The national law firm, Stephensons, has appointed two new solicitors to its family team as the firm continues to see growing demand for its specialist services.
Nicola Clayton joins the firm’s Wigan office. Having qualified as a solicitor in 2012, Nicola specialises in public law proceedings representing parents and children as well as private law children applications. With private practice and local authority experience, Nicola is also a member of the Law Society’s Children Panel, having achieved accreditation in 2016.
Charlotte Ellingham has also joined Stephensons as a solicitor in the family team. With over five years’ experience, Charlotte joins the firm from Wilson Browne Solicitors in Northamptonshire. Also covering public law proceedings, Charlotte will be based from Stephensons’ office in Manchester city centre.
The Stephensons family law team now totals 46, making it the largest family department in the North West with a wealth of experienced and accredited solicitors. The family team now has six Resolution specialists and six Children Panel specialists. Victoria Gethin, recently appointed head of the family department and Jackie Price, senior associate, are two of very few family lawyers in the country who hold dual accreditation. Mike Devlin, a partner and former head of the department is also the president of the Manchester Law Society.
The new appointments represent a continued determination to maintain the highest standards which saw the department awarded National Family Law Department of the Year in recent years in both the Jordan’s Family Law Awards and the Solicitors Journal Awards.
Commenting on the appointments, Victoria Gethin, recently appointed head of the family department at Stephensons said: “I am delighted to welcome two new talented family lawyers to the team. We have a hard-earned reputation for excellence which has been reflected by the awards we have won and our standing in the profession. However, the test for me is the appreciation of our clients for helping them in a difficult time in their lives. This is reflected in a growing demand for our services. The department has a long tradition of recruiting excellent calibre staff and will continue to do so. ”
