At some point in our lives we will need to consult a solicitor. It might be about our property or investments. It could relate to our workforce or family. It might be a dispute we'd rather not be in. Or it might be the chance to embark on the business opportunity of a lifetime. Whatever your need, you deserve straightforward, uncomplicated advice that delivers results, and that is where we come in. With a comprehensive range of services, Ashtons Legal will give you prompt and effective advice for your business or personal matter.
The rankings below show the areas of expertise that Ashtons Legal offers to clients. You can see how good the service offered is in comparison to all other law firms nationally.
Data shown above is based on the reviews and client feedback collected by ReviewSolicitors over the last 12 months.
I’ve been using Ashton’s Legal for almos 2 years. They’re extremely professional and patient. All the staff have been considerate and calm and they’re knowledgeable. Stephen was very reassuring whilst helping me through court too. I would recommend them highly.
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I required a solicitor to guide me through a redundancy settlement agreement. On the recommendation of a close friend I visited Ashtons. From reception through to final meeting everyone was very helpful, professional and gave you time. I would have no hesitation in recommending Ashtons to anyone.
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Ashtons Legal responded to this review on 04 February, 2019
Thank you for your review. We appreciate the positive feedback you have given us and look forward to working with you in the future.
Stephen Williams acted in my divorce. From our initial meeting, Stephen offered clear, considered and pragmatic advice. His professionalism and wealth of experience coupled with a calm, reassuring manner was of great comfort throughout a traumatic period. Eminently capable, he readily identified the key issues, seemed to have a sixth sense on how matters would unfold and was always one step ahead. He kept me focused on the end result and guided me expertly through the whole process. His clear view on what the financial outcome would be (he was right!) was enormously helpful as I planned for my future. I would highly recommend both Stephen and Ashtons Legal.
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Ashtons Legal responded to this review on 25 January, 2019
Thank you for your review. We appreciate the positive feedback you have given us and look forward to working with you in the future.
Amazing service that never let me down in 9 years. I would strongly recommend to everyone.
Mr Stephen Williams is a law ace and always goes an extra mile to fit you in his busy diary and deliver an excellent outcome.
Much obliged
K & family
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Ashtons Legal responded to this review on 19 December, 2018
Thank you for your review. We appreciate the positive feedback you have given us and look forward to working with you in the future.
Couldn’t have found a better solicitor than Tom Ranson. Got a much higher payout by using Tom than what my old solicitor estimated! After 5 years since my accident we settled, the support I had from Ashton’s was unbelievable.
Honestly cannot thank Ashton’s enough for what they have done. Highly recommended.
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Ashtons Legal responded to this review on 28 November, 2018
Thank you for your review. We appreciate the positive feedback you have given us and look forward to working with you in the future.
I was faced with a particularly difficult and high conflict divorce. I chose Stephen Williams at Ashton’s in Ipswich as he has a wealth of experience in high conflict divorce cases. I knew mine would be a long battle. He was exceptional, calm and kind in helping me through an emotionally difficult process of separating from a long standing abusive marriage. His advice was professional and sensible. He has a wonderful sense of humour (much needed!). His secretary and assistants were very helpful and friendly. I can not fault the service I received. He constantly reassured me when it felt at times as though it would never end. He also instructed the best barristers on my behalf. I would absolutely recommend Stephen as a family solicitor for anyone wanting a professional, understanding, kind and highly experienced lawyer to guide them through what can be a very trying process.
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Ashtons Legal responded to this review on 31 October, 2018
Thank you very much for your recommendation. We are delighted you are pleased with the service you received. Best wishes. Vicki
Solid, reliable and very supportive legal advice from Stephen Williams, who has been very approachable, personally very reassuring, helpful and supportive of ensuring a fair, equitable outcome. He has reassured me when the process became overwhelming and stressful, as inevitably divorce does become! I would highly recommend Stephen and the Ashtons team. I will most definately use Ashtons for all further legal advice e.g conveyancing, wills etc.
