Barrett & Thomson

A professional, ethical, multicultural, respected and friendly firm, Barrett & Thomson works largely for a client base of families.

The firm: In about 1824, Charles P Barrett formed a practice in Eton, which was continued by his sons when Richard H Barrett opened a branch in Slough in 1865. The Eton office closed in 1889. The firm continued to grow and evolve over the years, with the last of the Barrett’s retiring in 1984. The firm continues to practice in Slough at Pegasus Court in Herschel Street, and now has two partners: Claire Fitzgerald, who joined in 1982 as an articled clerk and became partner in 1997 and Kate Matharoo, who joined in 1994 and also became partner in 1997.

Barrett & Thomson focuses on wills and probate, conveyancing, all aspects of family law (both private and public law) and general civil litigation.

The firm’s respect for traditional professional values is combined with a business-like approach to clients’ instructions. Its advice aims to be prompt, reliable and effective. Personal service is the hallmark of the practice, and Barrett & Thomson attach a high degree of importance to all instructions received and develop a genuine interest in clients’ activities. This enables the firm to provide a service which is not only technically accurate, but is also practical and helpful.

This approachable and ethical method is appreciated by clients, who often return on a regular basis, or, in the case of families, the firm continues to act across a number of generations. Its client base is in the local community and surrounding areas of Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead, as well as Berkshire generally.

Types of work undertaken
Wills and probate: Barrett and Thomson has a well-respected team in this department. The firm retains instructions for generations of families in Slough and the surrounding areas and offers advice and assistance in relation to wills, probate, powers of attorney, deputyships and trusts.

Family: this is the largest department in the area, with nine fee-earners headed by Claire Fitzgerald. Claire has been with the firm for over 38 years and is a Legal 500 Leading Lawyer as well as being a member of the Law Society Children panel and Resolution Accredited Specialist in Private Child Law and Domestic Abuse. In the rest of the team, three lawyers are also Law Society Children Panel members and a large volume of public law children work is undertaken for Children’s Guardians and parents, together with grandparents. The firm has undertaken a considerable number of cases involving serious allegations of non-accidental injury (including the death of previous children in unusual circumstances) and sexual abuse. The team also includes accredited specialists of both Resolution and the Law Society panels, as well as two trained collaborative lawyers. It undertakes private family work for all members of a diverse ethnic community with complex issues of culture and religion, child residence and contact, child abduction and relocation, foreign and inherited assets, interveners, high and low worth cases. The firm has a contract to undertake publicly funded family work.

Conveyancing: the department is headed by Kate Matharoo, the managing partner, who continues the firm’s tradition of providing good quality advice and work to a high standard repeatedly for the same clients and families. The department also specialises in relocation work for relocation companies.

Litigation: the department undertakes general civil litigation including debt recovery, breach of contract, landlord and tenant and employment issues. The firm has a LAA contract to undertake publicly funded housing and debt work.