Jennifer is now the Director with responsibility for trainees and overseeing each training contract from start to qualification.  

Jess Reynolds joined the firm as the office assistant in 2013 and began her Chartered Legal Executive training in 2014.  Jess qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2021 and started managing her own residential property caseload. In recognition of her continued success, Jess was invited to become an Associate at the firm in 2024.

Marcus Crawley - Associate

Meet one of our Associate Solicitors who was a trainee at Hughes Paddison, Marcus Crawley joined the firm in 2013 and qualified into the Family Department on completing his training contract.

Q: Why did you decide to choose a career in the law?

A: My older brother trained as a barrister before cross qualifying as a solicitor. When I was in school, he would visit home and tell us about the sorts of interesting cases that he had been working on and stories about some of his Court experiences. I think that those stories planted the seed that a career in law might be for me. 

Having decided that I would like to explore a career in law, I organised a number of work experience placements, during which I was able to get a taste for both office life and Court work. Seeing the breadth of cases that you get to experience as a lawyer helped to reassure me that becoming a solicitor was what I wanted to do.  

Q: Why did you apply to Hughes Paddison?

A: After completing my LPC, I applied for a variety of different jobs and was able to secure three offers for training contracts at different firms around the country. One of the offers was to work as a Prison Law paralegal in a firm in Cheltenham, with a view to commencing my training contract within a year. As the Prison Law role involved running my own case load and carrying out advocacy at Parole hearings, I decided that of the three jobs I had been offered, it would give me the best experience in starting my career in law. 

Having experienced Prison Law for a year, I decided that I did not wish to pursue a career in Criminal Law. Whilst I had gained valuable experience in my previous firm, I then knew that I wished to instead qualify into Family Law. As such, I began to look elsewhere for a training contract. Hughes Paddison is a leading firm within Cheltenham and so, when I saw them advertising for trainees, I jumped at the chance to submit an application. The seats advertised seemed ideal for gaining experience to commence my career as a family lawyer.  

Q: Describe your experience as a trainee at Hughes Paddison:

A: I had a wonderful time as a trainee at Hughes Paddison. Before starting my training contract, I briefly worked as a paralegal in our Litigation Department. I was then able to have seats in Family, Residential Property, Commercial Property and Private Client. Having such a broad and interesting range of training seats has allowed me to expand my knowledge base and gain experience in a number of areas of law that are relevant to my work as a family lawyer. 

The trainees at Hughes Paddison have traditionally led the Cheltenham Junior Lawyers Division and so I have been able to get to know trainees from other firms in the area. 

Hughes Paddison has the feel of a family firm. From the moment of my first interview with two of the firm’s Directors, I have felt welcomed, accepted and part of the family. It is a firm that values individuality and helps foster a supportive and friendly environment. 

Q: How did you choose the area you wished to qualify into?

A: I have always been fascinated by people. As such, when I chose my options at university, I was able to tailor my degree towards Family Law. The privilege of being a Family solicitor is that you are able to see a snapshot of how different people organise their lives. No two cases are the same and so there is always something new to make the job interesting. 

Q: How is life as a qualified solicitor? 

A: I am thoroughly enjoying it. I feel lucky to have found a career that challenges me each day and allows me to see such a varied amount of work. Working at Hughes Paddison continues to be a pleasure and I am looking forward to a long and varied career with the firm.

Roanna Cooling - Solicitor

Roanna Cooling joined Hughes Paddison in March 2022 as a paralegal before commencing her training contract in April 2022. She is now a Solicitor in the Litigation Department.

What experience did you gain before starting your training? 

After graduating from my undergraduate Law degree in 2018, I wanted to gain some practical legal experience before starting my LPC and LLM. I began working as an in-house litigation paralegal, where I stayed for 2 and a half years. In 2021 I went on to complete my LPC and LLM whilst working part-time.

Once I graduated from my LPC and LLM I secured a role as a family paralegal in a local firm for 5 months, before obtaining my training contract with Hughes Paddison.

Before commencing my training contract, I had the opportunity to paralegal at Hughes Paddison for a short while. This provided me with the perfect time to learn the systems and settle in.

I wouldn’t be the trainee I am today without the prior hands-on experience. It has really helped me hit the ground running and I couldn’t recommend gaining experience enough.

How would you describe the culture at Hughes Paddison? 

Friendly and supportive! From my very first interview I knew I wanted to train with Hughes Paddison, and it honestly felt like a ‘when you know, you know’ moment. Everyone is always willing to help, and as a trainee this is very important because you WILL ask a lot of questions! I have always felt the firm is invested in my development and future career.

There is a supportive culture amongst all the trainees and so you can always reach out for guidance and support from those in the same position as you. We are all rooting for each other to succeed. 

We also have our very own social committee, and the firm encourages everyone to get involved. This really makes you feel part of the Hughes Paddison family.

What advice would you give to a prospective trainee?

Be open-minded, be yourself and ask questions. You only have one training contract and so don’t be afraid of asking questions because it is the perfect opportunity to do so. Remember that the academic and practical stages of training are very different and just because you loved (or disliked) an area of law at university, that doesn’t mean it will be the same in practice. In any event you will learn in any seat you do, and this will help make you a well-rounded solicitor when you qualify.

James Burrows - Solicitor

James Burrows is a Solicitor within our Corporate and Commercial team. He started as a paralegal in our employment department in January 2021 before commencing training contract in January 2022. He qualified as Solicitor in August 2024.

What experience did you gain before starting your training? 

