Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice > Cardiff, Wales > Firm Profile
Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice Offices
13 WINDSOR PLACE
CARDIFF
CF10 3BY
Wales
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Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice > The Legal 500 Rankings
Private client > Family Tier 1
‘Hardworking and astute’ five-partner Cardiff-based family law boutique Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice has a market-leading reputation in the space and is invariably ‘instructed on one side of any case of real value or complexity’, including on high-value, cross-border financial remedy and private children cases. The ‘thorough and fastidious’ Melanie Hamer
and ‘unflappable‘ Thea Hughes routinely handle complex and high-value financial remedy cases, as does the ‘patient, humane and diligent’ David James, who is also regularly instructed on high-net-worth Schedule 1 Children Act cases. Sarah Wyburn has a ‘skill or bringing out the best in a case‘, whether it relates to complex and high-value financial cases, or in the context of civil partnership and same-sex marriages. Rebecca Knight ‘leaves no stone unturned for her clients’, which include a number of professional footballers, which she has advised over an array of matters, including on pre-nuptial agreements.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team is hardworking and astute.’
‘Simply put, Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice is the premier family firm in Cardiff and usually instructed on one side of any case of real value or complexity.’
‘The straight-talking and very efficient Rebecca Knight leaves no stone unturned for her clients.’
‘David James has a huge amount of practical knowledge and really goes the extra mile for the client, always being aware of the bigger picture in terms of settlement opportunities.’
‘Melanie Hamer has an excellent approach with clients and is extremely thorough and fastidious in her practice.’
‘The experienced, knowledgeable and pragmatic Thea Hughes is the first pick of South Wales family lawyers. She understands how to win a case. Her preparation is always meticulous and her representation always robust.’
‘Thea Hughes is unflappable – she is able to take complex or voluminous disclosure cases in her stride, quickly breaking them down into their constituent parts and dealing with each issue in turn.’
‘Sarah Wyburn has a real eye for detail and nothing gets past her.’
Work highlights
Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 4
At Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice, team head Catrin Griffiths is ‘technically strong, approachable and professional’ and regularly receives referrals (from law firms and IFAs) and direct client instructions, across the spectrum of wills and probate matters. As part of this expertise, Griffiths handles Court of Protection work and has a specialism in elder law.Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The team has a very strong reputation for family law and private client and have always dealt professionally and competently with clients I have referred to them.’
‘Catrin Griffiths is technically strong, approachable and professional.’
Work highlights
Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice > Firm Profile
Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice is a high-quality boutique specialist practice. It is one of the largest niche family law firms in the UK and has a high media profile.
The firm: Founded in 1996 as Wales’ first specialist family law firm, the firm is now the largest niche family law firm in Wales in terms of both size of team and turnover. While the firm is based in Cardiff, its clients are based all over the UK and the world including a sizeable proportion of high-net-worth and high-profile individuals (eg Premier League footballers, business owners, professionals, well-known entertainers etc).
By concentrating on purely family law issues, including divorce, separation, children matters, finances, pre-marital agreements, civil partnerships, international family law matters and private client services, Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice is able to provide expert and specialist advice to its clients. It is recognised as one of the best family law firms in Wales by both The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice is an innovative and approachable law firm with years of experience dealing with family law issues sensitively and professionally. It has built a reputation for providing an empathetic and knowledgeable approach to finding solutions for all of its clients.
The firm prides itself on the service it provides and is committed to Resolution’s code of practice. This includes dealing with matters in a non-adversarial way whenever possible. It offers clients broad knowledge and years of experience of a whole range of family law issues.
The firm also provides private client services, having developed special individually tailored programmes which include advice on wills, powers of attorney, administration of estates, court of protection matters, tax and other legal issues. Our private client department can communicate in both English and Welsh.
Types of work undertaken
Divorce and separation: The firm understands that contemplating the end of a marriage or going through a divorce can be a painful and confusing process. As Wales’ first and largest specialist family law firm, it has the necessary experience and expertise to help clients through this difficult time with the best possible advice and support. With its years of experience and specialist expertise, Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice can help guide separating and recently-separated couples through this process with the minimum amount of acrimony. The firm is especially experienced in complex and high-value financial matters and children matters.
