With a particularly active family law practice, Harper Macleod LLP’s expertise ranges from cases involving allegations of domestic abuse to child law matters including residence issues, relocation and abduction. Jenny Smith specialises in financial provision on separation, while Alexis Harper excels in alternative dispute resolution. Karen Gibbons is reputed for the depth of her expertise in cohabitant claims and pre-nuptial agreements. Linda Walker is a name to note regarding cross-border relocation and complex child actions. Jane Blackwood is an expert in child welfare matters, including residence and contact issues, while Laura McLean brings significant experience in complex divorce cases to the team. Amanda Masson departed the firm in Jan 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • Harper Macleod has shown great commitment to ensure that I am kept well and timely informed and that my wishes are fed into any court proceedings.
  • Harper Macleod's family law team offers a unique approach where there are 5 separate partners available to provide family law advice, offering an unusual breadth of experience over the central belt and the north of Scotland.
  • My dealings with Jane Blackwood were excellent. She conducted matters on a professional level but took the time to offer support and advice whenever she saw it necessary. Her experience and kindness were very much appreciated.
  • What makes Harper Macleod's family team unique is the responsiveness I have experienced as a client, and the empathetic, collaborative spirit of their approach to clients and cases. I have found their depth of expertise, theoretical knowledge of family law, and human application of it to be exceptional.
  • I work with Jenny Smith. She is pragmatic, realistic, and maintains a steely focus on desired outcomes. Her extensive legal knowledge and experience are abundantly apparent in the high quality of client service she provides. Jenny is a great communicator. She combines disarming honesty with tactfulness. She is empathetic. Jenny analyzes all angles of a case before advising on the most efficient, cost-effective way of dealing with matters. She is reliable and trustworthy. Jenny is an excellent family lawyer.
  • Jane Blackwood is a very capable solicitor who was recently made partner. I have found her to be diligent and capable. I would recommend her.
  • I am very impressed by Harper Macleod, which has excellent partners including Jane Blackwood and Jenny Smith. I have worked with some excellent solicitors including Lauren Parker.
  • Jenny Smith has been phenomenal. She takes the time to interpret and provide guidance. She has taken the time to hear the whole story and get the full picture. Jenny has always been clear with me and ensures my understanding of options and next steps. Jenny is prompt in her responses and puts you at ease in how she communicates. She keeps calm and ensures she fights to get the best outcomes. I am eternally grateful to have her on my team.
  • Jenny Smith at Harper McLeod was outstanding legal support to me. She is highly knowledgeable, supportive, clear, efficient, and accessible. I would recommend her in a heartbeat to anyone else facing similar circumstances. I also found correspondence with her colleague Lauren Parker to be similarly professional, straightforward, and helpful.
  • Alexis Hunter is a pleasure to deal with and approaches her cases with a pragmatic and solution-oriented focus.
Practice head

Karen Gibbons; Alexis Harper; Jenny Smith; Linda Walker; Laura McLean; Jane Blackwood