Mark joined Slater Heelis in 2005 and is Partner and Head of the Family Department. Mark holds two part-time judicial appointments. He has recently been appointed as a Deputy District Judge (Civil & Family) and a Recorder (Family) on the Northern Circuit. Mark specialises in private family high net worth finances, complex children cases and is a Collaborative Lawyer. He has a niche in dealing with cases where capacity is an issue and cases involving contested trusts/probate and often cases with an international element. Mark has an array of clients both in the UK, particularly the South East and overseas including other professionals such as Barristers, Solicitors, business directors, media & sports personalities and medical professionals. Mark’s clients are almost exclusively personally referred to him by former clients and other professionals locally, nationally and internationally. Mark is recognised as a leading lawyer in the Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession and is described as a “very thorough, proactive and a hard negotiator” and recognised as a leading individual in the Legal 500.
England - North West • Private client
Slater Heelis
‘An impressive, forward-thinking, solution-focused firm’, Slater Heelis’s arsenal of capabilities includes a significant alternative dispute resolution offering, with a number of collaborative and resolution accredited mediators within its ranks. The team boasts an extensive track record handling complicated nuptial agreement mandates, as well as Schedule One Children Act and children relocation cases. Mark Heptinstall is a ’true professional’, utilising his collaborative lawyer credentials to competently settle financial disputes, especially where trusts and international assets are present. Charlotte Beck provides trusted counsel to couples in cohabitation disputes or seeking post-separation advice, while Patricia Robinson, also a trained collaborative lawyer, has been involved in extensive, multi-faceted proceedings involving divorce, financial and child welfare aspects, as well as cross-border components. Phillip Rhodes departed to Irwin Mitchell in 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Slater Heelis in my opinion has exceeded my expectations, from the moment I was greeted I felt welcome. Mark Heptinstall and his team have been totally professional, there is excellent communication within the team, and they obviously all work together perfectly. The overall commitment from the team has put me at ease and has filled me with confidence. I know I am in safe hands.’
‘Mark Heptinstall is a true professional that has given me nothing but the best advice. Both Mark and Gabriella have the ability to listen and I actually feel I have been heard.’
- 'The team work here is astonishing. Every step of the way when we needed additional support there was always someone in the firm to assist. Mark Hepstinstall made sure to direct me to the best person with the firm. At some point I had multiple cases in few different departments within the firm. They all collaborated and worked diligently to achieve the best outcome. They are diverse and work together with client focus approach. Very down to earth people.'
‘A team that is going from strength to strength. They have recruited excellent individuals who very much fit 'the mould'. The team overall is extremely dedicated but also very down to earth. Their people skills are second to none and really set them apart from other firms that I have worked with. They work collaboratively which means more often than not the client gets the benefit of a mixture of the different qualities each team member brings.’
- Patricia Robinson is fabulous in every way. Clients like and trust her, and she is always willing to go that extra mile and her judgment is spot on.
‘Slater Heelis is an impressive, forward-thinking, solution-focused firm, delivering a very dedicated, high quality service to their clients. As a silk instructed by them in a very demanding, long-running, high-conflict case, I simply cannot fault the support and service that I received. Together, we turned around a case from a sure-fire loser to an ultimate winner, which speaks volumes for their level of commitment, diligence and determination.’
‘Charlotte Beck is an outstanding family law solicitor. Intelligent, insightful, resolute and with exceptional client-care skills, she delivers amazing results. Jodi Tuson is also a highly capable young solicitor with a bright future ahead of them.’
Lawyers
Leading individuals
Established partner practising exclusively in Family Law for over 20 years with a particular emphasis on high value and complex financial cases within divorce/dissolution proceedings, often involving overseas assets, business interests, trusts and pensions. She regularly advises upon prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, as well as legal issues affecting unmarried couples. Also advises upon domestic and international private children law matters particularly those involving complex issues (including allegations of serious abuse, mental health issues, and jurisdictional disputes). Her clients include high profile and high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs and professionals on a local, national and international stage. Patricia recently appealed successfully to the Court of Appeal in a high value financial remedy case. She is a member of the Financial Remedies Court Group in Manchester, whose members also include senior members of the judiciary. Patricia also writes for legal publications including the Family Law Journal and comments on family law issues in both local and national media. Patricia is a long standing committee member of Resolution, whose 6,500 members comprise family lawyers and other professionals committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes. She was the chair of the Resolution Greater Manchester Region for several years having only recently stepped down but continues to be actively involved with the group. Patricia was the conference chair at Resolution’s National Conference in Manchester in 2014 and 2019. She is also a qualified collaborative lawyer, and keen to promote an ADR approach with her clients where appropriate. Patricia frequently receives positive feedback from her clients, below are just a few of those recently received:- “I want to say a huge Thankyou to the both of you for all your help. (Again) You have helped me more than you will know and I appreciate everything you have done for me, always going above and beyond.” “Throughout a bitter divorce, Tricia was supportive, friendly, compassionate, approachable and highly experienced. She made it clear she was looking after my best interests. Helped me to feel confident and calm. From the outset I felt I was in good hands. The price was fair and I was able to budget because it was clarified from the outset, with regular updates throughout the process of how much things would cost. Tricia made the whole process as smooth and as painless as possible. I felt supported through a really difficult time and that I could make contact and have a quick response if I ever had any queries. I would not hesitate to recommend Tricia to deal with a divorce and am so grateful to have had her help. Thank you.” “Incredible response to urgent requirements I recently required certain document to be Notarized and Apostatized and some were at the very last moment. The urgency was further compounded by looming holiday period. Patricia Robinson pulled out all the stops and in my opinion went well beyond her duties in organizing everything at very short notice. Thanks to Patricia I obtained all the documents I needed before deadline date.”
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Mark Heptinstall