Dickinson Dees has the largest family team in the North East, offering an unparalleled service of excellence. With a national and international client base, the team is renowned for its expertise in handling high profile, high value divorce and financial work, particularly where there are corporate, farming, pension or business considerations.
Dickinson Dees is one of only a handful of law firms in the county to appoint an in-house Barrister specialising in family law. Ian Kennerley has a particular interest and expertise in financial issues and his presence complements existing expertise within the team which is a recognised leader in the field.
In June 2010 it was announced that the family law team was to be transferred to a newly established firm, Silk Family Law. Current heads of family law at Dickinson Dees, Margaret Simpson and Ian Kennerley, are setting up Silk Family Law as a specialist law firm dealing solely in family legal matters and plan to establish their firm from Dickinson Dees' existing family team, to be based in offices in Newcastle and Yorkshire.
The team specialises in the following:-
• Divorce and related financial issues
• Pre-nuptial and Separation Agreements
• Pensions, Tax and Insolvency Advice
• Cohabitation contracts and disputes
• Children issues, residence, contact and adoption
• Child support advice
• Child abduction
• Public law children work for Local Authorities
We are now one of a growing group of lawyers who are trained in collaborative law. This process brings together both parties and their legal representatives, to discuss the issues and to explore the possibility of reaching a negotiated settlement rather than having to take the case to court. The positive benefit for the client is that collaborative law provides the potential for more flexible, tailor-made solutions than are usually possible through the court process.
Margaret Simpson is Head of the Family Team at Dickinson Dees LLP. She specialises in financial issues involving significant assets in complex areas of law. She is Chair of the Tees Valley group of Resolution - First for Family Law.
Ian Kennerley is a barrister of 25 years experience. Ian heads up the Family Team out of the Newcastle office and acts as in-house Counsel for the team, providing advice and advocacy in respect to all aspects of family law. He was called to the Bar in 1983 and is a member of the Family Law Bar Association. Whilst at the bar, he was the preferred choice of Counsel for solicitors both within the region and elsewhere. He is recognised in the legal guides as one of the leading family practitioners on the North Eastern circuit. He specialises in providing advice and advocacy in all aspects of family and matrimonial law. He has particular expertise in complex and high value ancillary relief cases.
Kim Fellowes is a Director in the team and has considerable experience in Family Law, with a particular expertise in CSA matters. Kim is recognised as a national authority in relation to child support work, regularly commenting to the the press and media on legislation issues.
Wayne Lynn is an Associate in the family team. He has a particular skill in dealing with difficult and complex financial issues arising from separation and divorce in a robust yet sensitive manner. He regularly advises upon and prepares Pre nuptial Agreements in what is a rapidly changing area of law. Wayne has built a reputation for his expertise in cases involving unmarried couples and has the ability to resolve matters with the minimum of acrimony with his constructive yet incisive approach.
Teresa Davidson is an Associate working from the Tees Valley office dealing with all aspects of family law. Teresa has experience of dealing with a wide range of family issues including financial disputes on divorce and legal issues concerning children. Teresa has a particular interest in cohabitation law and civil partnerships.
Rachel Donald is a Solicitor in the team and advises in all aspects of family including divorce and civil partnership dissolutions, the resolution of financial matters subsequent to separation for both married and un-married couples, matters involving children and disputes concerning child maintenance including appeals against the Child Support Agency.
The Family team also has a Legal Executive, Sarah Harding and a Legal Assistant, Judith Burt.
Additionally, the Family Law Team regularly contribute to external publications, including the Family Law Journal, Solicitors Journal and
Practical Lawyer as well as writing for broadsheets. The Team also write extensively for lifestyle magazines such as Accent, Living North and North East Times.
The Family Law Team comment regularly to the media on all Family related issues and frequently provide comment to national and local radio, television and newspapers.