Family law firms across the country have been sharing their latest successes, with award wins, milestone anniversaries, promotions and new partners.
International Family Law Group managing partner Lucy Loizou (main picture) is celebrating after being named global winner of the prestigious Contribution to Society Award at the CYDIA Awards 2026, and Family Lawyer of the Year – Runner Up at the Citywealth Magic Circle Awards 2026.
The CYDIA Awards are an annual celebration that recognises individuals who have made a considerable impact within their communities, professions and wider society. The awards form part of the Cyprus Diaspora Forum and were presented at a formal gala dinner at Parklane Resort, Limassol, Cyprus.
The Citywealth Magic Circle Awards, held in London, recognise leading individuals and organisations across the private wealth sector, including those advising high-net-worth individuals and families.
Both awards recognised Loizou’s ongoing commitment to supporting families through her work in family law, as well as the positive contribution she has made within the legal profession and the wider community.
Loizou advises families on complex and often deeply personal legal issues, including divorce, separation, high-net-worth financial matters, and cases with an international dimension. She is also the current national vice chair of Resolution, a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and is recognised for her work with Greek and Cypriot families, including through her long-running family law programme on London Greek Radio.
RWK Goodman has made a key strategic partner appointment in Zoe Porter (pictured right), who will oversee the growth of the firm’s family offering in the south west.
Porter has been the head of Ashfords’ family practice since 2016 and has 25 years of experience advising clients across a range of family law matters.
A Resolution-accredited specialist for advanced financial remedies and cohabitation as well as a trained collaborative lawyer, Porter is a listed lawyer in directories including the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners UK for family and matrimonial work.
Gemma Whitchurch, partner in the Family Law team of Birmingham and Solihull law firm Sydney Mitchell, has achieved The Higher Rights of Audience (HRA) Civil qualification, and is now able to represent clients in the higher courts including the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
She becomes the first lawyer in Sydney Mitchell’s 260-year history to become a Solicitor-Advocate and joins a very small cohort of Higher Rights of Audience Civil qualified Solicitor-Advocates in the West Midlands.
Whitchurch (left) said: “Not only does being able to undertake our own advocacy allow continuity of representation for clients within the court arena, but it also removes the need for clients to re-tell their often highly sensitive and complex personal stories, at what can be a really emotional, distressing and stressful time.
“This does feel like a huge personal and professional achievement. I am really proud of myself for working hard to pass the qualifying exams and to complete and achieve something I have always wanted.”
Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners-listed practice MSB Solicitors has appointed Simon Craddock as senior associate solicitor as the firm’s Birmingham office continues to grow.
Craddock has a career spanning more than 30 years and is an expert in international family law and cross-border children work, with experience in complex, high-stakes cases involving jurisdictional disputes and international child abduction.
He is also a specialist in Hague Convention child abduction proceedings, urgent cross-border matters – including cases in non-Hague Convention countries – and has sat on the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit’s specialist panel since 2001. Craddock was a founding member of the Child Abduction Lawyers Association.
Managing partner of MSB Solicitors, Emma Carey, said: “We are delighted to welcome someone with such vast experience as Simon, as he further strengthens our already-exceptional cross-border offering.
“Our highly experienced international family team is widely regarded as one of the most established and capable in the country. It has the depth, expertise and collaborative approach that is required to handle the most demanding international family disputes. Simon will play a key role in bolstering its credentials even further.”
Simon Bassett, a family partner at RWK Goodman, is celebrating 30 years with the firm marking a long-standing career advising individuals and families on complex and sensitive matters.
During his three decades in family law, Bassett has seen significant changes in the profession, including a shift towards more constructive, resolution-focused approaches and a growing emphasis on achieving amicable outcomes. More recently, the rise of AI-informed clients is creating new challenges for family law practitioners, he says, particularly when clients rely on answers that lack context, leading to unrealistic expectations or procedural risks.
“Family law is ultimately about people,” Bassett said. “Supporting clients through difficult and often life-changing situations is a privilege, and it is this that keeps me motivated. I find it particularly rewarding to stay in touch with clients and see them rebuild and move forward after divorce.”
Bendles Solicitors, established as a family firm in Cumbria more than 200 years ago, has promoted Kali Snowdon to associate solicitor. Snowdon advises clients on divorce, complex financial matters and cohabitation disputes. A member of Resolution, which advocates a non-confrontational approach to family law issues, Snowdon also supports the development of trainee solicitors within her department.
