Major Family Law

majorfamilylaw.co.uk

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Legal Director at Major Family Law Anna is a well-respected and experienced family law solicitor advising on all aspects of law relating to divorce, children and financial issues arising out of relationship breakdowns. Anna has a particular interest in complex children work with expertise in a wide variety of work including international and internal relocation, intractable disputes, applications on behalf of grandparents and cases involving serious allegations of abuse. Anna takes a practical and child focused approach to her work and is noted in the Chambers for her strong rapport with her clients. Anna’s matrimonial finance work covers a broad spectrum of issues but include complex cases involving family businesses, pensions, inherited assets and trust issues. Anna takes a pragmatic approach and always strives to help clients resolve disputes without needing to go to court. However she recognises that not all cases can be resolved in this way and takes a robust approach when litigation is required. Anna is also a trained collaborative lawyer and is a skilled practitioner working in this process. She regularly receives recommendations from peers and clients with regard to her collaborative work. As a trained Collaorative Lawyer, Anna is skilled in dispute resolution, working to create a fair result without the need to go to court. This approach provides a helpful process for couples who are dealing with financial issues and may require a strict division of assets. Recognising her skill and expertise in family law, Anna was appointed as a Director at Major Family Law in October 2014.

Anya Harrison

Solicitor at Major Family Law Anya graduated with an Upper Second-Class Honours Law Degree in 2019 and is currently studying for the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam. She will be one of the first set of graduates to undertake this new route to obtaining qualification as a Solicitor in 2022. Anya’s previous work experience as a Family Law paralegal in a Law Firm helped her gain valuable knowledge, insight and experience in all aspects of the divorce process and family law matters.

Calvin Walker

Senior Associate Solicitor at Major Family Law Calvin is a highly motivated solicitor who is driven by achieving positive results for his clients. He works to create solutions to intractable disputes. He is known for supporting all of his clients throughout each and every stage of their case, including at Court where necessary. Calvin graduated in 2015, with a first class Master In Law degree having won the Ede & Ravenscroft Award for Best Dissertation Project 2014/2015. Since then, Calvin has spent 3 and a half years undertaking family law work in the North East region. Calvin joined Major Family Law as a newly-qualified solicitor in March 2019, assisting with matters involving divorce, financial relief, domestic abuse and child arrangements. He became an Associate Solicitor at the firm in May 2022 and Senior Associate in October 2024.

Carly Hope

Solicitor at Major Family Law Carly is a solicitor with Major Family Law, joining the firm in October 2023. Carly graduated from Northumbria University in 2012 and qualified as a solicitor in August 2017. She has previously worked in Legal 500 Tier 1 rated family law teams and has gained experience in advising and representing married and unmarried clients in various areas of family law including divorce, financial, private children and domestic abuse matters. Carly’s experience includes working with clients in high value and complex financial matters, advising parents and grandparents in private children matters and working with victims of domestic abuse when seeking protection of the Court. Carly strives to build a good relationship with each of her clients and understands each individual has their own circumstances and needs, working with them to achieve an outcome to their case. Carly provides straight forward legal advice and provides advice throughout the legal process; from initial advice through to representation at Court. Carly is interested in assisting and advising clients who are using alternative dispute resolution options to settle their family law disputes. If Court proceedings become necessary, Carly ensures clients understand the process and feel comfortable and confident throughout the proceedings. Carly is a member of Resolution and follows the Code of Practice.

Joanne Major

Hall of fame

Managing Director at Major Family Law With 27 years' experience under her belt, she is one of the most sought after and prominent finance family lawyers in the region. Her national profile is unmatched against her peers in the Northeast which is largely due to Joanne's stand-out marketing aplomb and personal drive for innovation. In 2013 she won by a national public vote, Jordan's Family Law Awards, "Most Innovative Family Lawyer" and her profile 10 years on has been consolidated with her recent nomination as a finalist in the Jordan's Family Law Awards for Family Law Innovation once more. Legal 500 In the latest edition of the Legal 500 Joanne is listed in the highly coveted Legal 500 Hall of Fame as an expert in the fields of divorce and financial settlement. Testimonials say of Joanne and the team: "Managing director Joanne Hilary Major leads a strong team made up of highly experienced senior family lawyers and junior solicitors providing a pyramid structure of knowledge to their clients" and "At Major Family Law Joanne Major has assembled a truly outstanding team made up of a mixture of highly experienced matrimonial lawyers and younger rising stars. The firm goes the extra mile to provide its clients with a very high quality of service and leaves no stone unturned in seeking to achieve the best possible outcome for them. I am very familiar with the matrimonial finance scene in Newcastle, as I am instructed by numerous firms in the city, but I have no doubt that the best matrimonial finance firm in the Newcastle/the North East is Major Family Law."

