Hedges, one of Oxfordshire’s longest serving law firms, has appointed new family lawyer, Zoe Rose, as it continues to see rising demand for its family law services.
Hedges has been at the heart of the Oxfordshire community since 1789. Over recent years the firm has seen an increase in enquiries relating to family law, including for mediation and divorce services from those over the age of 50.
This rise in enquiries is in line with previous ONS statistics, which showed over a third of UK couples divorced after being married for 20–29 years, rising to 42% for those together for over 40 years.
On the rise Zoe Rose said: 'Shifting attitudes to divorce, longer life expectancy and an increase in financially independent women, are all likely to have contributed to this increase in people divorcing later in life. Known commonly as “grey divorce”, separations of this nature are often complex when it comes to finance, and among this group, pensions are often one of the highest value assets.'
With more than a decade of experience working in the legal sector, Zoe joins Hedges as the new Family Team Leader. Her career includes roles at BDB Pitmans, and Blandy and Blandy LLP, and she was recently named as an ‘Associate to Watch’ in the Chambers UK directory. Zoe has a particularly robust expertise in pensions and divorce, as well as divorce and dissolution, and complex financial matters, and sensitive cases around guardianship.
On joining Hedges, Zoe said: 'I’m thrilled to be joining the Hedges team. Its "Advice for Life" motto is something that struck a personal chord for me, and is an ethos that I truly believe in. Working in the family law area, it’s important that we build lasting relationships with our clients. Hedges has a reputation for working with generations of the same family. I’m looking forward to helping the firm continue to deliver its outstanding service and advice to all the families Hedges support.'
Hedges has been offering clients ‘Advice for Life’ for over two centuries. The team provide legal support for its clients across all aspects of their lives, including family and property law advice, dispute resolution, as well as advising on wills, probate, and inheritance planning.
Managing Director, Nicola Poole added: 'More recently we have been seeing an increase in demand for our family law service. We are truly excited to have someone of Zoe’s calibre joining the team. Her experience in family law, and in particular her work in pensions on separation, a highly niche area of law, will make a great addition to the advice and expertise that we are able to offer our clients.'
Hedges has offices in Summertown in Oxford and Wallingford, with further locations in the Cotswolds and London.