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Ashtons Legal responded to this review on 31 October, 2018
Thank you for your review. We appreciate the positive feedback you have given us and look forward to working with you in the future.
There is a time in your life, Like a Divorce when you cannot control events, Its the worst thing for me that's just how I am. Meeting Stephen Williams at Ashton Legal, a Solicitors which I have used before, I immediately felt was some who understood how I felt and was willing to work with me.
The correspondence was unrelenting and we work together to minimise the responses. I relied on this knowledge to guide me though decisions I had to make and When it came to going to court Stephen organised counsel to attend with, being the less expensive option!!
Divorces are expensive but all in all Stephen I felt was fair and reasonable with the costs involved.
And I lived to tell the Tale!!
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Ashtons Legal responded to this review on 31 October, 2018
Many thanks for your review and best wishes for the future. Vicki
I have used Ashton’s several times now. They are very professional, efficient, trust worthy and I highly recommend them. Thank you
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I found all of the staff at the Fornham St Martins office, especially Danielle Williamson and Tracy Wells , to be extremely helpful to me. As a first time seller I found the staff were very reassuring and knowledgeable regarding information requested on my house sale. The Customer Serevice I received was excellent and the staff a credit to Ashtons Legal
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Good honest professional services
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Excellent advice
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Ashtons Legal responded to this review on 21 March, 2019
Thank you for your review. We appreciate the positive feedback you have given us and look forward to working with you in the future.
Professional friendly supportive service. Would highly recommend.
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Ashtons Legal responded to this review on 21 March, 2019
Thank you for your review. We appreciate the positive feedback you have given us and look forward to working with you in the future.
Very good to deal with and great communication.
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Ashtons Legal responded to this review on 27 February, 2019
Thank you for your review. We appreciate the positive feedback you have given us and look forward to working with you in the future.
They didn't fallow court order and steal money from my husband. Now we'll have to go through the court again to recover whats ours
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Ashtons Legal responded to this review on 04 February, 2019
As a firm we adhere to high standards in accordance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Unfortunately we can not identify you as a client from the name provided, if your husband has a complaint that has not been resolved, please contact us directly on clientcarepartner@ashtonslegal.co.uk
Geoff is a partner and Head of the Corporate & Commercial team. He specialises in Company Acquisitions, Banking, Corporate Finance, General Commercial. Geoff trained and qualified with a London firm where he gained experience of a variety of corporate transactions including AIM flotation’s and public company takeovers. He joined the firm in 2007. He acts for clients in a number of sectors including retail, engineering, recruitment, manufacturing, professional services, agriculture and finance.
Janette Wand is a Senior Associate and deals with all aspects of private client work including will drafting, advice on inheritance tax and other taxes, estate planning, preparation of trust documents, advising on and registering enduring and lasting powers of attorney, administration of estates (probate). Janette has dealt with high net worth individuals and their estates, including farming and business assets. She has a particular specialism in advising elderly and vulnerable clients and their families on issues surrounding succession, tax and mental capacity. She also deals with deputyship applications at the Court of Protection. Janette qualified into this area of work in 2007 with another Legal 500 firm and joined Ashtons Legal in June 2014. She is a qualified member of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Janette is the Programme Secretary and Vice Chair of the local STEP committee. She is also Chair of the Corporate Social Responsibility committee at Ashtons Legal. Janette volunteers for the local Citizens’ Advice Bureau and Age UK law clinic and has given talks to local dementia support groups and at a NHS Palliative Care Conference.
Colin is a Partner in our employment law team. He qualified as a solicitor in in 1999. Colin’s work covers all aspects of the employer/employee relationship from recruitment to termination. As well as providing day to day employment law advice and support, Colin also advises on large scale redundancy exercises and restructurings as well as executive service agreements and terminations. His particular expertise is advising on the employment aspects of business transfers and service provision changes (TUPE). He has advised on some of the largest and most complex TUPE cases to be heard in the Employment Tribunals. Colin also has significant Employment Tribunal experience and supervises the assistant solicitors in our team in the conduct of Employment Tribunal proceedings. His is a regular speaker on employment law and often presents masterclasses on TUPE.