Jonathan Dunkley

Consultant Solicitor at Major Family Law Jonathan Dunkley is now in his 42nd year of practicising almost exclusively in the area of family law. There are very few solicitors in the North East with more experience or a higher profile than Jonathan. Since moving from commerical law firm Muckle LLP in 2014, he has benefiited from the increased specialist support available to him at Major Family Law. This firm's exponential growth since 2014 has enabled him to delegate the more routine cases to other team members, allowing him to focus exclusively upon the really high net worth and complex matters that the firm and he attract and which require skilled and speciliast attention. Jonathan's strategic and cost effective advice has been recognised in the past, together with his personable and cheerful demeanour which is valued by clients in what can be very difficult and testing circumstances. Jonathan has become known for his skills in handling matters relating to clients of a high net worth, including media personalities and prominent members of the business community. He is highly skilled in matters of pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. He continues to attract work from leading professional people, entrepreneurs and high profile individuals nationally. His reputation and profile is such that he is often frequently referred work from prominent local law firms who do not offer family advice.

Kalem Grant

Solicitor at Major Family Law Kalem graduated from Northumbria University in 2019 with a First-Class Masters in Law Degree (MLAW) which incorporated the Legal Practice Course. Kalem went onto complete his training contract at a respected general practice firm in Sunderland, where he had previously worked as a paralegal during his studies, before qualifying as a solicitor in the summer of 2021. Throughout his training, Kalem gained experience in the areas of Property, Wills and Trusts but found early in his career a passion for Family Law. Over the past two years, Kalem has dealt with a broad range of family law matters, including divorce and financial work alongside child law and cases of domestic abuse. Kalem is a committed, hardworking family lawyer and is dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for his clients.

Katie Wright

Senior Solicitor at Major Family Law Katie qualified as a solicitor in 2001 and has specialised in family law since then. She practised in Carlisle, Cumbria, most recently at Burnetts Solicitors, before joining Major Family Law in January 2022. Resolving all aspects relating to the arrangements for children after separation is a significant part of Katie’s practice, particularly cases where the issues are complex, and she also specialises in the financial aspects of relationship breakdown, including divorce and cohabitation cases. She is adept at finding creative ways to solve legal obstacles, and is recognised for her empathy and ability to deal with challenging situations. Although Katie has extensive experience of taking cases to court where required, she is known for her conciliatory, constructive approach and desire to settle cases where possible. Katie is a trained Collaborative Lawyer and a Resolution Accredited Specialist.

Lewis Hulatt

South East Consultant at Major Family Law Lewis qualified as a solicitor in 1988 and from 1991 was the family law partner at Mort Kirtley & Ogden where he trained. Lewis is also the founding chair of Woking Community Mediation Service; he recognised the benefits of alternatives to court litigation and from this he trained as a specialist family Mediator in 1999, and accepted an invitation to join Hedleys, as the family law expert. Lewis joined Major Family Law in Spring 2016 as a consultant working on cases in the South East/Surrey as well as remotely for their North East clients. He has considerable experience of conflict resolution, working with the law and in communicating effectively. His egal work has a focus on providing advice and support that enables clients to reach a fair resolution of their disputes at a proportionate cost to minimise the economic and emotional harm to those involved. Lewis recognises that the “traditional” solicitor-client relationship of full representation does not suit all. For thsi reason, he is willing to accept a limited retainer and with his considerable experience can just “do what is actually needed” as sometimes paying for a lawyer to do everything is not actually necessary, nor is it affordable. Lewis is known for being straight-talking, extremely perceptive and principled in his approach towards family law.

Lottie Weston

Solicitor at Major Family Law Lottie joined Major Family Law in September 2022 and qualified as a Solicitor in 2024. Lottie graduated with a First-Class Honours Law Degree in 2021 and completed the Master of Laws Legal Practice (incorporating the Legal Practice Course) with Northumbria Law School during summer 2023 and qualified as a Solicitor in 2024. Lottie is passionate about providing excellent client service in a friendly and approachable manner. And she is committed to achieving the best possible outcome for clients.

Lucinda Connell

Legal Director at Major Family Law Lucinda has practiced exclusively in family law since 1998. Lucinda has extensive specialism in complex child cases. Lucinda is an accomplished advocate with significant experience in undertaking advocacy at Court. Lucinda has a vested interest in children cases, particularly involving international elements. She has varied international experience of child cases ranging from child relocation cases in Italy to Pakistan and Bangladesh. Lucinda is a member of the Law Society Children’s Panel and became a member of the Family Law Accreditation in July 2018. She also has significant expertise in high value financial cases, again with an international element. Lucinda was promoted to Director in January 2018.

