A Leicestershire firm of solicitors has appointed a new person to head up its family law team.
Family solicitor and child law specialist Emma Piff has taken up the position at Lawson-West.
Having qualified as a solicitor in 2005, Emma's areas of expertise also stretch into complimentary fields. She is a qualified family mediator, trained collaborative lawyer and a resolution-accredited specialist in domestic abuse and complex financial remedies. She is also a Law Society Family Law Panel member.
According to Emma, divorce law is very much one of positive prevention rather than cure. She believes in pre-nuptials to avoid the pain that divorce can bring and where relationships have broken down.
She also believes that the role of a solicitor s to be a good listener, empathetic and caring to help a client get through the uncertainty of the marital breakdown and get back on track with their life.
She said: "The best interests of the children always come first. But seeing a client moving on with their life after a divorce split, while facing significant changes in their life - sometimes moving on into unchartered territory in an unanticipated and positive way for them - is very rewarding for me personally.
"I like to guide people through a family dispute and help them move on with their lives afterwards."
"UK divorce law is playing catch-up to society’s needs to a large degree. The new no-fault divorce is one example of a new breed of divorce law but we are also seeing a lot of children who are living with family members who are not their biological parents.
"In these instances of a micro-family where an aunt, sister, grandparent, gay couple or other family member is providing a home for a child, that person has no legal footing of responsibility for them.
"Children living with family members can be quickly taken by a parent, sometimes years later, leaving the family carer with no rights of access.
"This is becoming more and more common and I think we will start to see family laws introduced in the next couple of years to protect the interests of grandparents and family members who play the role of caretaker to children of broken or damaged families."
Emma's new role with the East Midlands business means that she'll head a team of four solicitors specialising in family and child law and have responsibility for the family practice across all office locations, including the firm's Leicester office at the Meridian Business Park, where she will be based, and the Wigston and Market Harborough branches.
David Heys, managing director at Lawson-West, said: "We’re delighted to welcome Emma Piff to Lawson-West at this exciting time in our development.
"Emma brings with her an amazing pedigree in family law experience and together with our existing team of family solicitors we know our capabilities are extensive and we can offer a broad range of family law expertise and mediation across all of our offices in Leicestershire."
