staff
Mental Health
Completed a BA (Hons) Degree at Bristol then undertook the conversion course in 1989 and completed the Law Society Finals with a distinction in 1990. She then began her training at Otten Penna and qualified in 1992. Susan is now a senior partner in the firm.
Susan specialises in mental health work and has been a member of the Law Society’s Mental Health Specialist Panel since 1992. She also combined her legal work for several years with a part-time post as a Mental Health Act Commissioner.
Susan is a highly qualified and experienced mental health and criminal lawyer.
Family Law
Completed a BA (Hons) in Classics at Cambridge. Following graduation she worked with Women’s aid in a refuge for battered women and then returned to study and qualify as a Solicitor in Manchester. She undertook the conversion course and completed the Law Society Finals for her academic training as a Solicitor at Manchester Polytechnic.
Jai qualified in 1989 and became a salaried partner in 1990 and equity partner in 1994. Now a senior partner, she has increasingly taken on children public law work and became a Law Society Children Panel member in 1994.
Jai now deals mainly in complex children cases, covering both care, adoption and complex private law matters. She has a speciality in children law work for same sex couples being the Solicitor in the landmark case in 1994 in relation to a Joint Residence Order. She is a contributor to The Green Book in respect of the new Adoption and Children Act 2002. She is also a part-time Judge sitting as a Recorder when called upon.
Completed a BA (Hons) Degree.
Louise trained at Pannone & Partners and qualified in 1985. She became an associate in Pannone & Partners in 1988. In 1989 she bought the branch office with a colleague and created Morgan Garner Solicitors. In 1999 the partnership was dissolved and she then commenced work for Wolstenholmes. In October 2000 she moved to Otten Penna.
Louise has been a member of the Law Society Children Panel (Children Representative) since 1988. She has been a member of the Family Law Panel since its inception and has been a member of the Advanced Family Law Panel since February 2002. Louise undertakes all aspects of family work mainly children public care proceedings and adoption.
Ms Cheryl Walmsley (Para Legal)
Cheryl has six years of experience of working in a family law department. She deals with Divorce, matrimonial finances, contact, residence and other private law children matters.
Completed a BA (Hons) Degree and was a partner at Prickets before joining Otten Penna. in 2002 and is a member of the Law Society Specialist Family Law Panel and Children Panel.
Simon undertakes all aspects of family law, including children, public and private law & also financial consequences of breakdown of marriage and other relationships.
Ms Louise Fleetwood (Assistant Solicitor)
Completed a BA (Hons) Degree.
Louise completed her training at Mary Monsons in Salford and qualified in 1989. From 1989 to 1999 Louise worked at Kristina Harrison Solicitors undertaking criminal work and public law children work, before joining Joan Ferguson Solicitors from 1999 to 2003 undertaking criminal work and public law children work. From 2003 Louise has worked at Otten Penna undertaking some criminal work and predominately public law children work.
Louise is a member of the Law Society Children Panel (Children Representative) and is also a Criminal Court Duty Solicitor and a 24 hour Police Station Solicitor.
Ms Mushaba Rafiq (Assistant Solicitor)
Completed her LLB (Hons) Degree and then the Law Society Finals at the College of Law, York.
Mushaba commenced working for Otten Penna in 2001 and specialises in family work undertaking all aspects of family law including marriage breakdown, divorce, financial matters, private children work and public children work. Mushaba became a member of the Law Society’s Children Panel (Children Representative) in July 2003.
Mushaba continues to undertake work in all aspects of family law, in particular specialising in public care children proceedings and private law children proceedings.
She speaks fluent Punjabi and Urdu which is useful in all cases of work where English is not the first language, especially so in childcare cases as the proceedings are specialist and complex.
Ms Daniela Maggioni (Assistant Solicitor)
Completed her LLB (Hons) Degree and then the Legal Practice Course.
Daniela commenced her training at Beardsells Solicitors in Stockport where she remained for 18 months. She then continued her training at Metcalfe Wright & Platt in Heaton Moor where she qualified in 2003. Daniela joined Otten Penna in May 2004 and undertakes general family work including separation, divorce, children work and domestic violence.
Wills and Probate
Completed a BA (Hons) Degree.
Caroline worked as a Welfare Rights Advisor with Hull City Council before joining Hull Citizens Advice Bureau, initially as a volunteer and then as an information/advice worker on an estate on the outskirts of Hull. She moved to Manchester in 1991 to begin her academic legal training and began training with Otten Penna in 1994 & qualified as a solicitor in January 1996.
Caroline specialises in Wills and Probate, as well as Enduring Powers of Attorney and applications to the Court
of Protection. She also
undertakes work involving mental capacity-related issues.