James is Head of our Property Group and specialises in Commercial Property work, in particular development, investment and property management work for landowners, developers, investors, landlords and tenants. Recent work includes advising a number of developers and promoters on strategic land promotion and securing sites for mixed use and residential development. James also acts for a number of clients with significant property portfolios on acquisition, disposal and a full range of property management matters.
Stephen specialises in family law, having developed his expertise over the last 25 years. Stephen advises on financial matters relating to divorce and separation in respect of both married and unmarried couples, especially with clients who have a business or agricultural background. He also undertakes children’s work and is a member of the Family Panel, Re-unite and Resolution and he is a trained Collaborative Lawyer. Stephen is experienced in high value divorce matters with international, business and trust related issues. He has also undertaken work with an international aspect, both in family law and in recent years he advised on certain very high profile issues before the International Criminal Court. Stephen regularly contributes to radio, press, and journals on family law issues. Stephen has advised and successfully negotiated a financial settlement which involved assets of in excess of £100 million. Stephen also has recently represented a high profile celebrity client with multimillion £ assets in a variety of jurisdictions. Stephen has also recently acted for a client whose assets included a substantial London property portfolio and a large estate in East Anglia.
Richard is Head of Personal Injury at Ashtons Legal and specialises in high value workplace and employer’s liability claims and increasingly on mesothelioma cases. He also represents clients in road traffic accidents, product liability claims and public liability claims. Richard has settled many cases with a value of more than £1m. Richard is recognised by the Association of Personal Injury Solicitors (APIL) as a Senior Litigator and is a member of the Solicitors Regulation Authority Personal Injury Panel. He is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers UK for Claimant Personal Injury work. He is a Trustee of the Felixstowe Citizens Advice Bureau.
Simon qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and joined Ashtons Legal in early 2014 from a large regional practice. He specialises in general commercial property matters as well as complex high profile/value transactions. Simon's work involves advising developers, landlords, local authorities and private companies. Outside of work, Simon is an avid follower of Formula 1, and a keen mountain biker and road cyclist.
Paul is Head of Business Services at Ashtons Legal and is a member of the Corporate & Commercial team. He has a particular interest in the acquisition and disposal of companies and businesses. He has developed a reputation for putting clients at their ease and pitching the tone of his advice to a range of audiences from the inexperienced to the commercial literates. Paul has acted for a number of independent veterinary practices in the past year when they have decided to sell their businesses. Most of the deals Paul has worked on have had values exceeding £1m and have included other areas of expertise such as employment and commercial property. Following on from the first veterinary transaction Paul worked on, he has been recommended by a major national acquirer and has subsequently worked on buying and selling veterinary practices all over the country. Paul’s many years of experience mean that he has become recognized by Chambers & Partners as a leading individual in his field. He is comfortable advising on a full range and scale of transactions, whether it is an individual investing in a local business or he is selling larger companies to international buyers. Paul is based at our Ipswich office.
Polly has advised executors/trustees, claimants and defendants in claims relating to smaller estates to those in excess of £6million. She recognises the client’s need for flexibility in terms of funding and the management of such claims, recommending alternative forms of funding where appropriate. Currently Polly is advising an executor in respect of her claim against a carer who stole almost £350,000 from the deceased prior to death in an estate of over £1million. She is advising in a similar matter in respect of a claim against the deceased’s attorney, who used the deceased’s money for his owns purposes. Polly is advising in respect of a claim for the removal of executors, and in several claims for devastavit. She is also advising in respect of several 1975 Act claims, handling each with sensitivity and determination to secure the best achievable result for the client. Given her considerable experience, Polly has recently been admitted as a member of ACTAPS (Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Solicitors). Polly was the lawyer acting on behalf of the family in this case - 'We placed our trust in a carer - but he stole more than £100,000'. Polly is based at our Ipswich office.
