Stuart Barlow, an Associate at Derby law firm Nelsons, has been appointed as the Chief Assessor to the Law Society's Family Law Accreditation Scheme.
A family law solicitor for more than 33 years, Stuart takes up the prestigious, national appointment after 15 years as an Assessor and member of the Law Society's coveted Family Law Panel.
Commenting on the appointment, Stuart says: "I feel honoured to accept this appointment and be involved in a national accreditation scheme which involves several thousand solicitors across England and Wales.
"My role will require me to take the lead in developing and maintaining technical standards as Chair of the Technical Board. I will also be providing advice to assessors and be involved in their recruitment, as well as working with the Law Society's Accreditation Unit to develop policies and best practice for the scheme."
The Chair of the Family Law Committee, Sunita Mason says she is delighted with the appointment of Stuart Barlow, and recognises his experience and the contribution he can make to the Law Society's Family Panel as its new Chief Assessor.
The Law Society's ten Panels are designed to promote high standards in legal service provision and ensure that consumers can easily identify practitioners with proven competency in given areas of law. Only solicitors who meet the Law Society's exacting accreditation requirements are permitted to join Panels relevant to the area of law in which they practice. Each will have had their skills, knowledge and experience rigorously and independently appraised by experienced assessors appointed by the Law Society. All Panels have one Chief Assessor.
An Associate at Nelsons since 2001, Stuart specialises in both private and publicly funded matters, and has particular experience in divorce, financial settlements and all issues relating to children, including childcare. In addition to his appointment as Chief Assessor, he is an accredited Specialist of Resolution for cohabitation and private children, Vice Chair of the Nottingham branch of Resolution, a member of the Legal Services Funding Review Committee and an external examiner for Nottingham Law School.
Nelsons has one of the largest family law teams in the East Midlands. Recognised for its expertise by independently researched directories Legal 500 and Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession, the team handles in a typical year over 500 divorces and a significant number of financial settlements worth over £1 million.
