Waddington & Son Solicitors

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Your Trusted Legal Partner in Burnley, Blackburn & Preston

Established in 1898, Waddington & Son Solicitors have built a reputation as a trusted legal practice serving Burnley, Blackburn, and Preston. Our firm combines over 125 years of experience with a commitment to integrity and professionalism, offering personalized legal solutions tailored to individual client needs. In 2023, we strengthened our expertise through a strategic merger with JWR Solicitors, expanding our team of specialists in family law, criminal defense, and legal aid. Our solicitors are renowned for their advocacy in complex cases, including high-profile matters in the Royal Courts of Justice and Court of Appeal. We prioritise accessibility, providing clear legal guidance in plain English while maintaining rigorous standards of client confidentiality. Our Court of Protection team, one of the largest in the North West, manages deputyship appointments for vulnerable clients.

With a focus on community engagement, our lawyers regularly contribute to local legal education initiatives and professional forums. We maintain accreditation as members of Resolution and the Law Society Childrens Panel, ensuring adherence to industry best practices. Our billing department specialises in high-cost legal aid cases, supported by dedicated administrative teams across three offices. Through continuous staff development, we foster expertise in emerging legal challenges, including digital asset management and international probate. Our practice remains committed to ethical representation, balancing commercial viability with social responsibility in every case.

Services

Family Law Criminal Defense Wills & Probate Court of Protection Domestic Abuse Cases Local Authority Care Proceedings Adoption Lasting Powers of Attorney Bereavement Services Legal Aid

Highlights and features

We have 125 years of continuous legal practice in Lancashire
Our team includes 9 Court of Protection Professional Panel Deputies
We handle high-cost legal aid cases with transparent billing
Our solicitors regularly appear in the Court of Appeal and High Court
We maintain Resolution and Law Society Children's Panel accreditation

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Services

Family Law

Our family law specialists handle divorce proceedings, child custody arrangements, and domestic abuse cases. We represent clients in local authority care proceedings and adoption matters, prioritising child welfare. With Law Society Childrens Panel accreditation, our solicitors provide expert guidance through emotionally challenging situations while maintaining strict confidentiality.

Criminal Defense

We defend clients facing criminal charges at magistrates' and crown courts. Our team includes Higher Court advocates handling serious offenses, with specialist police station representatives available 24/7. We manage complex cases involving youth offenders and vulnerable clients, maintaining strong relationships with leading barristers and expert witnesses to build robust defense strategies.

Court of Protection

Our specialist team manages deputyship appointments for individuals lacking mental capacity. We handle financial affairs and healthcare decisions, preparing annual reports for the Court of Protection. With nine professional panel deputies in the North West, we provide expert management of high-value estates and complex guardianship matters for vulnerable clients.

Wills & Probate

We draft wills, establish lasting powers of attorney, and manage probate processes. Our solicitors handle contested estates and international inheritance matters, including notarial services for cross-border transactions. We advise on tax-efficient estate planning and administer complex probate cases involving property sales and multi-jurisdictional assets.

Legal Aid

We provide legally aided services for eligible clients in family and criminal cases. Our billing department specialises in high-cost case management, ensuring compliance with Legal Aid Agency requirements. We offer transparent cost assessments and work with counsel chambers to deliver cost-effective representation in publicly funded matters.

People

Colin Warner

Director, Family Solicitor

Qualified in 1989, Colin specialises in family law and Court of Protection cases. He has represented children in complex care proceedings since 2008 and leads our professional deputyship team. A frequent speaker at legal conferences, he chairs the Lancashire Family Justice Conference annually.

Trish Hassell

Director, Family Solicitor

Joining in 2018, Trish became our first female director in 2019. She specialises in local authority care proceedings, representing both parents and children in complex cases. With Resolution accreditation, she manages our Blackburn office and contributes to national family law policy discussions.

Charlotte Fitzpatrick

Director, Head of Family

Qualified in 2011, Charlotte leads our family department with expertise in children's rights. She has served on the Law Society Childrens Panel since 2012 and specialises in high-conflict custody cases. Her work focuses on protecting vulnerable children while balancing parental responsibilities.

Nicola Mawson

Director, Court of Protection

Qualified in 2009, Nicola heads our private client team. She specialises in deputyship appointments for high-net-worth individuals and dementia care cases. As a Dementia Friend, she advocates for improved legal protections for vulnerable clients through the Professional Deputies Forum.

Andrew Clegg

Head of Crime

With 25 years' experience, Andrew leads our criminal defense team. He represents clients in serious criminal cases at all court levels and serves as an accredited police station representative. His expertise includes youth offending and vulnerable defendant cases, maintaining strong barrister networks.

Questions

What areas of law does Waddington & Son Solicitors Solicitors specialise in?

We specialise in family law, criminal defense, Court of Protection matters, wills & probate, and legal aid services across Lancashire.

Can I get emergency legal assistance outside office hours?

Yes, our 24/7 police station representatives provide immediate assistance for criminal matters at any time.

Are your solicitors accredited specialists?

Yes, we have Law Society Children’s Panel members and Resolution-accredited family law specialists.

Do you handle cross-border legal matters?

Our notary public services assist with international property transactions, inheritances, and business documentation requirements.

What payment methods do you accept?

We handle legally aided cases and invoice for private services – payment terms discussed during initial consultation.

Reviews (5)

Write a Review

Jeffrey Green

Sep 29, 2021 Report

Do not use these solicitors. They have been dealing with my mother's will since she passed away last year and seem no closer to completing this almost 11 months later. Phone calls aren't returned and we were never even notified when our solicitor left the company! We have been advised by another solicitor to make a complaint to the financial ombudsman if there is no progress after 12 months.

Paulo Furlonge

Sep 22, 2021 Report

I have been waiting over 2 years for the solicitor to finalize my mother's Estate. Elisabeth Borthwick was my mother.The solicitor is very unprofessional and rude.Who do I complain to? paulofurlonge @hotmail.com l am Paul A Williams (son) His name is Gary Hall.

Matthew Trubow

Mar 27, 2021 Report

Probably the rudest and most money focused solicitor ever. Withheld a Will for the sake of trying to get us to pay for them to administer the probate. Then, we go up to get the Will and notice that there are two errors in it from them originally writing it. We were told it pays to review it isnt that what the solicitor is for??? Not recommended.

D. B.

Sep 01, 2020 Report

I was told they are taking on community care cases. I spoke to the person in the department about my case. They said I would need to complete legal aid forms which I did. I didn't hear anything for weeks. So I tried to chase it up. I got no reply. Then they contacted me to say they needed bank statement from husband who are couldn't go out due to health. It was now lockdown and both my partner and I are chronically disabled and had received shielding letters from NHS telling us not to go out not even for exercise or be at risk of getting coronavirus. There wasn't even a bank in my town so I had

Tim Gledhill

Aug 04, 2020 Report

Critical:Professionalism,Responsiveness
Rude, incompetent, bias, no intention of what is best for the child involved. Lie and purposely deceive the court for their own benefit. Beware if you come up against Colin Warner or anyone from his firm.