Article in the North East Times
2012 has been marked by a series of joyous and extraordinary events in Britain’s history – the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the London Olympics and our Gold Medal triumphs. For Major Family Law, 2012 will also be remembered for some well deserved successes as it continued to go from strength to strength whilst maintaining its reputation for excellence, innovation and knowledge.
The Firm was ranked “top of the tree” in this year’s Legal 500. Chambers UK Directory recommended Major Family Law as “an efficient and friendly firm” offering “specialist knowledge in all aspects of family law” and winning cases from a range of jurisdictions including cross-border and internationally.
Joanne firmly believes that she has put together an exceptional team of Lawyers who are able to provide a first class service to all their clients. All the “superteam” at Major Family Law, are members of Resolution, the national organisation of family lawyers committed to non-confrontational divorce and separation and three out of four specialist solicitors are trained in Collaborative Law.
In 2012 Major Family embraced the many changes taking place within UK Family Law, ensuring that all specialist laws were trained in the most up to date methods such as Dispute Resolution. They attended the national Dispute Resolution Conference at Oxford University to learn more about a solution based approach to Family Law which the Firm now offers. In 2013 the Firm will be investing in alternative ways of resolving disputes for their clients recognizing that one approach does not suit all. This year shall see major changes within the profession and an increasing emphasis to resolves family based disputes by way of alternative Non-Court options.
Major Family Law remains very much at the forefront of Family Law development. Their organization of the first ever Family Law Tweet-up in London in April 2012 helped to raise their profile and enhance their reputation far outside the region.
Major Family Law’s use of Twitter is now well chartered. It was the first Firm in the North East to realize the potential of Social Media and many of the larger City Centre Firms are now following their lead. The Tweet-up was sponsored by Lexis Nexis, a leading publisher of family law online and print content and was attended by over 50 Family Law luminaries. It was a perfect opportunity for networking and the sharing of ideas.
Major Family Law’s marketing is always relevant, compelling and innovative, sometimes a little quirky. The Firm has, for the second year run a campaign advertising on milk-bottles. The slogan emblazoned on them in 2012 was:
“ When your problems are no longer pint sized talk to Major Family Law”. In November the Firm began to produce a range of corporate videos. Realising that the array of family law solutions may be baffling for clients, Major Family Law took the step of putting together an animated video which clearly explains options available following the breakdown of a relationship. This may be viewed on their website (www.majorfamilylaw.co.uk) but will it go viral?
Major Family law has major plans for 2013. The Firm plans to expand into larger premises and Joanne Major is already actively recruiting for another specialist Family Lawyer to join her burgeoning team. Joanne says:
I am delighted with the achievements and success of my Major Team and welcome the challenges the year has in store not just for my Firm but for the family law profession as a whole. Perhaps 2013 is the year for Part 11 of the Family Law Act 1996 to be finally implemented given it is now widely recognized divorce law reform is long overdue. A new landscape awaits us with the introduction of the new Family Law Court and I shall look forward with interest as I enter my 17th year working exclusively in the field of family law to the transformation of the family justice system.
Written by Joanne Major, Principal of Major Family Law, the Divorce and Family Law Specialists. Twitter: @majorfamilylaw
T: 01661 82 45 82 W: www.majorfamilylaw.co.uk.