Walker Family Law

Managing Director/Senior Partner: Ian Walker

Number of Partners: 9

Number of other Legally Qualified Fee Earners: 11

Firm Overview:

Walker Family Law is an award-winning niche family law practice based in Exeter and with a network of locations across the Southwest. Accolades include winning categories in the Modern Law Awards 2020, the Law Society Excellence Awards 2021 and the Devon and Somerset Law Society Legal Awards 2020 and 2023.

Walker Family Law was founded by Ian Walker (A former member of the Law Society Family Law Committee and former Trustee of the Family Mediators Association) in 2013 as Ian Walker Family Law and Mediation Solicitors. Ian was the inaugural recipient of the Regional Champion Award from Resolution in 2023. In November 2023 the practice rebranded to reflect its growth and evolution.

Main Areas of Practice:

The Divorce and Relationships Team are led by partner; Fiona Griffin and represents clients in respect of all aspects of relationship breakdown including high net worth divorce, divorce, financial separation issues for unmarried couples (TOLATA and Schedule 1 Children Act), child arrangements et cetera.

The team is also one of the first nationally to offer Resolution Together – one solicitor acting for both clients in connection with divorce.

Team members Fiona Griffin, Lauren Preedy, Ian Walker, Natasha Alsop and Lev Boreiko have all trained as Resolution Together practitioners – being one of the largest concentrations of

Resolution Together practitioners in the country.

The team also includes leading LGBT+ specialist Bridget Garrood.

The Children Law Team is led by partner Emma Perkins and represents clients in complex child law cases including care proceedings, adoption, wardship, special guardianship. The team regularly act for both parents and children (through their Children’s Guardian) and also undertakes local authority agency work.

The team also undertakes international child abduction work and the practice is a member of the ICACU international child abduction law panel and the Reunite solicitors panel. The child abduction team is led by specialist Lucy Roberts.

The team includes Law Society Children Panel members; Emma Perkins, Kim Stradling, Paul Sykes, Sandy Powell and Linda Mitchell. In total the team includes 11 qualified lawyers.

The Mediation Team is led by Ian Walker. Ian trained as mediator in 1996 and undertakes; Child Inclusive Mediation, Solicitor Inclusive Mediation (a.k.a. Family Hybrid Mediation (Resolution)/using the civil style of mediation in family cases), Integrative Mediation (Family Mediators Association). Ian specialises in mediating complex financial cases and TOLATA working with both clients and their solicitors.

The practice is highly committed to the constructive resolution of cases and the code of practice of Resolution with all lawyers members being Resolution Members. Ian Walker served as Chair of Devon Region Resolution for 12 years and Lauren Preedy is the chair of Somerset Region Resolution.

The firm is committed to utilising the full range of out-of-court dispute resolution options in appropriate cases including: Resolution Together, Collaborative Family Law, Family Mediation, and Arbitration.

The firm is also committed to high standards of client service which are set out in a client service pledge on its website.

International Work:

The teams regularly act for clients in cases where there is an international element.

Practice Areas and Offices:

Divorce, High Net Worth Divorce, Unmarried Couples, TOLATA, Child Arrangements, Parental Alienation, Child Abduction, Relocation Including Internationally, Adoption, Care Proceedings, Special Guardianship, Local Authority Agency.

Legal Representation, Resolution Together, Collaborative Family Law, Mediation.

Offices:

The head office is located at;

Vantage Point, Pynes Hill, Exeter EX2 5FD

Telephone: 01392 248113

Email: [email protected]

All administration is coordinated centrally.

The firm has office/meeting locations in:

Bristol, Exeter, Honiton, Newton Abbot, Plymouth, Taunton, Torquay, Weston-super-Mare, Yeovil.