LAW
“ The most important thing is to give your client clear and impartial legal advice which helps to explore their options and achieve best outcomes .” as legal knowledge , because people are coming to you who are often distressed , therefore the human touch and the ability to put people at ease is a huge part of what we do at Punch Robson .
” That ’ s never been truer than over the past year due to the strain the pandemic has caused families , bringing about emotional trauma in so many family problems that we ’ ve seen and dealt with .”
Family Law is arguably the department which requires the most emotional input from a legal team .
Katy said : “ The most important thing is to give your client clear and impartial legal advice which helps to explore their options and achieve best outcomes .
“ We want to get the best result for our clients .
“ There is an emotional investment because the work is so often lifechanging for the families and couples you ’ re dealing with .”
Jenn said : “ It ’ s incredibly rewarding if you can help families who need to deal with childcare issues or domestic abuse . It ’ s a big plus that we are a local firm and have now been able to return to face-to-face meetings where necessary .”
Helpful too that Punch Robson is a full-service legal practice providing a complete range of services .
In terms of business , those services
include commercial property , corporate and commercial , commercial disputes and business employment law .
Services to the public also include conveyancing , employment law , mental health and capacity , wills and probate , and disputes , with Jenn and Katy able to call in expertise within their office when needed .
Jenn explained : “ Because family law touches on so many other aspects of the law , it ’ s great we have that experience to tap into and ensure our clients receive the most accurate and well-rounded advice .
“ Any divorce case , for example , might require an element of conveyancing or dealing with landlords trying to end tenancies . But whatever it is , we can deal with it in-house .”
The family department regularly works in partnership with the mental health team to ensure the family has full legal support .
The scope of the family law department is wide-ranging , dealing with divorce , separation and finance , separation of cohabitees , prenuptial agreements , post-nuptial agreements and cohabitation agreements .
“ Prenups and postnups are becoming more common now ,” observed Katy . “ A younger generation , especially , sees the good sense of making clear arrangements , particularly when there ’ s substantial money or property involved .”
Then there are the family law aspects specifically dealing with the young - private children cases including child arrangements , adoption cases , public children matters where social services are involved with a family and domestic abuse , including forced marriage .
Punch Robson ’ s family team are members of the Law Society ’ s specialist panels – the Children Panel and the Family Law Panel , as well as accredited specialists with Resolution .
As solicitors who welcome the least adversarial ways of making progress in family matters , both of them approve the changes to the law due to come in next year which will allow “ no-fault divorces ”.
“ We expect an influx of cases at that point as it will enable a more amicable separation for married couples ,” said Katy .
“ To be able to proceed on the basis either one or both sides agree the marriage has just broken down , rather than having to apportion blame on one of the parties , should reduce a lot of the acrimony and blame which is often beneficial to the clients .
“ It means that divorces are likely to take place with less bad feeling involved and that will be better for the long-term future of any children involved .”
If you want help or advice from Punch Robson call 01642 754050 or go to the website punch . robson . co . uk .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 49