Fittingly, 2024 approaches its conclusion with the Ponteland-based firm also announcing record-breaking, double-digit growth in both revenues and profit, results entirely down to the dedication of Major Family Law’s large and respected team. Experts in their field, they consistently go above and beyond to deliver high quality legal services to clients of all kinds, working in a collaborative and supportive environment.

In addition to the head office in Ponteland, Newcastle, Major Family Law also welcomes clients to its offices in Carlisle, Durham, Northallerton, Darlington and Middlesborough.

In recognition of their outstanding contributions, four exceptional, next generation lawyers have been promoted. Calvin Walker, Sahil Aggarwal, Stephanie Layton, and Stacy Williams all become Senior Associates. Their remarkable performance has elevated the firm and reinforced the firm’s solid reputation for authority and reliability. Additionally, Lottie Weston is deservedly celebrating qualification as a solicitor, having excelled in the new SQE examination while balancing her part-time role with the firm.

Prestigious law directory the Legal 500 describes Major Family Law as distinguished by its exceptional client care and innovative approach to cases. The latest edition, published last month, declares:

“This boutique family law firm is second to none in the Northeast. They provide an outstanding service to their clients, comparable to that of leading London firms.”

Founder and managing director Joanne Major said:

“With 15 years of proven success behind us, it’s fair to say that Major Family Law is not just a law firm any more: we have built a solid legacy of trust, innovation, and service”.

Click here to see the Hexham Courant’s coverage of this story, here to see its appearance in Bdaily, and here for the story in the Northumberland Gazette.

Our photo shows (left to right) Sahil Aggarwal, Stephanie Layton, Lottie Weston, Calvin Walker & Stacy Williams 

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The ticketed event was hosted by rugby union team the Newcastle Falcons. Guests danced joyfully to an energetic and electric menu of 80s music, before enjoying a raffle featuring many enticing prizes donated by local firms and the Falcons themselves.

The £6,000 raised will be shared between the Brain Tumour Charity, Feeding Families UK and True Colours Theatre.

Donors to the raffle included local restaurants Haveli, Fratelli’s & Cafe by Design, as well as the Carruthers and Kent wine bar, The Escape Rooms in Hexham, Hooker & Young, Walnut Hair & Beauty and Katherines Florists.

The Brain Tumour Charity funds research into the illness, and provides support, advocacy and information for people affected. The charity’s work is a mission that Major Family Law have long believed in, having previously raised no less than £37,000 for them at earlier charitable events.

Feeding Families, based in the North East, provides a range of support for people experiencing food poverty. Meanwhile, True Colours Theatre is a performing arts troupe and school for children with special needs.

Major Family Law Managing Director Joanne Major said:

“This was a great opportunity to raise money for three very worthy causes and have a lot of fun doing so! We were honoured to have the founder of True Colours Theatre, Alisar Jane Taylor join us on the night, along with some of her colleagues, Shannon and Adam, and some of the children they support through their charity.”

She added:

“Thank you to everyone who joined us and made it such a spectacular night to remember.”

Alisar Jane Taylor said:

“We were honoured to be chosen as one of the charities to benefit from the money raised at your fantastic 80’s night. Our staff and members had a wonderful evening and the vital funds that we received will be put towards new equipment for our sensory garden. Again, we cannot thank you enough for this kind donation and the invitation to your event. A fabulous night was had by all.”

Rachel Lister, Engagement Manager at Feeding Families, added:

“We are in a climate where our demand has surged by over 100 per cent, compounded by over a 100 per cent increase the year prior.  We deeply appreciate the support of The Major Law Firm in choosing Feeding Families as one of their charitable causes to raise funds for at their event. The amount raised equates to 80 essential food boxes. It’s great to see a North East business rallying behind a local charity as it really exemplifies the powerful spirit of community within our region.”

Joanne Major explained how important she believes it is for companies to give back to the communities around them:

“As a team we have grown stronger for the adversity that we have faced in our own lives, but we do not take having a job, a roof over our head, food on our table and the health of those we care about for granted.   We have had tough times, both individually and as part of our communities, but we want to do what we can to make life just that bit better for other people.”

Photo caption: Associate Solicitor Stacy Williams of Major Family Law with some of the generous prizes donated for the 80s disco charity raffle.

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“I am delighted to confirm Carly’s appointment and the promotions of Sam and Stacy. Sam and Stacy are both outstanding lawyers and invaluable members of our team. They have proven their ability and dedication to their clients, their colleagues, and the firm. We welcome Carly to Major Family Law and know that she will fit in brilliantly with our ethos of excellence and innovation. I congratulate Carly on her appointment and Sam and Stacy on their well-deserved promotions. I wish them all the best in their new roles.”

