Family Law Department

Managing Partner / Head of Family Law

Since qualifying Emma has built up the family department and taken it from strength to strength to the now award winning and comprehensive family team that it is.   This year in particular has been an extraordinary year for her being promoted to managing partner and personally winning CEO of the Year, Community Impact and Professional Personality of the Year in Downtown Liverpool in Business Awards.

Emma started the MSB family department in 2000 and since then has taken it from her being the only newly qualified solicitor to one of the leading departments in the North West. The expert team consists of 47, made up of 13 solicitors (5 partners, 1 Senior Associate), 3 consultants, 2 trainees and 29 support staff.  

Emma has worked exclusively within family law and has dedicated her career to this area.   She recognised that our Society is now made up of diverse families.  She has adapted MSB family department to meet the needs of the modern family.

From the onset of her career she was passionate about domestic violence and has done a lot of work in empowering victims of domestic violence.  She sits as a trustee of Blackburn House an organisation dedicated to the education of empowerment of women, she has delivered training to lawyers and the not for profit sector on domestic violence and in particular the availability of legal aid. Emma also sits as a Trustee of Liverpool BID.

Emma is a specialist in Child Abduction a niche area of law she started to develop around 2005 and which culminated in MSB being the only firm in the Northwest on the Lord Chancellors ICACU Referral Panel.

As head of the department she is committed to training the next generation of lawyers.  There is consistent progression within the department.   Two of Emma’s trainees becoming partners in 2017.   Emma’s assistant qualified as an ILEX Legal Executive and our work experience programme lead to his training contract.

Emma has instilled in the department a sense of social responsibility and encourages all members of the team to give back to the community we serve.  The team sits as trustees on eight different charitable organisations.  We provide pro bono surgeries at 7 different venues across the City.A major achievement for Emma this year was to become Managing Partner in addition to increasing the private family department with the acquisition of Cheesman Solicitors and the recruitment of 3 further lawyers. She still maintains overall responsibility for the family department.

English

Law Society Family Law Panel member

Trained facilitator of the Freedom Programme

Member of Association of Lawyers for Children

Member of Child Abduction Lawyers Association

Committee member of Liverpool Law Society Family Sub Group

Committee member of Liverpool Law Society Access to Justice Sub Committee

Trained mediator

Trustee for various voluntary organisations over the years including; Speke and Garston Domestic Violence project, North Liverpool Citizens Advice Bureau and Anthony Walker Foundation

University of Liverpool 1992 to 1995.  LLB Honours.Chester College of Law – Legal Practice Certificate 1995-1996 (Commendation)