Francesca Cozens is a senior associate in the Family team at Knights. She advises on all aspects of family breakdown, with particular expertise in divorce, financial matters, and complex children cases, including international relocation and step-parent adoption. Francesca is a qualified collaborative solicitor and Resolution-accredited specialist in both complex financial and property matters and children law. Francesca qualified as a solicitor in 2007. She is a member of Resolution and the Law Society’s Advanced Family Panel. She is recognised as a Leading Associate by The Legal 500.
What was your career path to your current role?
I didn’t want to just study law so completed a dual honours degree of law and sociology at Warwick University, which was interesting. I did some travelling and then started work as a paralegal at a specialist non-accidental injury legal aid firm. I got a distinction in my LPC at the College of Law and whilst completing the LPC I continued to work as an outdoor clerk for the firm, which involved regular visits to the Royal Courts of Justice. I completed my training contract with the firm which was incredible grounding. On qualification I moved out of London to a Legal 500 top regional firm. I am now an accredited specialist with the Law Society and Resolution. I am an advocate for NCDR and am collaboratively trained.
Did you have any other career ambitions?
No, I wanted to be a family solicitor from a young age. It seemed glamorous on the telly growing up!
What keeps you motivated in your work?
My clients. It is such a privilege to be let into peoples lives at the worst point and help them move forward with a bright future.
What has been the best development in family law in the last 20 years?
The recognition that court is not the only answer! The court system is on its knees. There are now so many ways of resolving disagreements without relying on a court. Quicker, more efficient and discrete alternatives. I really enjoy working collaboratively.
And the worst?
There have been developments in the recognition and dealing with domestic abuse but there still seems to be a reluctance by many organisations and institutions to deal with it in the serious manner it requires.
If you could bring in one new piece of legislation for the sector, what would it be and why?
I would modernise surrogacy laws. There needs to be better protection for surrogates, children and faster legal recognition of intended parents.
What piece of legislation would you take off the statute books and why?
The Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 is outdated. It was based on a time when families looked very different. We need legislation that reflects the modern family.
What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you regarding your career?
Your career is long. You will feel like you have had setbacks at times but it is how you deal with adversity that defines you. Pick yourself up.
What advice would you like to give to someone just starting out?
Find your people. Your network grows when you are with like minded people. Seek those people out.
Tell us something people may be surprised to know about you…
My wedding made The Sun newspaper! The irony is not lost that there was a legal problem with the paperwork so we had to be whisked off from where we had booked to get married to another location that was certainly not on the list and then come back to our 80 guests in the booked venue and do it all again. Everyone in my family loves a bit of wedding cake and gets married on average twice but I am the only one to have married the same person, twice, on the same day!
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