The merger of Huddersfield Solicitors Ridley & Hall with Dewsbury based Michael George & Company has created one of the strongest firms of family solicitors in West Yorkshire. The merger, effective from the beginning of October, means that Ridley and Hall now has 4 Solicitors on the Law Society’s specialist Childrens’ Panel.

Sarah Young, the firm’s Managing Partner commented “This is one of the largest such teams under one roof in this area. We are delighted to welcome Michael George and his staff to our office in Huddersfield. Michael has practiced as a Solicitor in the Kirklees area for over 25 years. He set up his own legal practice in 1998 and is a longstanding member of the Children Panel.

Michael’s team are able to represent children, as well as parents and other family members. They also deal with Residence, Special Guardianship and Contact Matters as well as Adoption Law. Michael George has an excellent reputation for representing the victims of child abuse.”

She went on “They join Nigel Priestley and James Cook who are also on the Panel. Both firms share a common passion for helping families in crisis. We believe that as a result of this merger, what now sets us apart is our ability to provide a one stop advice centre because of our expertise in Community Care law and Welfare Benefits. Parents and grandparents in West Yorkshire will now be able to get excellent advice on the wide range of problems that can hit families.”

Ridley & Hall Solicitors have an enviable reputation in Yorkshire and nationally particularly in the public law team for ensuring local authorities live up to their financial responsibilities to family carers, making judicial review challenges against several. Twice winners of the Specialist Law Firm at the Yorkshire Lawyer Awards, highly commended in the Solicitor of the Year category at the Law Society Excellence Awards and AWS Best Managing Partner of a Small Practice the firm has also appeared on the BBC’s One Show and Newsnight as well as Radio 4’s Moneybox. Nigel Priestley has been short listed for the Law Society Excellence Awards Lawyer of the Year Award 2010.

For further information please contact Sarah Young on 01484 538421