Combining ‘the depth of expertise and resources of a large regional practice with the personalised attention and care of a boutique firm’, Sills & Betteridge LLP has a broad offering spanning matrimonial finance, emergency, care, children and public law matters. Heading up the practice, Helen Derry oversees the mediation team, while Lisa Kellett leads the matrimonial team, with areas of expertise including complex financial proceedings, pension matters and divorces. Chrystal Theofanous heads up the emergency team and specialises in sensitive domestic abuse and children’s law cases. Mo Hayes leads the care team and is well-versed in public law care proceedings; Nicholas Flatt also offers extensive knowledge in this field. Dominic Lee is a key contact for financial remedy proceedings, and Jessica Firth-Brown, Ailsa Tennant and Emma Lawler are other key names to note.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Chrystal Theofanous is an amazing and dedicated solicitor. She is always up to date in terms of the law and never afraid to challenge to achieve a fair result. Despite her heavy work load she keeps on top of every case and is incredibly quick to respond to any emails so there is no drift in her cases.'
‘Lisa Kellett - Very experienced. Good allrounder. Strong on cases where the pension assets are particularly numerous or complex.’
‘I have worked on several occasions with Dominic Lee, who is an excellent solicitor. Pragmatic, empathetic and principled. He works hard to ensure the best outcome for his clients, including as part of a team with emotional support, and financial advice, so the client has a rounded experience with the right support team in place.’
- 'Compared to other firms, Sills & Betteridge LLP’s Family Team combines the depth of expertise and resources of a large regional practice with the personalised attention and care of a boutique firm, making them a trusted choice for clients navigating challenging family law matters.’
‘Lisa Kellett's work was outstanding and her knowledge of the law was second to none. She was compassionate and caring, and always advised me in the correct manner and made sure that I fully understood what was going to happen.'
‘Mo Hayes - partner Mo is an excellent lawyer. She provides robust and insightful advice to professional and lay clients. She is empathetic with the vulnerable whilst also managing to be realistic about their options. She approaches all of her given tasks with diligence and ensures that she keeps her team up to date with cases.'
'One of the very best teams in the region and particularly sought after by parents who want representation that will stand its ground and fight their corner.'
'The whole team are absolutely dedicated to achieving the best result for the client. They advise realistically and then work tirelessly and efficiently. The culture within the firm to train paralegals and juniors means that everyone is involved and gives 110%.'
'Strong commitment to training of the Family Team, keeping up to date with new developments. I did some training there on pensions as was impressed to see that on the same date they had organised additional training in other areas too, such as crypto assets. As the team is large, with a variety of different areas of specialism, they benefit from the depth of their combined expertise, which enables them to give better and more informed advice to clients.'
'Emma Lawler - Very widely experienced individual particularly strong on clients working in the public sector such as Teachers. Karen Motley - Strong on Armed Forces settlements, particularly in understanding some of the complexities that it is tricky to get right such as favourable early retirement terms, Early Departure payments etc. Lisa Kellett - Very experienced. Good allrounder. Strong on cases where the pension assets are particularly numerous or complex.'
Work highlights
Represented the father in care proceedings in respect of a 13-year-old girl.
Acted in a child abduction case in which the child sought to appeal the recognition and enforcement of an Irish Special Care Order pursuant to Article 23 of the Hague Convention 1996.
Acted for the respondent children in a children's care case.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Lisa Kellett
Dominic Lee
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Practice head
Helen Derry
Other key lawyers
Lisa Kellett; Chrystal Theofanous; Mo Hayes; Nicholas Flatt; Dominic Lee; Jessica Firth-Brown; Emma Lawler; Ailsa Tennant