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The Legal 500, now in its 37^th annual edition, ranks law firms and individual lawyers across the country according to the testimonials of clients and the assessments of other firms, in order to create an accurate guide to the best legal expertise available.

Major Family Law is a specialist practice working with clients across the north of England. Legal 500 has once again classified the firm as a Tier 1 organisation, saying it:

“…stands out in the as a specialist family and child law boutique housing a sizeable team of experts. The group is praised for its client care which is described as ‘second to none’.”

Members of the Major Family Law team were singled out for praise:

“Managing director Joanne Hilary Major leads a strong team made up of highly experienced senior family lawyers and junior solicitors providing a pyramid structure of knowledge to their clients. Anna Hunter is experienced in complex children work with expertise in international and internal relocation and cases involving serious allegations of abuse. Legal director and litigator Lucinda Connell is experienced in alternative dispute resolution. Senior associate Sam Carter and associate Sahil Aggarwal are praised by clients as key team members.”

The firm’s Legal 500 entry features a range of enthusiastic testimonials from clients. One declared:

“The team at Major all have a client-centric approach and have a specialism in family law. The greatest pride is taken in client care and technical capabilities of the team are unrivalled in the North East region where they are highly regarded as the go to family law firm.”

Another client explained:

“My case was complicated and emotional and the response time, support and advice received proved to be above and beyond my expectations. I felt listened to and my opinions and wishes were always taken into consideration. I also felt challenged when necessary and guided well throughout my lengthy proceedings. I was updated constantly with regards to costs and predicted costs which were managed in accordance with what I could afford and plan for, and I was relieved where possible of as much of the stressful legalities of my case, which I simply couldn’t have managed alone.”

Major Family Law was founded by Joanne Major in 2009. In the latest edition of Legal500 she has been retained Hall of Fame status for the fourth year in a row.  Legal directors Sam Carter and Anna Hunter have also kept their ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Next Generation Partner’ rankings.

The Major Family Law legal team is now 22 strong. Team members include solicitors, legal directors, associates, consultant solicitors and paralegals. The support and finance teams provide the firm’s legal experts with able assistance.

Joanne Major said:

“I am very grateful to the Legal 500 for continuing to recognise the hard work and talent of the team. 2023 has been a very successful year for us, and as it winds to a close, we are making plans for further growth and success in 2024.”

Meanwhile, in the new edition of alternative legal directory Chambers and Partners, Major Family Law is also classed as a top tier Band 1 firm, with four of the team receiving individual practitioner rankings. Joanne Major is classed as an ‘Eminent Practitioner’, while Legal Directors Anna Hunter and Lucinda Connell have been placed in prestigious Bands 2 and 3 respectively. Anna and Lucinda’s fellow director Sam Carter has been named an ‘Associate to watch’.

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The boutique law firm is a contender for:

• Family Law Firm of the Year – North
• Family Law Innovation of the Year for Splittingup.com

Splittingup.com is a rich web resource for separating and divorcing couples, carefully designed to provide practical, emotionally intelligent and legally accurate information.

It was launched in autumn 2022 by Joanne Major, the award-winning founder of the firm. Major Family Law is a top-tier specialist family law firm based in Ponteland near Newcastle, operating across the North of England.

Now in their 12^th year, the LexisNexis Family Law Awards honour the important work of family lawyers, celebrating excellence, success and achievement across the sector.

Each year, a shortlist of finalists is selected by a judging panel made up of the heads of the Family Law Bar Association, Resolution, the Association of Lawyers for Children and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, along with Family Law editors and publishing professionals.

Joanne Major said:

“These are national family law awards and therefore being a finalist in two separate categories is quite an achievement for the firm.”

Major Family Law will be celebrating its 15^th year in business in January. The firm was founded on Joanne Major’s kitchen table, and in the decade and a half since has become the largest niche family law practice in the Northeast, the regional leader in private family law work. The firm now has a staff of 30, of whom 17 are specialist lawyers.

Joanne explained:

“We have come to be regarded as the “go-to” family law firm of choice, thanks to our continual focus on quality, client service, community engagement and innovation. To promote access to justice for the less well-off, we offer free 45-minute consultations with a member of our legal team because we recognize that sometimes people need legal advice without having the funds to pay for it. In addition, we offer a low-cost fixed fee for the divorce process itself, at just £300 plus VAT and court fees.”

Major Family Law is an active supporter of charities with a local presence. The firm has raised no less than £36,781 for the Brain Tumour Charity since it was established and recently extended its support to Newcastle-based homeless charity The People’s Kitchen. Members of the Major Family Law team had a great time working together in an “Apprentice” style challenge, raising a very respectable £5,430 for the charity.

