Seven months ago, I joined GT Stewart Solicitors as a paralegal in the Leeds Office Family Law team. GT Stewart's reputation, including its rankings in the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, is what first drew me to the firm. What has kept me excited is how seriously the firm takes developing its people. The support i have had to grow here has been both reassuring and highly valued. This article will address some of what I have learned, including strategies for supporting vulnerable clients and increasing local outreach, and how i foresee my continued growth.

We represented a client who appeared before Canterbury Crown Court for his role in the cross-border importation of more than 20 kilograms of high-purity cocaine. Despite the prosecution seeking a substantial increase on the sentencing guideline starting point, the court ultimately imposed a sentence of 6 years and 8 months' imprisonment, significantly below the sentence sought by the prosecution.

The Government has announced that it is laying regulations before Parliament which would remove entitlement to certain state benefits from some offenders detained in hospital under criminal provisions of mental health legislation. The announcement was made by Pat McFadden, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in the Written Ministerial Statement Entitlement for Offenders Detained in Hospital.

When people think about care proceedings, they often picture the hearing itself: the judge, the advocates and the decisions being made in court. What is less often seen is the work that takes place in the days, weeks and months beforehand to ensure children, families and professionals have the information they need before those decisions are made.

Our client was accused of breaching a non molestation order on two separate occasions and using threatening words of behaviour.