborative Lawyer · Family

Alice Scambler

Head of Tunbridge Wells team, Director, Solicitor and Mediator · Family Law

Amanda Phillips-Wylds

Head of Ascot team, Director, Solicitor and Mediator · Family / Divorce

Bethan Campbell

Family Law

Charlotte Plowman

Senior Associate Solicitor · Family

Christopher Maulkin

Director, Solicitor & Collaborative Lawyer · Family

Craig Yeung-Williams

Associate Solicitor · Family

Eleanor Pollard

Solicitor · Family

Emily Pain

Director, Solicitor & Mediator · Family

Gemma Hope

Director, Solicitor and Collaborative Lawyer · Family

Hannah Gumbrill-Ward

Senior Associate Solicitor · Family Law

Hannah Viet

Director, Solicitor and Mediator · Family

Hazel Manktelow

Consultant, Solicitor · Family

Jayne Llewelyn

Consultant, Mediator, Solicitor, Collaborative Lawyer · Family

Kate Elliott

Head of Horsham team, Solicitor & Mediator · Family

Katy-Louise Allen

Senior Associate Solicitor & Mediator · Family

Kimberley Parry

Senior Associate Solicitor & Mediator · Family Law

Lauren Heathcote

Senior Associate Solicitor · Family Law

Lisa Burton-Durham

Head of Brighton team, Chartered Legal Executive & Collaborative Lawyer · Family

Louise Buttery

Consultant Solicitor, Mediator and Collaborative Lawyer · Family

Lucy Naish

Senior Associate Solicitor · Family

Matthew Richardson

Consultant, Mediator and Arbitrator · Family Law

Mimi Hadley

Solicitor · Family

Polly Dallyn

Senior Associate Solicitor · Family

Rachel Nicholl

Director, Solicitor, Collaborative Lawyer · Family

Raj Patel

Associate Solicitor · Family

Robert Williams

Founding Director, Solicitor, Collaborative Lawyer & Arbitrator · Family

Sarah Jelly

Consultant, Solicitor · Family

Sarah-Jane Riddell

Senior Associate Solicitor, Collaborative Lawyer & Mediator · Family

Victoria Burrows

Senior Associate Solicitor · Family

Zoë Summers

Consultant, Solicitor & Collaborative Lawyer · Family