Carol Jessop, who has been a partner at Harrogate Family Law for 2 years, has now been admitted as a Solicitor. She became a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives 25 years ago and she has become a well known family lawyer in North Yorkshire previously working in York for a large regional firm.
Carol explains that as a Chartered Legal Executive that she worked alongside solicitors doing the same work with the same level of knowledge and experience. Andrew Meehan, the Managing Director of Harrogate Family Law, recognised this when he appointed her as his partner. Carol says; “the transfer of my qualification should not, in any way, suggest that Legal Executives are lesser lawyers than Solicitors but there are some technical differences which hampered my role”.
Andrew says that he is proud to work alongside Carol as part of a team with the other qualified solicitors Emma Doughty and Laura Mounsey and accountant Jennifer Wood. Harrogate Family Law is a specialised niche practice where we work closely together to provide clients with a high level of client care and the benefit of our collective skills and knowledge.
Carol started off her legal career accidentally when she took a summer job as an office junior after completing her A-levels. She enjoyed the environment and was taken on in the equivalent of today’s apprenticeships. She studied law with the Institute of Legal Executive around her work. After two years she moved to a different firm to work as an assistant to a very experienced family law solicitor who instilled in her the passion for family law. She then moved to a firm in York where she progressed to Associate before joining Harrogate Family Law in 2017. Carol is proud that her rise through the profession shows that there is no limit to what you can achieve if you put your mind to it and are willing to work hard. Lack of a university education is not a barrier to a career in law.
Carol still finds family law as rewarding as ever. Lawyers often get a bad press but helping people through what may be the worst time in their lives so that they can be financially secure and positive about the future is what we are all about.
If you would like to talk to Carol or any of her colleagues at Harrogate Family Law call 01423 594680.
Andrew Meehan is an experienced family lawyer specialising in complex divorces involving significant or hidden assets, as well as cases involving children.
He is recommended for family law by both Chambers 2019 (York, Hull and surrounding regions) and the Legal 500 2018 (Leeds/West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire region).
