Mincoffs' family department is acclaimed for going the extra mile for its clients.
There are a number of situations in life when someone can anticipate that they may need to instruct a solicitor, from selling a business to drafting a will.
Family law cases, however, are a little different as no one enters into a marriage or relationship expecting it to end.
And, while some legal matters can be relatively straightforward to deal with, family cases are often the opposite.
This is where the role of a family solicitor comes in and Mincoffs Solicitors boasts an expert team, led by partner Emily Cannell.
Having joined Mincoffs as a solicitor 10 years ago, Emily quickly climbed the ranks to become an associate just a few years later, before being promoted to partner in 2021.
Now, Emily works closely with associate solicitor Rachel Smith, solicitor Jessica Nicholson and consultant Lyn Rutherford, with more than 85 years’ of combined experience across the team.
Based in Newcastle but taking instructions from clients located all over the UK and overseas, the team has seen more than their fair share of complex and unusual cases over the years.
“No two family matters are ever the same,” said Emily, “and we take care to get to know each of our clients individually in order to provide a tailored service for their particular needs.”
One of the ways the team achieves this is through a free initial consultation, ensuring that clients can describe their situation and voice any concerns or worries in depth, without having to worry about the clock.
It’s not unheard of for the team to go above and beyond for their clients, such as being at the other end of the phone on a weekend or evening if an emergency situation strikes out of hours.
While each member of the team represents cases across the entire spectrum of family law, Emily has extensive experience dealing with matters involving high net worth individuals, which often encompass complex business structures.
This is also when the department benefits from being part of a full service firm, with the ability to draw on experts in estate planning, corporate and employment law – to name just a few – all under one roof when necessary.
Elsewhere in the family department, associate Rachel Smith has particular expertise and a keen interest in private law children matters, especially those with more complex elements such as fact finding and applications to relocate overseas.
In fact, the whole team are never one to stray away from complicated cases, with a recent testimonial given to global legal directory, Legal 500, describing them as “a highly skilled team of individuals, often specialising in the obscure and unusual cases no other family department would touch. This is the true definition of an expert.”
The same directory, along with leading legal research company Chambers and Partners, consistently highlights Mincoffs’ family team in its annual rankings and has done so for a number of years.
“We’ve built an incredibly strong team over the last decade and we’re continuing to grow, with Jessica joining us last year to assist with an increased workload and take the lead on her own cases,” said Emily.
“Due to the nature of our work, we are often instructed by clients during what can be an incredibly distressing time so we pride ourselves on providing not only a high quality service, but delivering it with compassion and sensitivity too.”
For more information, visit www.mincoffs.co.uk/services/family-law or contact Mincoffs on 0191 281 6151 or by emailing enquiries@mincoffs.co.uk