When it comes to anything of a legal nature, you cant beat talking to a company that has a lots of experience. No matter what you need sorting, or if you simply need some advice, its always good to know that the person on the other end of the phone or sat opposite you in an office has probably been there...done it.
And that is exactly what you get when you speak to Jacqueline Emmerson and her team at Emmersons Solicitors. Jacqueline has been a solicitor for over 30 years and set up her own business in 1998. She started off with a small team of
..two.
She was then joined in the firm by her husband and, over subsequent years, her team has expanded to 20, which is impressive for a business that started off from nothing. It wont come as any surprise to read that Jacqueline has further plans for expansion, although for the moment she is allowing the business to consolidate after what has been a sustained period of growth over the past couple of years. So what do Jacqueline and her team specialise in at Emmersons Solicitors?
We specialise in all aspects of family law including divorce, separation, issues relating to contact between children and their parents and other relatives, said Jacqueline. We also deal with Financial Settlements which can include houses, pensions and business assets as well as acting on behalf of a wide range of business owners. In addition we deal with Will Writing, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection and Probate matters. We will look after all property matters if clients are buying or selling a house, and we also cater for investors who perhaps have a property portfolio. We even have a specialist department to look after commercial and property law, but we also have our own targeting information for first-time buyers.
Jacqueline is one the most experienced solicitors in the region. Such is her standing within the profession that she was one of the first and youngest members of the Law Society’s specialist Family Law Panel. She is also a member of Resolution and a trained Collaborative Family Lawyer. And its always nice to be recognised for the standard of work you and your business is achieving. Jacqueline was awarded The Lifetime Achievement award at this years Wearside Women in Business Awards.
Shes also been a finalist on several occasions at the Northern Law Awards and the National Law Society Excellence Awards. In the recent Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards, Emmersons Solicitors won the award for Corporate Social Responsibility and in previous years was Highly Commended in the medium size business category.
Jacqueline is also heavily involved in charity work. For the last 20 years, she has been a volunteer with the Armed Forces charity, SSAFA (Soliders, Sailors & Airmens Family Association) aiming to raise awareness about the needs of serving an exserving personnel, especially in the area of PTSD. She works closely with the LGBTQ+ community to provide advice and guidance for clients. Both she and her husband help with the Dementia Action Alliance which aims to not only help those people who are affected by dementia, but also encourage businesses to realise that they can also provide assistance and fully understand the needs of anyone who suffers from the condition. Her husband is a Dementia Champion. Jacqueline is proud of the fact that Emmersons Solicitors are the only Law firm in the country to offer Slow Shopping. Emmersons offer a free drop in service for those with visible, invisible or intellectual disabilities to obtain advice in a supportive environment. Corporate responsibility is such an important feature of what we do at Emmersons Solicitors, added Jacqueline. The key word in all of the volunteering work we do as a business is education. So many people dont realise what sort of assistance can be provided as well as being unaware of any potential legal pitfalls which may suddenly crop up. We are a drop-off point for Feeding Families Christmas hampers to help those who struggle at this time of year. We work with the Alzheimers Society, and Im proud that we have raised more money for the Cancer UK charity than any other firm in the region of a similar size. As you would expect, when you can call upon the level of experience that Jacqueline and her team have acquired over the years, they can deal with any legal matter, but is there a pattern of new legal requirements that have appeared over the past few years?
We are dealing more frequently with older clients. It is no longer rare for a couple in their 70s to want a divorce. This can often be extremely complicated if they have property, pensions and investments which need to be shared or protected. Another area where we are becoming extremely busy is licensing law; helping pubs, restaurants and nightclubs work their way through a complicated legal minefield. We can also help individuals who perhaps have accumulated 12 points and are at risk of losing their driving licence.
Which brings us back to our first point. You cant beat experience when it comes to legal matters. You also need a firm which is big enough if, for example, the person you are talking to needs some legal clarification on a bit of small print. Rather than sending you on your way without an answer, they simply call for another member of the team to pop in and sort things there and then. Perfect.
Get in touch, sort out an appointment, and then get ready for some down to Earth advice.
If you need some legal information or want some advice, the best idea is to get in touch with Jacqueline and her team at Emmersons Solicitors. They have offices in Newcastle and Sunderland. For Newcastle, call 0191 284 6989, or if Sunderland is handier, call 0191 567 6667.
