Interview with: Susie Barter, Head of Family

Susie Barter (Head of Family at Child & Child) on the difference she can make

 

1. What do you see as the main points that differentiate Child & Child from your competitors?

As a firm we are small enough to really get to know our clients but big enough to offer a comprehensive spectrum of legal services.

We are interested in learning all about our client and their family.  Understanding their perspective on life can help us to guide them through challenging times – and exciting times – in a way that will really work for them.  At times in the family team we might know more about a client’s life than any other confidant or friend.  It is a relationship of great trust and integrity.  I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to guide them  through a difficult time with great care and to advocate for them at a time when they might feel less able than usual to do so for themselves.

Looking at the bigger picture ensures that we can really meet a client’s needs.  Family law intersects so often with other practice areas – estate planning, tax advice, immigration, real estate, employment, corporate maters and disputes.  Our clients are able to have all their needs met in one place, and with the same level of attention and thought.  Any client of Child & Child is a valued client of the whole firm.

 

2. Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

Our private client offering continues to grow in response to the needs of our high net-worth clients, whether they are resident here or abroad.  Our accountancy and immigration services will further strengthen our capabilities.

Our Disputes team are thriving and our real estate teams are long established but are always striving to keep ahead of their competition.

From a Family perspective, ensuring that growth will never distract from our personal commitment to work closely with clients to resolve their matters efficiently and with discretion is key.  Resolving matters with resort to court is an important part of what we do and our out of court resolution capabilities will continue to grow. Rachel Jaysan is a new partner in our team, she is an accredited mediator who also offers hybrid mediation and the  ‘Parting Ways. Together’ or ‘one couple, one lawyer’ model of working.

No two separations or divorces are the same.  Ensuring that we have as many options available to clients as possible is really valuable. Simply ‘operating the law’ is only a very small part of what we do.

Our clients know that we have their best interests at heart and will always give them honest and pragmatic advice. This is not always legal advice – sometimes profound common sense is what is needed.  For a client suddenly facing the prospect of divorce or separation therapeutic support might be key to ensuring that they are able to navigate themselves and their children through what can be a very challenging time.

Building a strong relationship with our clients enables us to give the specific and nuanced advice they come to really value.

 

3. What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?

Managing partner Adrian Biles invited me to set up a new family law team in 2023.  Child & Child has been a successful central London boutique law firm since 1850 but had been through some recent changes.  I shared Adrian’s desire to focus on the needs of our clients in a way that matters – living the trust, integrity and excellence values that we promote.

Within my own practice I had always interacted with clients in a very direct and accountable way – the thought that clients might not be able to speak to us as and when they need to seems entirely counter intuitive.  This is something that I was keen to ensure continued within a larger team too.  That will include out of hours and weekends if necessary – we build a relationship of trust with our clients that is very rarely abused.

From the outset I have also looked to have our team as an integral part of our private client offering – ensuring that client’s needs are considered in the wider context of their family and business.  The majority of our clients are successful people, often with substantial commercial and real estate interests. Family law cannot operate effectively without a proper understanding of our client’s family, business and tax needs and conversations with those that manage them.

Family law can offer great flexibility in outcome within the overarching directive of overall fairness.  Innovative solutions to unique situations can sometimes be found if the will is there – whether that is to preserve existing structures, plan for future generations or simply maintain the family home for the children.

A truly integrated approach ensures that our work with our client is never simply a transaction.

 

4. Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

We are adopting a watching brief so far as AI in concerned.

Our business is all about the personal touch and so adopting processes to “automate” a transaction holds little appeal.  That said, we have no interest in any process taking longer or being less efficient than it needs to be.  We communicate with our clients by phone, email, text, whatsapp, teams: whatever works best for an individual.  This is obviously key for our clients living abroad but also suits busy individuals who are trying to find time to communicate during a busy day.

Having said all of that, we have lovely new offices and love meeting our clients face to face too.

Adaptability and flexibility is key.

 

5. Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

Although divorce is not a natural environment for growth, we regularly work with clients to ensure that the integrity and future prospects of a business are not unduly undermined by a divorce settlement.  Being commercially aware from the outset can help negotiations to be effective.  The early intervention of business advisors can be very positive if handled with care and integrity.

Sometimes it is necessary to be bold too – not all businesses can be put on ice for the duration of a divorce.  Helping clients to understand the litigation risk of proceeding with transactions they consider necessary and carefully listening to them to understanding the business harm in maintaining the status quo allows informed choices to be made.  A number of clients have bought and sold businesses during proceedings despite grumblings from other parties.  It is about balance and integrity.

 

6. Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

I think many clients will choose an individual lawyer for a specific role or transaction – often personally referred to them by a friend, colleague or family member.  If confidence in that lawyer can develop into confidence in the whole firm to look after many different aspects of their life so much the better.

Along with my fellow partners, we are growing Child & Child to achieve that aim.  We want to become the firm of choice for successful people who choose to invest, work or live in the UK. We have a depth of experience and partners with the track record to become one of the leading private client boutique firms in London. Our values – trust, integrity and excellence – encapsulate who we are and our approach.