Hannah Livesey is a partner specialising in family law at Knights. She has over 12 years’ specialist experience in high net worth financial remedy claims, asset protection work and TOLATA claims together with Schedule 1 applications, having spent her career at a top 100 law firm in Bristol.
What was your career path to your current role?
I started my career in a legal aid criminal defence practice. I qualified as a police station rep and spent a few years bouncing around Bristol police stations, which were all localised then. It was certainly an interesting and challenging start to my career and has definitely shaped how I practice today. I undertook my training contract at the same firm, and for the first year of qualification managed a multi-disciplinary practice of public law children, criminal defence and financial remedy work which kept me busy!
Did you have any other career ambitions?
I originally wanted to be a journalist having done some work experience with the BBC, but during one of cases I shadowed I spent time with the legal team working on the trial and it turned my head to the law forever more.
What keeps you motivated in your work?
No two cases are ever the same and there will always be a new legal issue or case arising to keep you on your toes and keep you learning. Knowing that the work we do (and the way that work is carried out) can make a real difference to people at an incredibly difficult point in their lives is really motivating for me. Family law is often about much more than the legal issues it presents and I find it really rewarding to help people navigate periods of uncertainty, by providing clarity when things feel overwhelming and working towards outcomes that enable them to move forward in the next chapter of their lives.
What has been the best development in family law in the last 20 years?
Undoubtedly the ongoing changes in legislation affecting cohabitees. We have all campaigned for change in this area for at least 20 years and it is remarkable to watch it start to form before us. It is arguably the biggest reform to law affecting modern families and I wait with baited breath for the government response to the consultation feedback.
And the worst?
I am not sure it qualifies as the worst, because it has provided for legislation of considerable importance and has changed the plights of many in potentially toxic or abusive relationships, but the case of Owens v Owens really highlighted the very worst outcome of the previous ‘irretrievable breakdown’ provisions and demonstrated how outdated our laws in this area really were. It also showed what the strength of character of one woman, combined with the strength of public pressure, can achieve when it comes to calling for reform.
If you could bring in one new piece of legislation for the sector, what would it be and why?
I imagine a lot of family lawyers would answer this in a similar fashion, but the modernisation of legislation effecting cohabitees really could not be more important. We have taken a massive leap forward with the recent cohabitation consultation, but there is a way to go before the legislation is passed. My overriding concern is how the public will be advised of the legislative changes on the horizon so that they can make informed decisions as to how to organise their life and finances in respect of it. When 47% of the public still believe there is a common law spouse, it feels like there is significant work to be done.
What piece of legislation would you take off the statute books and why?
Section 54 of the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 could probably do with a review… it still prevents people from carrying a ladder on the pavement unless you are unloading a carriage, flying a kite which annoys others or even using a slide on ice or snow. It does specifically limit this to London though, so Bristol kite flyers remain safe.
What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you regarding your career?
Pick up the phone! Communications tend to be much more conciliatory and focused if we just pick up the phone and speak to people whether that is with clients, solicitors or other professional advisors. Let’s have a chat!
What advice would you like to give to someone just starting out?
Be interested. Ask the questions, even if you think it is something you think you should know the answer to, the truth is no one has all the answers all of the time. One of the best things about family law is the collaboration that can arise from working within such a discretionary system. Interesting conversations always start with a question, so always ask.
Tell us something people may be surprised to know about you…
My family and I once filmed an advert for a holiday park in Wales which was massive amounts of fun (once we had shaken off our nerves on having to drive golf buggies and jump in puddles on camera).
Sadly the acting career has not taken off so I’ll be working in family law for the foreseeable future!
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Image courtesy of Knights.