Cohabitee disputes: If an unmarried couple’s relationship breaks down, there may be many difficult and emotional issues to be resolved. It is likely that they will need to divide the assets which they own (both personal assets and property) and make arrangements for the children, but it can be confusing and stressful not knowing where to start, or where to find reliable advice on this subject. With years of experience and specialist expertise, Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice can help guide separating and recently-separated couples through this process as quickly and cost effectively as possible.
Civil partnership work: Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice is proud to be the first law firm in Wales to join Stonewall’s Diversity Champions Programme, which aims to promote equality for LGBT+ staff and clients. The firm has a long history of working with the gay community to resolve the issues that arise from the end of a relationship, and was one of the first law firms in Wales to offer a specialist service for clients in civil partnerships and same-sex relationships.
When civil partners separate, their finances and child arrangements need to be resolved in the same way as divorcing couples. Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice has the expertise and experience to advise and assist clients to resolve issues and obtain the best possible outcome.
Pre-marital and post-marital agreements: Pre-marital agreements are becoming increasingly popular in the UK. Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice has a wealth of experience producing pre and post-matrimonial agreements.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Melanie Hamer | ||
| Director | Thea Hughes | ||
| Director | Sarah Wyburn | ||
| Director | David James | ||
| Director | Rebecca Knight | ||
| Head of Private Client | Catrin Griffiths |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Gabriella Evans | Solicitor | View Profile |
 | Catrin Griffiths | Head of Private Client / Associate | View Profile |
 | Melanie Hamer | Director | View Profile |
 | Thea Hughes | Director – Thea deals with all aspects of family law, specialising in… | View Profile |
 | David James | Director | View Profile |
 | Sam John | Associate | View Profile |
 | Fay Jones | Solicitor | View Profile |
 | Rebecca Knight | Director | View Profile |
 | Bethan Tapper | Solicitor | View Profile |
 | Sarah Wyburn | Director | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of directors : 5 Number of solicitors : 5 Number of other fee-earners : 2Languages
English WelshClient Testimonials
CLIENT: Confidential
COMPANY/FIRM: Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice (Melanie Hamer)
TESTIMONIAL: “Every minute of our time was of the highest value and we got to the heart of the matter and I was presented with options which gave me just what I needed to make my decisions. I felt I could trust Melanie from the outset.”
CLIENT: Confidential
COMPANY/FIRM: Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice (Thea Hughes)
TESTIMONIAL: “Thank you for being such an amazing solicitor Thea. You have been brilliant throughout this whole process. From the beginning you have made me aspire and reach for the best outcome for myself without giving me false hopes or unrealistic expectations.”
CLIENT: Confidential
COMPANY/FIRM: Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice (Sarah Wyburn)
TESTIMONIAL: “You’ve been wonderfully supportive over the last nearly two years, and I’m very grateful — many thanks for taking on this case, and for advising and representing me so sensitively and supportively. As you know, I’ve already recommended the Practice on one occasion, and will be very happy to do so again if I know of anyone else in need!”
CLIENT: Confidential
COMPANY/FIRM: Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice (David James)
TESTIMONIAL: “I cannot thank you enough David for your advice, support and guidance. Both you and members of your team have provided me with a very professional service and dealt with all communications in an expedient, friendly and courteous manner.”
CLIENT: Confidential
COMPANY/FIRM: Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice (Rebecca Knight)
TESTIMONIAL: “Thank you so much for all your help in dealing with the divorce. It was made what was a very stressful time significantly easier. So huge thank you.”
CLIENT: Confidential
COMPANY/FIRM: Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice (Catrin Griffiths)
TESTIMONIAL: “We received excellent, informed and impartial advice from Catrin Griffiths at WHFLP. She, and the other staff we dealt with, were always friendly and courteous, and we have no hesitation in recommending WHFLP to others.”