Prior to starting my training contract at Hughes Paddison, I was a Paralegal in the Employment Department. This was a fantastic start to my time at the firm and I would recommend this route to any applicants for training contracts because it makes the transition into being a trainee solicitor so much easier. As a Paralegal at Hughes Paddison, a lot of the work you carry out is trainee level work which means by the time you start your training contract you already have a lot of invaluable experience.

Describe your experience as a trainee at Hughes Paddison.

As a trainee at Hughes Paddison, you are extremely closely involved in all of the files that you are working on. It is not just a case of jumping from file to file picking up small tasks. Instead, you are right at the centre of the client’s matter and part of the team progressing the key parts of matter for the client. For example, I have had experience drafting witness statements and statements of case on the matters I have been working on. The great part about being a trainee at Hughes Paddison is that you are given a really rewarding balance between responsibility and support.

How would you describe the culture at Hughes Paddison? 

The culture of Hughes Paddison is what makes it such a great place to work. From the very first day you are made to feel welcomed and a valued part of the whole firm. The firm encourages every single person to be themselves and you can really feel that they are invested in every single employee.  

Jo Lingard - Solicitor


Jo Lingard joined Hughes Paddison as a Paralegal in July 2021. She joined the Trainee Scheme in April 2022 and qualified as a Solicitor in May 2024. She is a Solicitor in Hughes Paddison's Litigation Team specialising in Property Litigation.

What have you enjoyed the most in your training so far? 

I have enjoyed every seat and every department I have experienced so far at Hughes Paddison. I strongly believe that part of this enjoyment is the level of depth and responsibility you are given as a trainee.

You are able to work closely with all colleagues from the secretaries and assistants all the way to our Equity Directors. This in turn provides an insight into areas of each department that many people ordinarily would not see and makes for a much more rounded trainee. It also provides you with a more in depth and broad level of training as you are exposed to complex and challenging issues on a regular basis.

How would you describe the culture at Hughes Paddison? 

The culture at Hughes Paddison really is one of a family. There is always an open-door policy and people will always find time to give you advice, support you and answer any query you may have. Everyone wants you to be the best you can be. Hughes Paddison’s approach to this is to support and nurture your individual talents and allow you to be yourself.

What advice would you give to a prospective trainee?

I would recommend approaching training and every department with an open mind. It is great if you have a strong idea of where you would like to qualify but often the difference between academics and practice can be vast, and something you never thought you would enjoy can end up being the area you love.

My primary piece of advice to any prospective trainees is to simply be yourself. Looking for a training contract can be a lengthy and stressful process and at times you may feel the need to present yourself as what you think a firm my want. Hughes Paddison is the strong firm it is because of the unique perspectives and differences each employee brings to the table.

Maddie Prior - Solicitor

Madelaine is a Solicitor in the Private Client Department. She works on a wide range of matters including Wills and lifetime planning, mental capacity and lasting powers of attorney, estate administration and Trusts. Madelaine graduated from the University of the West of England in 2020 with a first class LLB law degree and went on to achieve a distinction in the Legal Practice Course the following year. She joined Hughes Paddison in August 2022 and completed an LLM Masters in Law in October 2024, qualifying as a Solicitor.

Why did you apply to Hughes Paddison?

One of my main motivations behind applying for a role at Hughes Paddison is their excellent reputation in family law. I was always particularly interested in this area as the objective of the family law is quite closely aligned with my values and reasons for wanting to become a solicitor.

Whilst I was at university, I volunteered for a charitable organisation providing support and advice to Litigants in Person at the Family Court in Bristol. I found the role challenging at times, but extremely rewarding and decided I wanted to explore the area more. I was therefore thrilled when Hughes Paddison offered me a role as a paralegal in the family department prior to starting my training contract.

I also felt like the size and culture of Hughes Paddison was perfect for me. I wanted to work for a law firm large enough to provide exposure to a wide range of practice areas, but that was still able to maintain a sense of having a ‘family feel’, as well as a supportive culture. From my very first day at Hughes Paddison, I was welcomed as a valued member of the team and this supportive culture, I feel, will enhance my professional growth as young person in the legal industry.

What tasks do you complete as a Paralegal and how do these enable you to build experience?

So far, my role has been very wide ranging and I’m learning new things every day. As a paralegal in the family department, I am directly assisting Jennifer Allen, Director in the family team with a wide range of tasks such as:

• Reviewing financial disclosure in financial proceedings and preparing schedules of assets for proposals for settlement, Es1 and Es2 documents for court hearings;
• Preparation of forms required to initiate proceedings or commence the next stage of proceedings as well as statements of information forms for consent orders;
• Raising questions of the other party’s financial disclosure in the form of a questionnaire as well as preparing replies to questionnaires;
• Investigating undisclosed assets, which has also involved reviewing Land Registry documentation to determine ownership;
• Service of legal documents on creditors in enforcement proceedings;
• Legal research surrounding uncommon legal issues; and
• Drafting statements following instructions received from clients;
• Drafting advice letters;
• Preparing Court Bundles;
• Reviewing practice directions and case law;
• Observing client appointments and court hearings;
• Assisting with the day to day running of files;
• Booking and liaising with Counsel/ Counsels chambers;
• Assisting in all areas of case management from the setting up of new client files, compliance, as well as assisting with billing;
• Uploading and downloading documents to the HMCTS Court portal;
• General assistance to the family team of fee earners.

The tasks I have been given to date have all been engaging and varied and have furthered my interest in family law as a potential practice area in the future. I am also grateful for the high levels of responsibility I have been given and the opportunity to add value to cases right from the outset of my time at Hughes Paddison. The directors, fee-earners, other paralegals and trainees are always extremely helpful when I have a query and will always make time to run things through with me.