BSG strengthens family law team

BSG Solicitors has strengthened its family law team based in Lancaster.

Specialist Solicitor Barbara Richardson has been appointed as head of divorce and finance. She is accredited by Resolution in the areas of complex financial property and pensions on divorce and is currently the only Resolution accredited pensions specialist Lawyer in Lancashire.

Barbara is also the chair of the Lancashire and Cumbria Resolution Committee. She qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and alongside late BSG partner, Andie Brown, she became a member of the Law Society’s Family Law Accreditation Scheme when it began in 1999.

Chartered legal executive Sara Williams, who has specialised in family law for 18 years, joined the team in 2022. Sara specialises in divorce and finance and deals with children and domestic abuse cases both privately paying and legally aided.

Sara co-founded the Lancashire branch of CILEX and is the current chair.

Specialist solicitor Suzanne Willey will now head up the children team working alongside solicitor Hannah Forsyth.

Suzanne has specialised in children law since qualifying 17 years ago. She is experienced in a wide range of family matters including care proceedings, private law children cases and domestic abuse cases.

Suzanne is a member of the Law Society’s Children Panel and is accredited by Resolution in the areas of Children Law and Domestic Abuse.

Hannah is also a member of the Law Society’s Children Panel and is experienced in dealing with highly complex matters, having had a case referenced in The Law Reports and other high-profile cases which have gone through the High Court due to their complexity. Her experience includes matters involving Special Guardianship Orders, neglectful parenting and non-accidental injury.

Alex Byrne is a solicitor with over five years of experience in Family law, both private law children cases and care proceedings, having previously worked for Bolton Council’s Legal Department.

He deals with divorce, finance and children cases with varying degrees of complexity and he has a particularly keen interest in Human Rights Issues. He has also developed an in-depth knowledge relating to the dissolution of civil partnerships, same-sex relationships and cohabitation agreements.

The department is supported by legal assistants Vicky Atkinson, Laura Poole and Terri Whitlow.

Barbara Richardson said: "We’re extremely proud to have such a depth of legal talent at BSG Solicitors. To have two people on the Law Society’s Children Panel and two Resolution accredited specialists exemplifies the level of expertise we can offer to clients. From relatively simple matters to the most complex family law cases, we are on hand to provide the advice and support needed.”

Suzanne Willey added: “We cover a wide geographical area for children law matters, from the South Lakes down to Preston and the Fylde Coast. There are now relatively few law firms with a legal aid contract for this type of work and we believe our knowledge and capability is second to none.”

Pictured: Front row – Barbara Richardson, Alex Byrne and Suzanne Willey. Back row - Vicky Atkinson, Terri Whitlow, Laura Poole, Sara Williams, Hannah Forsyth