Diversity/Community
Diversity statement – Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice
We are a forward-thinking law firm and we strongly believe in providing both a diverse working environment and equal opportunities for both employees and our clients. In 2011 we were the first law firm in Wales to join Stonewall’s Diversity Champions Programme. This programme promotes good practice for employers, creating excellent working environments for all employees whilst ensuring equal treatment. We have a long history of working with the LGBT+ community to resolve the issues that arise from the end of a relationship. We were one of the first law firms in Wales to offer a specialist service for clients in Civil Partnerships and same-sex relationships. We feel strongly about being a member of the Stonewall programme as it reflects our values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour.
Our ethos is to encourage personal development throughout the firm, this is why we focus on promoting internally. Many of our current Solicitors and Associates started with the firm in a paralegal position. All bar one of the firm’s present Associates started as trainees within the firm as did two of our five Directors. We base our selection solely on the individual’s qualities. We understand it can be a mammoth task managing a work-life balance. We always ensure to take care of our employees and one of our Directors has qualified as a Mental Health First Aider.
In a report from the Solicitors Regulation Authority, ‘The business case for diversity’ (2017), it was reported that 48% of all solicitors are women, whilst only 33% of law firm partners are women. We go against the grain with 4 out of our 5 Directors being women.
It is important to us that we aspire to be a diverse company from both an employee and client prospective. We provide pro bono work at a legal advice clinic run by Support Through Court which focuses on helping disadvantaged people facing the civil and family justice system without a lawyer. Our private client (wills and probate) team frequently volunteer their time and provide free Wills to patients of Maggie’s Cardiff. Maggie’s offer free support to anyone with cancer and their families, they have centres built on the grounds of NHS cancer hospitals.
Additionally, one of our Associates attends a free Legal Clinic at The Children’s Centre for Wales based at Swansea University.
We ensure to treat all clients equally regardless of background or culture and provide clients with the option to communicate in English and Welsh.
We have an accessible office with disabled access and facilities.
Diversity
We are a forward-thinking law firm and we strongly believe in providing both a diverse working environment and equal opportunities for both employees and our clients. In 2011 we were the first law firm in Wales to join Stonewall’s Diversity Champions Programme. This programme promotes good practice for employers, creating excellent working environments for all employees whilst ensuring equal treatment. We have a long history of working with the LGBT+ community to resolve the issues that arise from the end of a relationship. We were one of the first law firms in Wales to offer a specialist service for clients in Civil Partnerships and same-sex relationships. We feel strongly about being a member of the Stonewall programme as it reflects our values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour.
Our ethos is to encourage personal development throughout the firm, this is why we focus on promoting internally. Two of our directors, an associate, and all our solicitors started as trainees within the firm. We base our selection solely on the individual’s qualities. We understand it can be a mammoth task managing a work-life balance. We always ensure to take care of our employees and one of our directors has qualified as a Mental Health First Aider.
In a report from the Solicitors Regulation Authority, ‘The business case for diversity’ (2017), it was reported that 48% of all solicitors are women, whilst only 33% of law firm partners are women. We go against the grain with 4 out of our 5 Directors being women.
It is important to us that we aspire to be a diverse company from both an employee and client perspective. As part of our charity of the year initiative we currently support and raise funds for Llamau, a homeless charity that supports young people, women and their children who are homeless or facing homelessness. Our private client (wills and probate) team frequently volunteer their time and provide free Wills to patients of Maggie’s Cardiff. Maggie’s offer free support to anyone with cancer and their families, they have centres built on the grounds of NHS cancer hospitals. One of our Associates also attends a free Legal Clinic at The Children’s Centre for Wales based at Swansea University.
We previously supported Cerebral Palsy Cymru as our charity of the year for a two-year period. In addition, we formerly provided regular pro bono work at a legal advice clinic run by Support Through Court which focuses on helping
disadvantaged people facing the civil and family justice system without a lawyer.
We ensure to treat all clients equally regardless of background or culture and provide clients with the option to communicate in English and Welsh.
We have an accessible office with disabled access and facilities.
- Private client > Family
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate