News

Duncan Lewis is pleased to announce the promotion of Jane Wilson to Director of Family and Child Care, based in Newcastle, continuing the strong growth of its Family and Child Care team.

Jane Wilson has been an invaluable member of the Duncan Lewis Family and Child Care team for the past decade, starting her journey with the firm as a Caseworker in 2014 and qualifying as a Solicitor in 2018. Over these 6 years, under the supervision of Alia Lewis, Jane has built a successful practice in a broad range of children, family and domestic abuse matters, encompassing care proceedings, placement orders, adoption, fostering, and child protection matters. Her practice also extends to international and emergency cases, including urgent wardship applications and child abduction matters. Jane excels in high-pressure situations, ensuring clients receive the best possible outcomes even in emergencies. Her exceptional dedication, skill, and commitment to providing outstanding legal support to families and children have led to this well-deserved promotion.

Now as a Director of Child Care in Newcastle, Jane will lead a team that specialises in a broad range of both public/private children law matters, family and domestic abuse cases across the Newcastle, Gateshead, Northumberland and County Durham areas.

"I am really excited about this new chapter," Jane said. "Joining Duncan Lewis as a caseworker 10 years ago, it's a fitting reflection of the quality of training I've received and the opportunities I've been afforded for development that I am now in a position to take on this new challenge. I am fortunate to continue under the guidance of Director Alia Lewis, as we work together to expand our specialist Autism and ADHD team in the North East."

As a member of the Law Society Children Panel and trained community mediator, Jane has a wealth of experience representing children, through their Cafcass Guardians in both public and private law proceedings, often in matters where complex elements such as abuse, trafficking or mental health issues are present. With a niche interest and expertise in cases involving neurodivergent children and/or parents, Jane is committed to ensuring that an individual’s specific needs are considered and met within proceedings. Her dedication to assisting the most vulnerable in society, particularly those with learning difficulties and those who are victims of abuse, is unwavering.

Director Alia Lewis expressed her pride: “I am extremely proud to see Jane commence this role and wholeheartedly congratulate her on this well-deserved achievement. I am sure that Jane will do a fantastic job of expanding the child care team and the Autism and ADHD care team to Newcastle and I am excited to work together as Co-Directors on this mission.”

Duncan Lewis is proud to continue the strong growth of its Family and Child Care team with Jane Wilson as part of their team and looks forward to her continued contributions in her new role as Director. Her promotion is a testament to her hard work and the quality of training and development opportunities provided by Duncan Lewis. Jane joins 20 experienced Directors of Family and Child Care, many of which trained and qualified with Duncan Lewis and are viewed as leaders in their field. Duncan Lewis Solicitors embraces the diversity of its staff and strives ensure that its personnel reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, with 95% of our Family and Child Care directors identifying as female, and 58% are from an ethnic minority background, underscoring our commitment to equal opportunities.

To discover the career pathways available at Duncan Lewis, watch our career videos to explore the inspiring journeys of our award-winning Directors.

Duncan Lewis, headquartered in the City of London, is one of the country's fastest growing firms of solicitors, serving both corporate entities and private individuals from offices across England and Wales in more than 25 areas of law. A recommended leading law firm nationwide by both The Legal 500 and Chambers UK, and named one of the The Times 200 Best Law Firms, Duncan Lewis is country's largest publicly funded (legal aid) provider of legal services and is accredited by the Investors in People at their Gold Quality Standard.

For advice or assistance on a child care matter, contact Jane Wilson via email at janew@duncanlewis.com, or by telephone at 02031141194