SUSAN HOWARTH & CO SOLICITORS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Billing Clerk
- & Company As Billing Clerk
- Business Support Services
With an extensive background in Accounts, Stock Control and Production, Alan joined Susan Howarth & Company as Billing Clerk in 2007 and has never looked back!
Popular with clients and staff alike, Alan has a calm and friendly demeanour, naturally putting people at ease.
Alan specialises in all aspects of the billing process, such as preparation of bills and cost schedules, LAA submissions and debt management - he genuinely enjoys resolving client's queries.
When he's not grappling with numbers and bills, Alan enjoys spending time with his partner and Garfield the cat. History books are his favourite read and when he has the chance, he enjoys watching a spot of rugby, football and boxing. Alan loves a bit of cake but isn't so keen on garlic!
With an extensive background in customer service and office administration, Alice joined Susan Howarth & Company in 2021, initially working on Reception, using her initiative to improve administrative processes and procedures and helping the ‘front of house' operate more smoothly and efficiently.
With an ability to quicky learn and apply new skills, combined with a fantastic hard-working ‘can do' attitude, Alice has gone from strength to strength, moving on to become a Legal Secretary in the Wills, Trust & Probate department, working closely with Emma Stride and Lisa Kingston.
A busy lady with a cute but dopey dog and the world's fluffiest cat (!), in her spare time Alice enjoys reading, her favourite books being The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon (we concur!) and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Somewhat of a cheese connoisseur, Alice has also been known to secretly schnaffle the occasional chocolate or two!
Job Titles:
- Legal Secretary
- BID Co - Ordinator
- Legal Secretary / Commercial Property / Residential Property
Joining Susan Howarth & Company in 2021, Claire has great experience in planning, organisational, scheduling and multitasking, not to mention a keen eye for detail. Also able to work well under pressure, it's all good news for the Conveyancing Team and their clients!
In her spare time, when she's not moonlighting as a taxi driver, ferrying her children to and from weekly swimming galas throughout the North West, Claire enjoys walking their Lhasa Apso and enjoying a few glasses of fizz on a Friday!
Job Titles:
- Family Law Executive
- Family Law Executive / Family Law
With over 40 years of legal expertise, David is a hugely experienced Family Lawyer with an incredible reputation across Northwich and throughout Cheshire.
Joining Susan Howarth & Company in 2022, David brings over 20 years of Family Law specialism, having developed particular expertise in the area of financial remedy claims. His calm and reassuring manner helps put clients at ease and David has quickly become a valued and much-liked member of the Family Law team.
David has a clear passion for his work and being in a position to help people through what it often one of life's major challenges, the breakdown of a close personal relationship, is incredibly important to him - something that, interestingly and genuinely, is a very common sentiment throughout our Family Law team.
Outside work, David enjoys fishing, sports and aviation as well as a good clifftop walk with his partner and two shorkies, Bella and Bertie. His guilty pleasure is a cheeky crispy crème donut but he ‘always avoids a lamb roast' (there must be a story there!).
Something you didn't know: as a 16-year old, David once interviewed at British Airways and subsequently found himself on a flight with 6 England players - super cool one might think, but not so for young David - as most were Manchester United players and David is a lifelong City supporter, he was pretty unimpressed by all accounts!!
Expertise
Divorce
With over 30 years of general administration experience gained in Sales and Accounts Departments, Debra's skills cover general reception and telephone work, order processing, sales invoicing and purchase ledger, in addition to broader administrative duties.
Debra joined Susan Howarth & Company in 2022 on a temporary contract, working alongside Niki Greig covering Reception, fast becoming a permanent and well-liked addition to the SH&Co. team later the same year.
In her capacity as Receptionist, Debra not only supports the reception area but also performs additional office administrative tasks. Reliable and hardworking, Debra loves meeting and greeting clients, welcoming them into the practice and helping where possible.
In her spare time, Debra enjoys pilates, bike riding, gardening and reading anything by Lesley Pearce, not to mention long leisurely walks in the countryside with her cocker spaniel.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Solicitor
- Solicitors and Legal Executives
Emma qualified as a solicitor in 1990 and has always specialised in Wills and Probate (estate administration), Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection. Emma joined Susan Howarth & Company in January 2018 and heads up our private client department.
Emma deals mainly in drafting Wills, Inheritance tax planning, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection applications and estate administration. Emma is a long-standing member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and of the Law Society's Private Client Section.