Tom Ranson is a Senior Associate in the Injury Services Group and an APIL Senior Litigator with over 20 years' experience at all levels within the field of personal injury litigation (including the appeal process and the SCCO). He has a particular professional interest in complex causation cases involving spinal injury, psychiatric trauma, chronic pain and traumatic brain injury. Tom also specialises in cases involving allegations of insurance fraud. The Legal 500 says of Tom that he is "tireless and resourceful" and "amongst the best in his field." Chambers and Partners UK say of Tom that he is an "exceptional litigator" who "pays attention to detail and gives excellent client care." He is a longstanding member of APIL, MASS and CILEx. Tom was also one of the founding members of the Ipswich & Suffolk Medico-Legal Society. Tom is based at our Bury St Edmunds office, although his practice is nationwide.
Sarah joined Ashtons Legal in September 2015 and specialises in construction law. Qualifying in 2001, Sarah has worked both in private practice at a top five international law firm and as in house head of legal for a multinational company. She is known to provide pragmatic, timely and cost effective advice to her clients, who range from the education and public sector to developers, funders, contractors and consultants. Sarah has significant experience in drafting and advising on procurement, building and development contracts and associated documents, as well as advising on any dispute that may arise with particular expertise in construction litigation, arbitration and adjudication. She can offer a real “cradle to grave” approach to a construction project and is always happy to speak to potential clients about ways in which she can assist with their development.
Katy qualified as a Solicitor, specialising in Family Law, in September 2016 and is currently based in our Ipswich office. Katy works on a variety of cases including divorce and separation, financial matters as well as private and public children’s matters, cohabitation, separation agreements and pre-nuptial agreements. Katy is a member of Resolution and as such promotes a conciliatory approach to her work to ensure that cases are resolved and settled fairly and promptly. Katy also has experience working on high value and complex financial matters involving family Trusts, business assets and cases involving agricultural and farming land as she also works alongside the Head of the Family Department. If you have any questions concerning a family matter that you need advice on then Katy would be happy to assist. Katy is based at our Ipswich office.
Nick is an experienced Senior Associate and has worked within the personal injury department since 1991. He has a claimant based caseload consisting of all types of injury claims, with wide ranging values. He is recognised as a senior litigator by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
Having undertaken her training with a highly regarded agricultural law firm in Lincolnshire and a firm in the City of London, Bee joined the Ashtons’ dispute resolution team as a solicitor in September 2016. At Ashtons, Bee has advised a range of clients from local farmers and small business owners to one of the UK’s largest food and commodities exporters. Bee has advised in mediations as well as cases right through to the High Courts. Her work has encompassed high value disputes in both the commercial and agricultural sector as well as in relation to private individuals bringing and defending claims. Bee marries her excellent legal knowledge with a keen tactical awareness in striving to achieve her clients’ goals. Bee’s approachability and keen commercial awareness make her an obvious choice for clients seeking pragmatic and clear advice.
Louise joined Ashtons Legal in 2014 as a Solicitor in Lifetime Planning after qualifying as a lawyer in 2008. She specialises in Will drafting including advice on tax, preparation of trust documents, estate planning, preparation and registration of Powers of Attorney, administration of estates and elderly client issues. She has dealt with high net worth individuals and their estates, including farming and business assets. She is a qualified member of SFE (Solicitors for the Elderly), STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) and ATT (Association of Taxation Technicians). She is also the Treasurer for Suffolk and North Essex Law Society (SNELS).
Craig joined Ashtons Legal in April 2018 as a solicitor in the Corporate and Commercial team, having previously worked at another local commercial firm where he was the lead contact for the firm’s work of this nature. He is experienced in advising on and managing corporate transactions such as acquisitions, sales and restructurings, including management buyouts and purchases from companies in administration. Craig acts for a variety of clients including individuals and small and large companies, both locally and nationally, and drafts and advises on a wide range of general commercial, corporate and company law matters, including shareholder agreements, articles of association, service level agreements, loan agreements, distribution, agency, and confidentiality agreements, terms and conditions and personal and company guarantees. Craig is a keen runner and is a member (and current Men’s Vice Captain) of his local running club, Ipswich JAFFA.
