Family & Children Solicitor (x3) in London

Join the next generation of leading lawyers. With more than 100 training contracts available each year, our trainees have the opportunity to specialise in one or more areas of law.

Duncan Lewis Solicitors was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in the City of London (Fenchurch Street EC3M), with offices nationwide. We are recognised by the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK independent legal directories as a top-tier law firm in all of our key practice areas – “a diligent and professional team that is prepared to go the extra mile for its clients”.

A paperless law firm with over 500 personnel that embraces hybrid-working, we service both corporate entities and private individuals in over 25 areas of law across 60 languages. We give people a voice - that is our ethos.

Recognised among The Times 200 Best Law Firms, we have been awarded Law Firm of the Year at the 2024 Lexis Nexis Awards and 2023 Modern Law Awards, reflecting our dedication to legal expertise and client service. We hold Investors in People Gold Standard accreditation for over 15 years, showcasing our commitment to professional development. Duncan Lewis is also Law Society Lexcel, Cyber Essentials Plus, and ISO 27001 certified, ensuring excellence in practice management and data security.

We are committed to recruiting dedicated and talented professionals and welcome applications from exceptional candidates. At Duncan Lewis, we value training and diversity, and we take pride in our inclusive workforce.

The Legal 500 independent legal directory applauds our Family legal team as “superbly reliable”, “professional, personable, and very efficient”. The department is ranked and recommended by The Legal 500 UK and Chambers & Partners UK for family and matrimonial work, providing confidential advice with effective representation. Our family team includes solicitors who have achieved the Law Society’s Children Law and Family Law Advanced accreditations providing advocacy in all court proceedings, ensuring our clients receive a consistent and professional service as well as a high degree of continuity.

The Family department has expertise in assisting high net worth individuals in divorce matters with specialist divorce solicitors with expertise in domestic abuse, adoption, child abduction, prohibitive steps orders, specific issues orders, injunctions, spousal and child maintenance, properties, pensions and freezing injunctions.

Main Responsibilities of the Role:

• Report directly to Department Director
• Responsible for all aspects of Family law work including providing technical expertise and guidance to other team members
• Manage and supervise Solicitors, Trainee Solicitors and Caseworkers to manage appropriate caseload types and complexities
• Assist with delivery of appropriate training and development in the department
• Deal with a range of public and private Family / children cases including child abduction, child protection issues, special guardianship and adoption matters as well as undertaking own advocacy
• Maintain a professional pro‑active approach, strong client care skills and be interested in Business Development and Marketing to supplement the substantial work volumes brought in by the company

Key Skills Required:

• Must have a clean, valid Practising Certificate at the time of applying
• Registered with the Law Society
• Accredited Family Solicitor on the Family Law Panel (preferred) with Abduction Panel accreditation (desirable)
• Committed team player with ability to approach team concerns fairly, foster culture of positive change and encourage cross‑referrals
• Previous proven supervisory experience and working to key performance indicators
• Excellent client care skills and ability to deal with vulnerable clients and resolve complicated practicalities involved in child care issues
• Excellent networking and communication skills with the ability to successfully market the Company and generate new business
• Working knowledge of the publicly funded Family / Child Care work and ability to service privately funded cases
• Extensive experience in dealing with all Family / Child‑Care work‑related work and some expertise on adoption matters
• Experience in own advocacy is an advantage
• Excellent IT Skills – familiar with Microsoft Office applications and document management skills

What we offer:

• A fantastic supportive team
• Strong career progression with support for legal awards and professional recognition
• Excellent progression opportunities
• Support for appropriate legal awards/recognition

Salary: £42,500–£47,000 p.a., based on experience (Non-Accredited). If you attain Family Law Panel membership, base salary increases to £52,000 in London and within the M25. Supervision bonus: £8,000 (London) or £7,400 (Outside London).

Equal Opportunities: We guarantee an interview for candidates that disclose a disability and meet the essential requirements for the post. The company strives to ensure that our staff reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. Duncan Lewis is committed to Equal Opportunities and embraces diversity at all levels within the workforce.

Background Checks and Data Protection: Recruitment process will fully comply with GDPR and other applicable laws. Background checks including CRB / DBS checks will establish your eligibility to work in the UK and suitability for the role.

Application Invitation: We are always keen to hear from committed and capable people, in both legal and non‑legal roles. Whether you are an experienced practitioner or looking to begin your career, we welcome applications from individuals who want to contribute to our work.