Delighted to be shortlisted for the Equality Trailblazer Diversity & Inclusion Award

We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Sussex Chamber Business Awards 2022, in the Equality Trailblazer Diversity and Inclusion Award category for championing equality, diversity and inclusivity in the legal sector.

Tisshaws Family Law Solicitors was founded on the basis that the law must be based on inclusivity, diversity, and equality for all, in terms of those it helps and those who work within it.

Over the past decade, the firm has continuously worked to increase the diversity and inclusivity of clients, along with supporting those traditionally underrepresented in the legal world to forge a career in law.

Our commitment to help a diverse and inclusive range of clients

To help overcome the perception that legal help is prohibitively expensive, Tisshaws offer new clients an initial one-hour meeting for a fixed fee of £50 (incl. VAT) with no obligation. Very few firms offer this. While some offer a 30-minute free appointment, we do not consider this offers sufficient time to discuss a client’s specific issues and background.

At the other end of the spectrum, our legal expertise means we are regularly instructed in complex financial divorce cases involving multiple properties, investments, pensions, and businesses, for high-net-worth individuals.

Our reputation for empathy and compassion, means that many cases also involve issues around the safeguarding of children; allegations of physical, sexual, and mental abuse, as well as cases involving people with alcohol/drug dependences, poor mental health, and physical disabilities.

What’s more, we have experience in dealing with the planning of families, surrogacy, and co-parenting law, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community.

Our commitment to non-court dispute resolution

Trying to resolve issues resulting from family breakdown in the courts is expensive, extremely stressful and a lengthy process. To help our clients avoid this cost and increased hostility, we are fully committed to resolution approaches that avoid the courtroom.

We offer a range of these options including mediation, with two of the team being trained mediators and collaborative law, with four team members trained in this approach. The whole team are members of Resolution, an organisation committed to resolving family breakdown with the least amount of conflict possible.

Our commitment to non-court resolution approaches ensures the legal process is more affordable, less intimidating and a more positive experience for our clients.

Our commitment to increasing diversity in the family law sector

 Traditionally, the legal world has underrepresented many minorities, but our ten members of staff include nine females and multicultural heritages which include India, Tanzania, Mauritius, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

To help open a career in family law to more women and particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, the firm supports those taking non-traditional routes into the legal profession and has supported two members of staff through their training, one to become a solicitor and another, a Chartered Legal Executive and is now supporting another.

While it would be the icing on the cake to win the Equality Trailblazer Diversity and Inclusion Award on the 20^thSeptember, we are proud that our efforts have been recognised.