A Shropshire law firm has congratulated a former trainee who has qualified as a solicitor and joined the family law department.

Rachel Tomley started her career at Lanyon Bowdler following the completion of her Legal Practice Course and LLM in Professional Legal Practice in 2020 and is now a new member of the family team in Oswestry.

Sue Hodgson, head of Lanyon Bowdler’s family team, said Rachel would be a valuable addition to the team.

She said: “As a firm, we are proud to provide opportunities for lawyers starting out in their legal careers and it’s always a wonderful moment when a trainee qualifies as a solicitor.

“Rachel has proved herself to be a very capable lawyer and I am delighted she has joined the family team in Oswestry where she will be a great asset to the firm and our clients.”

Rachel said she was looking forward to assisting with the growing demand for advice in family law matters.

She said: “I have experienced a wide range of legal cases and issues during my training contract at Lanyon Bowdler, completing seats within the court of protection, clinical negligence, family, and personal injury departments.

“Everyone at the firm has always provided me with a great level of support and supervision, and helped me develop my skills that will last my entire career. After spending six months with the family department, I am very pleased to be returning on a permanent basis as a newly-qualified solicitor.

“The training contract has given me a fantastic basis for my legal career and I am proud to have now qualified as a solicitor in the family department.

“After growing up in Oswestry, and knowing there is an increasing demand for family work in the area, I am delighted to join Caroline Yorke, who is an associate solicitor, at the Oswestry office.

“Here, I will develop my experience within divorce, finances and child arrangements under the supervision of Caroline.”