Michael Swanick joins as an Associate Solicitor, based primarily at the law firm’s Altrincham office. He qualified as a solicitor in September 2018 and since then, he has represented a wide range of clients regarding private family law matters. Prior to joining Maguire Family Law, he worked at a national law firm Shoosmiths, within their specialist family team.
Michael spent over 12 years working in the regulatory sector before specialising solely in family law. This included the Legal Services Ombudsman, the Insolvency Service and the General Medical Council, where he was an assistant registrar and coordinated safeguarding functions.
Michael brings a wide-ranging depth of experience to his role as a Family Associate and regularly advises clients on matters such as wealth protection on divorce, child residence and contact disputes, domestic abuse issues and cohabitation rights.
James Maguire, Founder and Director at Maguire Family Law, explains: “Michael recognises that clients requiring advice on family matters are invariably experiencing difficult and life-changing issues. With that in mind, he prides himself on providing clients with a calm and pragmatic approach to resolving their problems.”
Solicitor Rachael Day has joined the team from Cheshire law firm – Poole Alcock. Rachael qualified in 2020 and specialises in family law, including marriage and relationship breakdowns, divorce, arrangements for children and nuptial agreements. Rachael works hard to help clients resolve their separation arrangements through negotiations. If court proceedings are necessary, Rachael is experienced in advising and assisting clients from initial application to final hearing and at all points throughout the case.
James continues: “Rachael is passionate about working with clients, so they feel reassured and supported throughout some of the most challenging times in their lives. She is particularly interested in helping to resolve arrangements for children. She has extensive experience with serious safeguarding concerns or where emergency orders are needed.”
Third of the new hires, solicitor Helen Royle, brings a wealth of experience from her time at Legal 500 ranked Slater & Gordon. Since qualifying in September 2021, Helen has exclusively practised in family law.
James adds: “Helen has experience in all areas of relationship breakdown, including divorce and associated financial matters, separation of unmarried couples, arrangements around child custody and domestic abuse.
“She adopts a direct yet empathetic approach and intuitively understands the impact a relationship breakdown can have. Helen’s ability to work closely with clients and build their trust makes her a valuable addition to our team. She is regularly praised for her attention to detail, approachable and pragmatic nature.”
James concludes: “All three new team members will make fantastic additions to our firm and I warmly welcome each of them.
“Since the introduction of the ‘no fault’ divorce back in April, we have seen an impressive 30 per cent increase in enquiries, so we are all feeling extremely confident about the future of Maguire Family Law and look forward to further growth in 2023.
“As we continue to establish our most recent office in Altrincham, the growing team is indicative of the service levels required in the area, providing city centre expertise without the price tag.”
