Sarah Dodds is a senior associate in Birketts’ Bristol office. She has more than a decade of experience in family law, with her case load comprising high-conflict child arrangements and complex financial remedy matters. The majority of Sarah’s clients have international connections and she has a wealth of experience dealing with cross-border children matters, including parental child abduction. She is a modern families and family creation specialist and leads the modern families team in Bristol. She regularly advises on donor agreements and applications for parental orders following surrogacy. Sarah is a trained collaborative lawyer and tries to guide clients through the separation process in a solutions focused, pragmatic way in order to reduce conflict.
What was your career path to your current role?
I did a law degree but wasn’t sure whether I wanted to work in law when I graduated. I was the first person in my family to consider a career in this area and didn’t have any contacts or a very good understanding of the wide range of sectors and types of roles that existed. After graduating, I decided the best way to find out if it was for me was to get hands‑on experience, so I applied for paralegal roles.
I really enjoyed the family law module during my degree and the international aspects in particular, so I sent speculative letters to various international abduction specialists. One person very kindly took the time to speak to me and while she didn’t have a role available in her team, she put me in touch with another partner at her firm who did. I ended up completing my LPC part time while working as a paralegal and secured a training contract at the firm I was working at. I pushed to do a seat in the family department as I hadn’t given up on the idea of becoming a family lawyer and everything immediately clicked into place.
Did you have any other career ambitions?
I was apparently determined to become a vet until I realised it’s not all just cuddling animals!
What keeps you motivated in your work?
I’m definitely motivated by the problem‑solving aspect of the work. Whether you’re advising on a pre-nup or on child arrangements after separation, each case has its own unique dynamics, and I enjoy helping clients to find practical solutions that work for their family.
What has been the best development in family law in the last 20 years?
The significant push to promote and strengthen NCDR provisions alongside developing new processes such as Pathfinder, which front-ends the information gathering and assessments in child arrangements proceedings, has started to create a much more holistic approach which benefits families. It feels like there is starting to be a proper cultural shift among lawyers who now aim for early resolution with solutions focused, collaborative approaches in appropriate cases.
And the worst?
The chronic under-funding of the family justice system is one of the worst developments in the past 20 years. Long delays lead to worse outcomes for children and families and contribute to the creation of a two-tier justice system.
People who can afford legal advice and NCDR options like private FDRs and arbitration – often effective but costly upfront – can resolve matters more quickly and with less conflict than those who cannot.
If you could bring in one new piece of legislation for the sector, what would it be and why?
The current surrogacy framework is no longer fit for purpose and should be reformed. In 2023, the Law Commission recommended introducing a new pathway enabling intended parents to be recognised as a child’s legal parents from birth alongside reforming the law around parental orders, introducing permitted payments and a surrogacy register.
Unfortunately, the government has confirmed that this is not a legislative priority but the law as it stands no longer reflects modern family structures. Many parents are entering into surrogacy arrangements abroad as a result of the gaps in our law and that comes with its own additional risks, not least from an immigration perspective.
Regulating the surrogacy sector would provide protection for all parties, increase transparency and reduce the emotional uncertainty and legal stress that is often experienced at present following a child’s birth.
What piece of legislation would you take off the statute books and why?
The cuts to legal aid brought about by LASPO were really shortsighted and the impact is still felt more than a decade later. Many victims of domestic abuse were excluded from legal aid because of restrictive evidential criteria and it has led to a huge increase in litigants in person who don’t benefit from legal advice at an early stage. This, in turn, means cases aren’t resolved as quickly as they could be, negatively impacting children in particular and putting the underfunded system under more strain.
What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you regarding your career?
Listen carefully. Listen to how colleagues manage situations so you can work out your own style, what works for you and what doesn’t. Listen closely to clients, thinking about what they’re saying and what they’re not saying. Your client care develops from listening to others do it and from tuning into what clients actually want.
What advice would you like to give to someone just starting out?
Be yourself. We spend so much of our lives at work that you need to find a job that you enjoy where you can be yourself. Your background and perspective is unique to you, and it’s a strength.
Tell us something people may be surprised to know about you…
I once hitchhiked from Sheffield to Zadar in Croatia for charity. In an era before smartphones and tracking apps my poor parents must have been worried sick, but I had a great time!
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