Emma is highly dedicated and methodical, and enjoys creating order out of chaos. However, her focus is always on her clients - she gets huge satisfaction from applying her legal knowledge to help and guide clients, particularly those she meets at our free weekly Wills & Probate drop-in clinic.
A busy working mum and owner of two very greedy Labradors, Emma loves cheese and hates offal! Her favourite place in the world is the French Alps and she'd one day like to hike the full Tour Du Mont Blanc.
Expertise
Wills and inheritance tax planning
Tax and estate planning
Job Titles:
- Director
- Practice Manager
- Practice Manager / Joining Susan Howarth & Company
as Practice Manager in 2019 and becoming a member of the management team in 2023, Jaclyn has more than 15 years' experience in finance, accounts and administration, 9 years' experience as a Legal Cashier with additional HR and office management experience, and qualifications in Business and Finance.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Solicitor
- Consultant Solicitor / Residential Property
John studied Law at Cambridge University and qualified in 1969. Throughout his career, John has gained broad experience in many areas of law, but for many years has specialised in Residential Conveyancing, Wills & Probate.
After setting up his own practice in 1975, it grew through amalgamations and internal growth to become the largest legal practice in Warrington. John held the position of Senior Partner up until 2009, after which he practiced as a Consultant Solicitor until 2017.
Joining Susan Howarth & Company in July 2017, John works alongside Lisa Harding in further developing the Residential Property department.
Married for over 50 years, John has two children and two grandchildren. He has a keen interest in current affairs and enjoys following rugby, football and cricket. When time permits, he's also known to have some pretty nifty green fingers!
Expertise
Residential Sales
Residential Purchase
Job Titles:
- Legal Secretary
- Legal Secretary / Commercial Property / Residential Property
Leaving school to become an office junior in a solicitor's practice, Julie quickly progressed to become a Legal Secretary and has specialised in Residential Conveyancing since joining Susan Howarth & Company in 1998.
After joining the HM Courts & Tribunal Services in 2003, Kate progressed to become a Legal Assistant in 2014 gaining significant experience in Private Client work and has since specialised in Family law.
With a friendly and pleasant manner, Kate quickly puts clients at ease and is an attentive listener.
For Kate, her job is all about the people and her greatest sense of satisfaction comes from knowing she's helped in some way, sometimes if only to give her time and lend an ear - and she's obviously good at it as she's be known to receive bunches of flowers from clients as thanks!
A family-focussed person, Kate grows her own vegetables and loves her daily dog walks. A hodophile at heart, Kate has travelled extensively, para-gliding off Babadag mountain and swimming with dolphins en route. Next on her bucket list, to explore Asia, Australia and New Zealand (whilst avoiding peas and deep water at all costs!).
Job Titles:
- Licensed Conveyancer
- Licensed Conveyancer / Residential Property
With 35 years practising residential experience, the last 10 of which as a qualified Licensed Conveyancer, Lisa offers a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her clients.
Joining Susan Howarth & Company in July 2022, Lisa works alongside John Spittle in further developing the Residential Property department and was instrumental in our recent Law Society CQS re-accreditation.
Another feather in Lisa's cap is reinstating SH&Co. onto the Virgin Money's Lender Panel, helping the team go from strength to strength.
Dedicated to her clients, Lisa loves seeing a file through from start to finish and ensuring that her clients' needs and expectations are exceeded.
Outside of work, Lisa is a fan of the classics including Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, but will also happily indulge in a Star Wars or Minions boxset binge with her Jack Russell Diesel and Husband Richard. She also loves walking, making cards and cross stitching.
Lisa was an unordained minister of her previous church which also involved a hands on approach and involvement in the church again ensuring that peoples' needs were always addressed.
Lisa graduated with a law degree (with honours) in 2018 and a masters in Legal Practice (with distinction) in 2019, joining SH&Co. in September 2019.
Highly organised and compassionate, following a further seat in Family Law, Lisa qualified in December 2023 and works alongside Emma Stride (TEP) specialising in Private Client (Wills, Trust & Probate).
Job Titles:
- Legal Secretary
- Legal Secretary / Commercial Property / Residential Property
Lisa started her legal career in 1997 as an office junior, progressing to become a Conveyancing Secretary the same year and joining Susan Howarth & Company in 2017.
