Welcome to Kim Stradling – Child Law Specialist Solicitor

On 3rd April 2017 our team was joined by Kim Stradling

Kim Stradling – outstanding family solicitor

• Kim Stradling joins us from Devon Solicitors Every where she was a partner and head of Family Law
• Kim Stradling qualified as a Solicitor in 1992 and has been a member of the Law Society Children Panel since 1999. Kim Stradling regularly represents the child through their Children’s Guardian.
• She has particular expertise in complex Care Proceedings involving suspected non-accidental injuries, and multi-disciplinary medical evidence and over the years she has seen many cases progress through the Family Courts and to the Court of Appeal.
• In 2014 Kim Stradling was the winner of The Lawyer Monthly – Family and Succession Lawyer of the Year Award and has been recognised by the Legal 500 in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
• Kim’s expertise also includes qualifying as a Mediator in 1998 and as a Collaborative Family Lawyer in 2007.In 2011 Kim Stradling qualified as a Resolution Accredited Specialist in Private Law Children and Advocacy, and in 2012 added the Domestic Abuse specialism.
• Kim Stradling is also a member of Resolution, the Association of Lawyers for Children, the National Association for Guardians Ad-litem and Reporting Officers, the local Collaborative Law Pod, and she is currently Chair of the East and Mid-Devon Domestic Abuse Forum

A testimonial from an experienced Children’s Guardian

An experienced Children’s Guardian says of Kim:

I’ve known Kim for about 20 years. I first met her when I was a social worker.

I have instructed Kim in my role as children’s guardian for 14 years.

Kim is a pleasure to work with ,level headed with a great sense of humour. She is reliable, fully committed to her job and very competent.

Kim is realistic, practical and gives good sound advice. She is good at interacting with the children we visit.

Why Kim has joined us

Kim explains why she has joined us:

The legal climate is changing. Firms that used to pride themselves on providing a broad spectrum of legal services, including legal aid, are moving away from it.

Ian Walker is different; he is committed to access to justice and to filling the holes that others are leaving behind. Ian is offering a full family service to whoever needs advice or mediation, and (through Legal Aid) whatever their ability to pay.

His vision matches my ethos.

I have known Ian for a long time and I am really excited to be joining his team.

A combined 39 years of Children Panel Membership

This means that between Kim and Ian we have 39 years of Children Panel membership in our practice.

We are a practice which is moving forwards

We are delighted to have been joined by a Solicitor of Kim’s calibre. This shows the progress that the practice continues to make. We are now the largest family team in Honiton by some way and our family team is now larger than some much larger Exeter and Taunton based practices – including Kim’s former practice.

We are committed to offering Legal Aid both for family law and for family mediation.

Central to any legal practice is the quality of the lawyers and Kim is clearly first class.