Shanika Varga

VICE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR LEEDS LAW SOCIETY

I am a Senior Solicitor at Stowe Family Law LLP and I specialise in private family law. I help navigate my clients through the divorce process and the financial consequences of their marriage breaking down. I also represent clients in complicated child proceedings such a relocation cases, where there are allegations of parental alienation, step parent adoptions, grandparent cases and most recently have had a number of cases where the child has a disability. I also represent clients in cases involving allegations of domestic abuse. My days vary from considering and preparing details documents to advocating in court.

Over the past year I have assisted with the organisation of our Diversity and Inclusion Conference which is held jointly with The Law Society of England and Wales, I hosted the wellbeing evening last year and we are well underway with preparation for this years conference too. I recently hosted a round table meeting with Lawcare in order to establish what the membership want moving forward from a wellbeing point of view and organised a three part advocacy course with one of our local Judges. I have joined the local Family Justice Board, strengthened ties with the judiciary and court staff and run several family law consultations

Moving forward I will be focussing on trying to improve wellbeing in the Leeds legal sector, our D&I offering, continuing to strengthen the relationship and communication between the family court and practitioners and increasing our membership and engagement.