Firm bucks trend for office downsizing by opening new Cornwall office

As part of ongoing expansion plans The Family Law Company has opened its first office in Cornwall in the heart of Truro.

This is the fourth office for the firm, which has two longstanding offices in Exeter and one in Plymouth. The decision underpins a strong commitment to providing a dedicated family law service in the county as the firm grows its presence in the wider South West.

It also bucks the trend within the legal profession where around half of firms say they either have plans to downsize their office space or repurpose their existing offices to facilitate hybrid working post-pandemic. Legal press report that many law firms are looking to reduce their footprints by 10 to 15% over the next five years.

The Family Law Company’s move into Cornwall began in 2021 with the appointment of Director Lucy Theobald. She was joined by Sophie Kneebone and Trainee Legal Executive Shannon Fawdry and also has the support of experienced Cornish Family Solicitor Deborah Cahill, who is based in St Austell.

Between them the team provides a full range of family law services, from divorce and finance, care, private law children cases, unmarried family finance and legal aid to domestic abuse with specialist knowledge including farming divorce, shareholders, self-employed business owners, pensions and inherited wealth.

The firm was founded in Exeter by Norman Hartnell in 1991 and has grown to be one of the biggest specialist family law firms in the South West and nationally, employing just under 100 people and managing around 2,000 cases annually.

Lucy Theobald said:

“Cornwall was always going to be a logical extension to The Family Law Company’s regional reach. As a growing South West firm our ethos is to develop local talent and we expect the Truro office to provide future employment opportunities for local people interested in a career in law.”