Family Solicitors

By Laila Bhunnoo

It has been 9 years since I was asked to join Duncan Lewis Solicitors to set up the Childcare Department, in the then main building at Hackney.

At the time, there were two offices and the total number of people working at Duncan Lewis was 65. Now we employ over 400 people.

When I first started, I had 1 secretary and 1 trainee. My ethos has always been to think about the generations to come, and my aim was to create an inspirational place of learning, to grow a department focusing on training to a high standard.

I strongly believe that we have to help those clients who come before us and this may not necessarily be by helping children to remain with their parent. Sadly, some parents are not able to make the necessary changes within the timescales of their child.

Sometimes, it may be that an assessment can identify what steps the parent needs to take forward for example overcoming their addictions. This may in the future allow for children to remain with them or even return home.

At all times, we treat adults with dignity, without judgement and always with respect. We do not write off adults and young people with difficulties. We try and support them at a time which for most of us is unthinkable namely the act of having children removed.

In the last couple of years, the court and the local authorities have tried wherever possible for children to be rehabilitated in to the family. We are proactive with our clients, in order that they get the best possible chance of that happening.

I am very proud and pleased that most of the teams that I supervise, include solicitors and children panel members who I have trained since they were paralegals, before becoming trainee solicitors. They have then gone on to qualify as solicitors and I am very pleased that some have gone on to become children law panel members / family law panel members.

Even when becoming a panel member, the training does not stop there as different situations arise for example whether it is dealing with a complicated non-accidental injury case or a Guardian separating from a young person who is able to give their own instructions.

As I look back over the 9 years, there are several branches who specialise in family and childcare law, which maintain a high standard of representation with a humane approach.

We are the sum of all of our experiences and it is an honour to be able to impart experience and knowledge upon those who are up and coming. This should ensure that the ethos and good practice continue for each generation to come.