Joanne Major launched online information portal www.splittingup.com in 2022 to guide readers through the pitfalls of separation and divorce or dissolution. The free-to-use site details everything someone might need to know, and who to turn to. Visitors are directed to experts as well as the firm’s lawyers, via an extensive and easy to search directory of professionals. Featured services include relationship counselling, mediation, family law, independent financial advisers and experts in estate planning.

The site also hosts an innovative podcast called Splitting Up Dot Pod. In each episode, real stories and situations are analysed by a range of national family law experts, in order to help listeners who may be going through similar situations.

This year’s LexisNexis Family Law Awards will be held on Monday 27 November 2023 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel, in London SE1.

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Katharine Lowthian has almost 30 years’ experience to offer clients. After spending the bulk of her career at major city firms, she now joins Major Family Law as a Consultant Solicitor.

Katharine has specialised solely in family law since originally qualifying as a solicitor, and she offers unparalleled expertise, in particular, to clients seeking substantial and complex financial settlements. Katharine is renowned for prioritising the emotional and financial wellbeing of her clients.

She is a former member of the influential Law Society Family Law Committee, where she worked to help shape good practice across the whole of the English and Welsh legal sectors.

Katharine lives in Jesmond, Newcastle with her husband Tim and daughter Charlotte. She enjoys walking her dog, reading and exploring the natural wonders of Northumberland and the Lake District.

Solicitor Kalem Grant is the second new recruit. He graduated from Northumbria University in 2019 with a first class degree in law, before going on to train with a firm in Sunderland, where he qualified as a solicitor in Summer 2021.

In the two years since Kalem has gained valuable experience in a broad range of family law issues, including financial settlement work, divorce law, domestic abuse law, and cases involving children. Kalem has already developed a reputation for hard work and dedication to achieving the best possible outcome for clients.

Away from work, Kalem enjoys playing football and hiking. He recently completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge.

Managing Director Joanne Major said:

“The strength of any legal firm lies entirely in its team, in the skills and expertise of the individual solicitors who work there. I have always been very aware of that, since founding the firm in 2009, and worked to recruit the very best talent I could find. Kalem and Katharine are ideal additions to the team and I look forward to work with both for years to come.”

The new appointments bring the Major Family Law legal team to 17 solicitors and three paralegals.

In addition to its Ponteland base, Major Family Law now works to meet demand for its services across the north, via satellite offices in Carlisle, Durham, Northallerton, Darlington, and Middlesborough, with Morpeth to follow soon.

Despite the strains of the Covid pandemic, Major Family Law achieved its best ever financial performance in 2022, with turnover hitting record levels.

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Each team was given a float of £200 and tasked with applying their entrepreneurial skills to raise as much money as possible for charity.

Dubbed The Apprentice Comes North, the winner was…drum roll, please…the Major Contenders – but by the tiniest of margins: just £1.70! Nevertheless, the All For Wons still had to make a boardroom appearance to discuss their loss!

Altogether, the teams raised a very impressive £5430.32 for the People’s Kitchen, which has been providing food, resources and support for vulnerable and homeless people across the Newcastle region since 1985.

The Apprentice Comes North featured weekly challenges for each team, chosen to help boost morale, motivation and team-building. These included:

• Baking the largest most creative pancake for Shrove Tuesday.
• Creating a 30-second advertisement for assessment by former BBC News correspondent Al Leithead.
• Designing a corporate Christmas card.
• ‘Flash mob’ dance-offs, in which members of each team danced in a public location. Everyone’s efforts were judged by a former professional TV dancer.

Each team was also tasked with organising their own, bespoke, fundraising event. The Major Contenders opted for a wine and charcutier taster evening courtesy of Eleven Restaurant, Ponteland. Meanwhile, “Barmy Bingo” courtesy of Tynedale Rugy Club was the choice of the All For Wons. Major Family Law Founder and Managing director Joanne Major described both events as:

“…splendid achievements that would give the very best of event managers a run for their money.”

The Apprentice Comes North had been unqualified success, she added.

“It’s been tremendous fun and has proved to be a successful, energising way to get the staff to work together in the challenges set by allowing their creative and innovative talents to shine forth. I’m just a little sad it’s now over and can see why Lord Sugar comes back for more each year. Very well done fellow legal contender, Boxing Barrister Marnie on your recent deserved Apprentice success and bravo to everyone here at Major Family Law; it was the taking part not the winning: you’re all still hired!”

Photo caption: The team captains present the cheque! [from left] People’s Kitchen volunteer Lisa; Major Family Law Legal Assistant Rachael Jonas; People’s Kitchen volunteer Brian; Major Family Law Solicitor Stacy Williams; People’s Kitchen volunteer Liz

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Top North East law firm Major Family Law has launched a ground-breaking new website to guide people who are splitting up through the pitfalls of separation and divorce.