With a strong background in residential conveyancing, Lisa specialises in assisting with the day to day progress of property transactions and providing invaluable support to the solicitors both during and after completion.
Outside of work, Lisa's priority is spending time with her two sons and would one day like to take them to Disneyland in Florida. Her favourite place in the world is Barbados and she loves a good beach!
Graduating in Law in 2021, Madeleine subsequently completed the LPC LLM whilst simultaneously gaining valuable commercial experience in the Family Department at Lewis Rodgers; working with, supporting, advising and representing clients at case management hearings and in care proceedings, and working with barristers on some exceptionally complicated cases.
Joining the Family Law Department (Care Team) at Susan Howarth & Company in December 2023, Madeleine is keen to apply and further develop the valuable skills and knowledge she gained working with a range of clients, including those more vulnerable and often with complex needs.
Extremely hard-working, organised and highly client-focussed, Madeleine was always destined for a career in law, after a primary school teacher once told her she could ‘argue for England' (at the time, as a school council representative!) - and she never looked back!
Outside work, Madeleine loves spending quality time with her family and Gus (her black cat), providing spiders and aniseed aren't involved! A fan of shopping, travel and playing badminton, she also enjoys socialising with friends and watching the England cricket team with her dad.
Job Titles:
- Legal Secretary
- Legal Secretary / Family Law
Michelle joined Susan Howarth & Company in June 2023 with almost 30 years of legal sector experience, having spent over 2 decades working as a legal secretary and gaining significant experience across multiple areas of law, including personal injury, medical negligence, employment, residential conveyancing, commercial, private client and family law.
Hardworking and fastidious, with excellent organisational skills, Michelle further strengthens our considerably experienced Family Law department and is already a valuable member of the team.
When not supporting our busy Family Law department, Michelle loves spending time with her husband and two furbabies (one of whom is mad as a box of frogs at times!). Having recently taken up horseriding again and rediscovered this passion, Michelle is hoping to own a horse of her own again.
In an attempt to overcome her intense fear of heights, Michelle is planning to jump out of a plane whilst visiting family in New Zealand soon - brave lady!
Interesting fact: Michelle once met Paul Crone (aka ‘Croney') on Granada Reports when she and her friends were covered for their fascination with Take That!
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Solicitor
- Associate Solicitor / Family Law
Eager to pursue a career in law from a young age and after completing a degree in Law, Nicola began her career as a Care Paralegal and was fully qualified by 2013.
Joining Susan Howarth & Company in 2021, Nicola brings substantial commercial experience in family law, having also worked within Public Care and Legal Aid teams, with particular expertise in Children and Domestic Abuse.
Driven with a desire to improve her clients' lives and obtain the best possible outcome for them, Nicola especially loves to see more vulnerable clients grow in confidence and realise a positive outlook for their future.
Outside work, spending time at the seaside with her family is Nicola's ‘happy place'. Nicola occasionally indulges in a Netflix boxset binge but has also been known to take part in various fundraising activities such as the Pink Collar Boxing challenge - a worthy and respectable contender, we certainly won't be messing with her!
Expertise
Child Arrangements incl. contact arrangements, residence; and Prohibited Steps/Specific Issue
Domestic Abuse/Violence
Care Proceedings
Qualifications
LLB (Hons) Law
Niki joined Susan Howarth & Company in December 2021 on a temporary contract, working alongside Debra covering Reception, becoming a permanent and popular addition to the SH&Co. team in 2022.
In her capacity as Receptionist, Niki not only supports the reception area but also performs additional office administrative tasks and supports management and fee-earners.
With a strong background in customer services, Niki has a real desire to help clients as much as possible - kind, caring and reassuring with a genuine happy demeanour, she truly brightens anyone's day.
With a busy life including 4 children and a cockerpoo, Niki is a great food-lover (apart from Jam, yuk!) and would one day love to jump out of a plane (crazy woman!) and travel around the world.
A little-known fact about our Niki is that she as once featured on This Morning in their ‘Britain's Got Talent' feature…but, why?! This, we need to know more about!
Rosie joined Susan Howarth & Company in 2015 as a Social Media and Marketing Consultant.
Prior to this, Rosie worked in the IT Recruitment sector, running her own business for 10 years. A ‘people-person', determined and a stickler for detail, Rosie enjoys the diversity of her role and turning her hand to new skills.
