Child Care Solicitors

In this episode, Our Family and Child Care Solicitors, Jemma Gates, Acton Myles Afonso and Nicole Francisco explore legal aid in family law, covering both private and public children law proceedings, as well as divorce and finance matters in England and Wales.

Our hosts guide you through the requirements for legal aid, address common misconceptions and discuss the application process and required evidence. They also provide insights into divorce and financial proceedings. This is a must-listen for anyone seeking clarity on the support available through legal aid.

You can listen to the podcast episode here: Episode 7: A Guide to Legal Aid Services and Eligibility Requirements

You can also catch up with season 1 so far:

Episode 6: Understanding Prenups and Postnups in Divorce: Dive into the intricacies of prenuptial and postnuptial Agreements with our family law experts.

Episode 5: Breaking the Silence on Female Genital Mutilation: with over 230 million girls and women affected worldwide, our team delves into the critical issue of FGM.

Episode 4:  Exploring Forced Marriages within the Family Courts - A Hidden Crime examines the critical issue of forced marriages and the support and assistance available to victims.

Episode 3: In this episode, Untangling Assets, Divorce and Finance, the team untangle the complexities of family finances during divorce proceedings.

Episode 2: Breaking the Silence: Understanding Domestic Violence delves into the critical issue of domestic violence within the context of family law, featuring a compelling interview with Sue Burke, Chief Executive of MK Act, which is dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic abuse.

Episode 1: The first episode, Split Decisions: Understanding Finances and Mediation during Divorce, sets the stage for what listeners can expect from the series.  Our expert family law team tackles the often daunting financial aspects of divorce, shedding light on the benefits of mediation and offering invaluable insights on how individuals can navigate this challenging terrain with confidence and clarity.

About the hosts:

Jemma Gates is a Solicitor in the Child Care department at Duncan Lewis based in Milton Keynes. Qualifying as a solicitor in 2011, Jemma specialises in representing parents in both public law and private law children matters. She has experience in handling both publicly funded and privately funded matters.

Acton Myles Afonso is a Child Care Solicitor based at the Duncan Lewis City of London office. Acton has represented parents, husbands, wives and other family members in court proceedings including applications for care orders, special guardianship orders, child arrangement, specific issue and prohibited steps orders and divorce and financial remedy matters.

Nicole Francisco is a Trainee Solicitor in the Child Care Department at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, based in the Milton Keynes office. Her role involves dealing with cases of Public and Private Children Law.

Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Duncan Lewis Solicitors' family law team is renowned for its outstanding legal services, and is ranked top tier by The Legal 500 2024 guide, which highlights its dedication to client service. The team covers a wide range of family law areas, including complex international child abduction, special guardianship orders, wardship, surrogacy, adoption, and public law children cases. They're also skilled in handling high-value divorces and cohabitation agreements.

For specialist legal advice on prenuptial or postnuptial agreements and related family matters, please contact one of our team members in confidence on 033 3772 0409.