Roythornes ‘Family’ grows with host of appointments and new divorce-specialist partner

May 31, 2022

Specialist family solicitor Caroline Elliott has joined Roythornes Solicitors as a partner in its Alconbury office, boosting the top 150 law firm’s strong private client team.

One of four appointments in the firm, each bolstering a different department, Caroline is joined by associate in agricultural property Darren Gill, associate in property litigation Tara Goodwin, and corporate and commercial solicitor Wendy Davidson.

Having started her career as a journalist before moving into law, Caroline brings more than 25 years’ experience to the company’s family law offering. Her expertise includes financial divorce settlements for high net worth individuals, as well as pre- and post-nuptial agreements, agreements for unmarried co-habiting couples, and custody battles.

Caroline said: “I was drawn to Roythornes as an agile and growing practice, with opportunities for me to help develop the business and drive its direction as well as work with a range of interesting clients. Everyone in the firm is passionate about their work and I’m looking forward to collaborating with them in my new role.

“It’s an exciting time for the family law space with the recent introduction of no-fault divorce, which is something I’ve been advocating for as part of my work with family law network Resolution. I’ll be supporting clients to navigate this legislative change and find solutions to resolve their family issues.

“One of the biggest challenges facing the sector at the moment is cohabiting rights, with many unmarried couples being unaware of their lack of legal protection. As the picture of a typical family changes, we’re seeing more and more couples remain unmarried, which can lead to some unpleasant surprises, should the couple part ways in the future. In my new role I’ll be doing my best to support clients through these challenges and provide the expert legal advice that Roythornes prides itself on.”

Roythornes has also appointed another successful solicitor with a non-traditional career history. Associate Darren Gill began his working life with six years’ service in the army as a Royal Military police officer before retraining as a solicitor.

Darren said: “Roythornes’ renowned reputation and long-standing client base really drew me to the firm, especially as I qualified into agricultural and rural property law.

“I’m looking forward to representing the firm, building on its long-standing client relationships, and further nurturing its impressive reputation. As the Environment Land Management Scheme is phased in, clients will need support and advice during this transition, which I’ll be well placed to offer with the backing of Roythornes’ experienced team.”

The four new hires, across a variety of levels, offices, and departments, will support Roythornes’ ambitious growth as it moves into summer.

Vember Mortlock, Managing Director at Roythornes, said: “It’s great to see a number of new faces joining us month on month across all our offices, which is demonstrative of an exciting period of growth for us. We’re delighted to have appointed another talented partner, heading up the family team in our Alconbury office, as well as other new hires across a range of our departments. We look forward to the end of our business year in June when we can reflect on this success.”

For more information visit www.roythornes.co.uk or follow @roythornes on Twitter.