When not tip-tapping away on her laptop, Rosie enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children, ideally throwing themselves off the tops of snowy mountains in Switzerland. She likes a spot of yoga, swimming, reading psychological thrillers and diving into a good boxset when the kids are asleep (preferably with a Spanish G&T in hand!).
A specialist in Child Care Law and a member of the Law Society Children Panel for more than 10 years, Sonia has a wealth of knowledge and almost 20 years of commercial experience in Child & Family Law and mediation.
Joining SH&Co. in July 2022, Sonia specialises in assisting parents through stressful and often difficult and complicated court proceedings, acting for her clients in pre-proceedings, care proceedings, adoption, special guardianship orders and discharge of care orders, handling all forms of complex elements throughout the case. In addition to this, Sonia is also qualified to represent Guardian's in care proceedings, acting on their behalf to represent the children.
Sonia frequently acts for clients with whom English is not their first language, taking instructions where possible without assistance however also working closely with interpreters, and has significant experience working on cases with an international element.
Sonia has significant experience of Public Law cases involving allegations of Non Accidental Injury with the attendant difficulties of complex medical evidence. Sonia has also represented the Mother in a multi-party public law litigation which was described by the Judge as appearing to be the largest public law family case to be litigated.
Outside of work, Sonia enjoys spending time with her family, cycling with friends and eating out, trying new cuisines. Sonia is an avid traveller with a soft-spot for her home county of Cornwall and Barbados.
Sonia's claim to fame is once bumping into Catherine Zeta Jones at the High Court in London, as a Trainee Solicitor!
Expertise
Pre-proceedings
Care Proceedings - Interim Care Orders, Interim Supervision Orders,
Discharge of Care Orders/Supervision Orders
Adoption
Special Guardianship Orders
Qualifications
The Law Society Children Panel
LPC
PGDL
BSc Sociology
Sue joined Susan Howarth & Company in 2000 with more than 25 years legal and architectural secretarial experience. Initially working in the Family Law department, she further specialised and moved into the Care Proceedings and Adoption department in 2013.
Accurate, efficient and organised, Sue provides invaluable support to the specialist department which is paperwork intensive and incredibly busy, often with very quick and tight turnarounds.
When not supporting Stephen and Lauren, Sue loves going out for meals, being sure to steer clear of tripe, broad beans and butter beans! She'd love to swim with dolphins one day and her guilty pleasure is watching Casualty with a bottle of prosecco!
Job Titles:
- Director
- Family Law & Mediation
- Family Law & Mediation / Family Law
Victoria has worked in the legal sector since she was 16. Working initially as an office junior, she progressed through legal secretary and paralegal before qualifying as a member of the institute of Legal Executives in 1997 and being admitted as a fellow in 1999.
Victoria specialises in all aspects of Family Law, including divorce, finances, domestic abuse, the Children's Act and mediation. Victoria joined Susan Howarth & Company in January 2005 and was appointed a Director in 2017.
Victoria is a Resolution-trained Mediator, a Resolution Accredited Specialist in Domestic Violence and Children Law (private), an FMC Accredited Family Mediator (all issues) and is the practice Supervisor for the Residential Conveyancing department and the Law Society's CQS accreditation.
Committed, compassionate and honest is how clients frequently describe Victoria as she is incredibly dedicated and has an extraordinary work ethic, often ‘going that extra mile' for her clients. For Victoria, it's simple - her focus is on making a difference and helping her clients when they are often at their most vulnerable.
Outside of work, Victoria is a busy mum of two and owns a cavapoo and a cat, so life revolves around her family. When she's lucky enough to grab some ‘me time', Victoria loves diving into anything written by Lee Child or David Baldacci. An interesting ‘did you know' fact about Victoria: she holds a motorbike licence!
Expertise
Divorce
Job Titles:
- Legal Secretary
- Legal Secretary / Family Law
Wendy has been a legal secretary since she was 17, supporting many areas of law for more than 20 years before joining Susan Howarth & Company in 2005 to specialise in Family Law.
Highly experienced and knowledgeable, Wendy is also both personable and sympathetic - a good day at work is knowing she's helped a client who is going through a difficult time.
Although Wendy enjoys eating out and listening to music in her spare time, she was bitten by the travel bug many years ago and loves nothing more than jet-setting off to far-flung lands when she can. Her favourite place in the world is India and she hopes to re-visit the orangutans in Borneo sometime soon!