SplittingUp.com is an online portal for those who don’t know where to turn to for help and advice when a relationship hits the rocks, and provides access to some of the country’s top experts and lawyers through an extensive and easy to search directory of professionals.

From relationship counselling and mediation services to divorce lawyers and barristers, the site provides contact with financial advisors, experts in estate planning and independent financial advisers.

The one-stop-shop answers the most-asked questions on crucial topics like managing the finances, doing what’s best for the children and what to do when it all ends up in court.

The website has been created by award-winning solicitor Joanne Major, who launched SplittingUp.com and accompanying podcast at Whitewall Galleries in Newcastle.

Ninety guests attended the launch and were also treated to an exhibition of some of the artwork on sale by Banksy, Damien Hirst, Salvador Dali, contemporary artist Fabian Perez and street art phenomenon Mr. Brainwash.

The launch brought together experts featured on the new website, guests from Major Family Law and colleagues from partnering businesses and supporting services, and raised £420 for The Brain Tumour Charity by raffling a limited edition print donated by the Whitewall Galleries.

Gallery Manager Georgina Llewelyn said she was credibly proud to share the never-before-seen collection, as the number of people investing in fine art has more than doubled this year.

“It was an honour and privilege to bring the collection to the north-east. When Jo suggested us hosting a launch party for SplittingUp.com it seemed the perfect opportunity. I can’t tell you how many times I heard ‘I never knew that I could buy a Banksy in Newcastle!”

Joanne Major is listed in The Legal 500 Hall of Fame as an expert in divorce and family settlement. She created SplittingUp.com after more than 25 years advising people on how to navigate a separation. She explained:

“I was delighted to collaborate with the Whitewall Galleries for the launch of the website. It’s designed to help people navigating the breakdown of a relationship or splitting up for the first time, they often just don’t know where to start. The internet provides too many choices – too much information. The reason for creating SplittingUp.com was to dilute all that information, make it accessible, and empower those going through a separation to understand how to approach the right people.”

Joanne Major is also hosts accompanying podcast SplittingUp.pod. Here real stories and situations are analysed by experts to help others going through similar situations. Listen to episodes here, on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.

Whitewall have more than 80 galleries worldwide and run public events with artists throughout the year, as well as private events. For more information call 0191 233 1394.

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The assessments within each year’s edition of the Legal 500 are based on the views of peers and the experiences clients. They provide a reliable guide to the skills and achievements of firms and practitioners within the legal sector. The 2023 edition is the 36^th to be published.

Major Family Law is a boutique firm working with private clients across the north of England, and its ranking features many glowing testimonials. Some speak of the firm’s good reputation across Northumberland and beyond.

“This large team of family and divorce is known as the go-to firm in the region. I am a business owner and entrepreneur and have frequently heard about this firm and its talented lawyers for many years, thereby making it a natural choice when I needed help. The vanguard of the firm, Joanne Major is an influential, innovative woman who has developed her very own, unique brand of family law.”

Others address the day-to-day experience of working with the firm to resolve divorce, dissolution and other family matters:

“I cannot recommend this practice highly enough. They were extremely professional throughout the whole process. Everything was explained well, and in a way which was easy to understand. All communication was well managed, queries were answered quickly and efficiently and they made everything as painless as possible. The billing was very clear and very reasonable.”

Another testimonial concludes that the firm:

“…stands out head and shoulders above any other matrimonial finance firms in Newcastle and the North East. They are quite simply the ‘go-to’ firm in the region, having outstanding strength in depth and some superb individual practitioners.”

The Legal 500 also provides rankings for individual lawyers, and in the new edition Managing Director Joanne Major has retained her Hall of Fame status for the third consecutive year. This accolade means she is “widely regarded as being at the very top of the profession”, and has been acclaimed as a leading practitioner by the Legal 500 for at least eight of the last ten years.

Meanwhile, Legal Director Anna Hunter retains her status as a “next generation partner” within the firm. The Legal 500 apply this status to lawyers who have achieved “significant recognition from clients and peers in the market, and recent lead roles on multiple matters”.

Anna’s colleague Sam Carter has held on to his “rising star”, in acknowledgement of the way he appears “frequently in significant matters [cases]”and is “widely cited by peers and/or clients as having made major contributions.” Sam was promoted to Senior Associate earlier this year.

Major Family Law was founded by Joanne Major in 2009 and since become one of the largest boutique family law firms across the north of England. The firm has now 27 employees, including 15 specialist solicitors, and operates across three offices – Ponteland near Newcastle, Carlisle and Durham.

Joanne Major said:

“I’m very grateful that the Legal 500 continues to acknowledge our hard-working and very talented team. Business continues to boom here at Major Family Law and we’re all looking forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.”

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