Roger joined our Personal Injury team in 2011 from a local firm where he was head of personal injury and based for over 20 years. He has over 30 years legal experience in personal injury work helping claimants in a wide variety of cases. He is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and mainly specialises in higher value and complex claims arising from road traffic and workplace accidents, public liability incidents and claimants who sustain injuries whilst on holiday. Roger has four daughters, two grandchildren, a dog and wife all of whom keep him happy and busy outside of work! As well as involvement in local church and charity projects, Roger loves the theatre (but no longer stage side!) and enjoys golf and cycling. Roger lives locally and is based at our Ipswich office.
Kim joined the commercial property team in August 2016 as a qualified Solicitor. She acts for businesses and individuals in relation to their commercial property requirements, dealing with a broad range of non-contentious commercial property matters. These include site acquisitions and disposals of freehold and leasehold properties, landlord and tenant matters and secured lending and corporate support work. Kim has a particular specialism assisting the corporate team with the property aspects of veterinary surgery sales and takeovers.
Tina is a qualified Legal Executive specialising in family law. She joined the firm in 1990 and became a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives in 2000. Tina has a vast amount of experience in family law including divorce, relationship breakdown and the resolution of financial issues. She has a sympathetic approach to issues involving children to include both private and public law proceedings acting for both Parents and Grandparents. Tina is also experienced and sensitive to the needs of families who have been through issues of domestic abuse. Tina is a member of Resolution, an organisation with a code of conduct promoting a conciliatory approach in family law matters. She is a Resolution trained Mediator and is able to mediate in family issues, ranging from relationship breakdown to resolving arrangements for children.
Grace is a Personal Injury Executive. She specialises in helping those injured in road traffic collisions to obtain the compensation they deserve to ensure they are not financially worse off after an accident which was not primarily their fault. Grace joined the firm in 2015 and has bought with her two years of knowledge and experience of claimant personal injury. Grace is passionate about law and has a friendly honest approach which ensures she provides an excellent level of service and maintains a great relationship with her clients. She is an Affiliate member to the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. Grace is based at our Ipswich office.
Tony has been a Personal Injury Executive at Ashtons Legal since 2010 and is currently studying to become a Chartered Legal Executive. He previously worked within the firm’s uninsured loss recovery team but now supports Richard Foyster on his cases. These include high value workplace and employer’s liability claims, mesothelioma, road traffic accidents, product liability claims and public liability claims. Tony is based at our Ipswich office.
Brett achieved a 2:1 Law degree at the University of East Anglia before going on to study the Legal Practice Course at BPP University in Cambridge. Brett achieved a commendation in the Legal Practice Course, specialising in Advanced Commercial Litigation, Private Acquisitions and Commercial Law and Intellectual Property. Brett commenced his training contract with Ashtons in 2017 and is currently working in our Dispute Resolution team in Ipswich.
Amanda is a Specialist Paralegal in Family Law (Q Inst Pa) based in our Ipswich office. Joining Ashtons in 1985. Amanda has dedicated her career to building experience and expertise in Family matters. In 2016 Amanda qualified as a Specialist Paralegal (Q.Inst.Pa) and is a Member of the Institute of Paralegals. Amanda has developed her position within the Family Team and now assists senior members of the team with divorce, domestic violence, private and public law Children Act 1989 applications and finances following separation/divorce. Amanda’s particular area of interest and expertise is divorce. Amanda runs matters on our Fixed Fee Divorce Scheme taking clients smoothly through the divorce process on a competitive fixed fee basis.
Helen joined the firm in 2008, having previously worked mainly for firms based in the Suffolk area. She has over 14 years' experience as a personal injury solicitor, having undertaken work on behalf of both claimants and defendants in relation to road traffic accidents, accidents in public places, industrial accidents, Highways Act and product liability claims. Helen is a Trustee of the Ipswich Citizens Advice Bureau and a volunteer of ISCRE/The Law Advice Centre. Helen is based at our Ipswich office.