Rona Samuel

Consultant at Major Family Law Rona joined Major Family Law in January 2019 as a Family Law Consultant. She is qualified as a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives, and has over twenty years’ experience in family and divorce law. She worked at a Newcastle Legal 500 firm before joining a well-respected smaller regional firm in the Tyne Valley, successfully expanding their family department, whilst developing an interest and proficiency advising on divorces involving farming assets. Rona has special expertise in advising on matrimonial finances, achieving positive resolution of divorces and separations including, pensions, businesses, trusts and inherited wealth both at court, through collaboration and roundtable meetings. She often receives referrals from former clients and professional colleagues including Barristers and District Judges.

Sahil Aggarwal

Senior Associate Solicitor at Major Family Law Sahil is an experienced and approachable family solicitor originally from Newcastle. He works on all family matters involving divorce, financial relief, nuptial agreements, domestic abuse and child arrangements. He trained at a Legal 500 ranked specialist family law firm in the South and went on to practice in a widely respected Tier 1 London based firm before returning back to Newcastle. Sahil also has had particular experience with same-sex cases ranging from representing a mother in a unique case involving a dispute over contact between her biological daughter and her gay ex-partner to representing a gay couple who sought parental responsibility for a non-biological child they looked after.

Sam Carter

Legal Director at Major Family Law Sam is both an outcome and client focused family law solicitor, always striving to go the extra mile and to work creatively to achieve case successes. Sam trained at a nationally respected firm in their Bristol and London offices, and continued practising in Central London for around two years post-qualification. Sam then relocated to the North East in 2017 and has practised at Major Family Law since that time. His outcome and client focused approach has seen Sam go from strenght-to-strength, earning independent recognition for the high quality of his work by being listed as a ‘Rising Star’ by The Legal 500. Sam’s growing reputation and expertise, along with his consistent case successes, has seen him promoted to senior positions within the firm, most recently to Legal Director in November 2023. Expertise Although Sam does undertake all areas of family law; including divorce, financial relief and protection from domestic abuse, his real area of expertise is in children law matters. He regularly advises and represents parents and other extended family members in disputes regarding where a child lives and whom they spend time with. He often deals with urgent matters which can require an immediate court application to protect a child, for example, where that child has been placed at risk of harm from the other parent or to prevent an unlawful abduction of a child outside the jurisdiction. Sam deals with the firm’s most complex children law cases, including those involving high conflict. He regularly advises and represents parents involved in international disputes regarding which country their child should live or visit. He also advises and represents same sex parents, and has experience in advising on surrogacy law arrangements and helping parents obtain Parental Orders. Sam conducts his own advocacy at court wherever possible, which allows him to provide consistent and specialist representation to clients throughout their case. Sam’s willingness and ability to conduct his own advocacy provides his clients with the opportunity to be represented at court by someone they know and trust. In cases which do require the instruction of a barrister, Sam has developed close working relationships with the best family law barristers in the North East region. He also has relationships and links with London based barristers and chambers from his time practising in London.

Stacy Williams

Senior Associate Solicitor at Major Family Law Stacy is a Solicitor with Major Family Law, joining the firm in September 2021. She graduated from Newcastle University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature. She then went on to complete the Graduate Diploma in Law, Legal Practice Course and a Masters in Legal Practice, graduating with a Distinction in 2019. Stacy completed her Training Contract at a firm in Cumbria, before relocating back to the North East. Stacy’s main focus is achieving a positive outcome for her clients. She recognises that a sensitive and approachable manner is needed when undertaking family matters. Stacy has experience in dealing with matrimonial finances and children matters. She will continue to train by working closely with Joanne Major.

Stephanie Layton

Senior Associate Solicitor at Major Family Law Stephanie qualified as Solicitor in February 2014 and has exclusively practiced Family Law since qualification. She has a breadth of experience in advising clients in relation to all matters of family law and is often well praised for her ability to manage cases for clients with numerous complicated factors. She is experienced in advising clients in various matters which arise for both married and unmarried couples separating, including both financial and any children matters. She understands that separation can be one of the most difficult times for a family and is able to provide clear advice in order to help clients reach agreements which are fair and reasonable. She is particularly experienced in representing clients in children matters where there are allegations of domestic violence including situations where Fact Find hearings are necessary. Stephanie was accredited as a family law specialist by the Law Society in 2019 and is often praised for her professional yet compassionate service and ability to offer practical advice in often complicated situations. She is a member of Resolution and sits as Secretary on the local Young Resolution Committee.

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