Brenda is a Family Mediator with more than 17 years experience. She is a member of Resolution and is also qualified as a supervisor for other mediators. Brenda has a wide experience in mediating all aspects of family disputes including divorce, separation, financial and children matters. She also mediates issues relating to disputes between parents and grandparents. Prior to mid 2013 Brenda also specialized as a solicitor in all aspects of Family Law for more than 25 years. She was a member of The Solicitors Regulation Authority Family Law Accreditation Scheme and was also a Resolution accredited specialist in Private Children Law and Child Abduction Law.
Louise is an experienced personal injury Solicitor who joined the firm in December 2014 bringing with her knowledge and experience of claimant personal injury work. Louise specialises in claims involving accidents at work such as slips and trips at work, manual handling injuries, and falls from height and claims and accidents which occur on property owned by someone else. She deals with different types of personal injury claims including accidents at work, accidents on public property such as slips and trips, product liability and road traffic accidents. Louise prides herself on her organisation skills and her ability to keep her clients informed at all times. She is passionate about ensuring claimants are properly compensated as a result of someone else’s negligence and is relentless in her efforts to recover compensation, no matter how big or small the claim may be. Louise is a member of Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
Harriet has worked in the Private Client sector since 2013. She joined Ashtons in February 2017 as a Paralegal in the Lifetime Planning team. Harriet is currently taking her Affiliate grade Level 3 CILEx Exams. Harriet drafts Wills, Powers of Attorney and is involved in estate administration. She also speaks fluent French and finished her schooling in France. Outside of work, Harriet is an ambassador for the Donkey Sanctuary and Greenpeace – in particular ‘The Ocean Cleanup’. Harriet is based in our Ipswich office.
Sabina studied an undergraduate Law degree at the University of Essex, where she graduated with a 2.1 honours in 2011. After graduating, Sabina went on to complete the Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School in Cambridge with electives in Advanced Commercial Property, Family Law and Private Client. Sabina gained over a years’ experience as a Paralegal primarily within the Property department at a local firm. She joined the Construction Team as a Paralegal in September 2018.
Charlotte is an Personal Injury Executive who joined the firm in 2015 bringing with her knowledge and experience of claimant personal injury work. She primarily deals with claims arising from Road Traffic Accidents but has a developing specialism in claims involving accidents at work and accidents on public property such as slips and trips. Charlotte has an LLB (hons) Degree and is an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. Charlotte is also a member of Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. She is based at our Ipswich office.
Sarah has worked with the firm since 2001. Previous to working at our predecessors Ashton Graham, Sarah worked in solicitors offices based in Essex and East London in the both family and criminal departments. In the past fifteen years Sarah has worked in our family team, mainly in a secretarial role, assisting different solicitors, legal executives and mediators. Having gained much experience and knowledge in that time, Sarah has now qualified as a Specialist Paralegal in Family Law (Q.Inst.Pa) and is a Member of the Institute of Paralegals. Sarah has developed her position within the Family Team, particularly in the areas of divorce as well as private Children Act matters. Sarah is a member of our Ipswich office Social Committee, Ashtons firm wide Social Committee as well Ashtons Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee and is a keen fund raiser and organiser. Sarah is part of the family team currently offering their extended hours family law clinic service. two evenings per month. Sarah is based at our Ipswich office.
Kerry is a Legal Executive specialising in claimant personal injury work. She joined the firm as a Trainee Legal Executive in 1999, undertaking work dealing with the recovery of uninsured losses for claimants involved in non-injury road traffic accident cases. In 2002, she became supervisor of the non Personal Injury Claims Department, supervising a team of 10. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
We realise that when you call us it may well be for specific help at a difficult or stressful time. When you appoint Ashtons Legal for your personal legal needs, you can be sure that we will approach every issue with the utmost care and sensitivity. We will always try to understand what is important to you and offer advice, which will solve all the issues surrounding your needs. Our team includes lawyers who are members of the Law Society Children Panel, the Family Law Panel, and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. We also have trained mediators and collaborative family lawyers.
