McAlister Family Law strengthens Liverpool office with four new appointments, including highly respected Children Panel solicitor and Partner Hazel Roberts, as it brings its award-winning children law expertise to Merseyside.
The latest appointments represent a major step forward in the practice’s ambitious growth strategy for Liverpool. Having only launched its Liverpool office in March 2026, McAlister Family Law has already doubled the size of its team at Exchange Station, demonstrating its commitment to establishing a leading presence in the Merseyside legal market and bringing exceptional specialist family and children law expertise to local families.
Hazel joins the firm with 25 years of post-qualification experience and an outstanding reputation across both public and private children law proceedings. A dedicated member of the Law Society’s Children Panel for more than 20 years, Hazel has spent the majority of her career in Merseyside, representing children of all ages in some of the most complex and challenging family law cases.
Her extensive experience includes representing the lead children in the landmark case of AA & 25 Ors (Children) EWFC 64, involving 15 families across four Local Authorities. Prior to joining McAlister Family Law, Hazel spent ten years as a Director of a boutique family law practice on Merseyside, following a successful decade as Partner and Head of a Family Department operating across four offices.
Also joining the Liverpool team is Solicitor Jessica Cowley, who qualified in January 2026 and has worked exclusively in family law throughout her legal career. The team is further strengthened by the arrival of paralegals Ellie Worthington and Hannah Playdon, who join an increasingly impressive Liverpool practice that includes Partner and international children law specialist Kirsty Leedam, who joined the practice in June 2026.
This investment in the specialist children team complements the practice’s established Divorce & Finance offering, ensuring McAlister Family Law can provide comprehensive expertise across the full spectrum of family law services in Merseyside.
The expansion brings the strength of McAlister Family Law’s nationally recognised children practice to Liverpool. The practice is home to the largest specialist children law team outside London, predominantly based in Manchester, and has more Children Panel-accredited lawyers than any other firm outside the capital. Its specialist expertise has been recognised through some of the profession’s most prestigious accolades, including being ranked Tier 1 in The Legal 500 for five consecutive years and winning Family Team of the Year at the Manchester Legal Awards for three consecutive years.
McAlister Family Law’s continued recognition reflects its exceptional track record in complex children law proceedings, its depth of specialist expertise and its commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for children and families. The latest appointments will enable the practice to extend this expertise further across Merseyside, providing clients with access to an established, highly specialist team with an outstanding reputation in the field.
Amanda McAlister, Managing Partner of McAlister Family Law, said: “It is such an exciting time for McAlister Family Law and a significant moment in our growth story. When we launched our Liverpool office in March, we had ambitious plans for the city. To have already doubled the size of our team and attracted such an exceptional calibre of lawyers in such a short space of time is incredible.
Children law is at the very heart of what we do. We have spent years building what we believe is the strongest specialist children practice outside London, with an exceptional concentration of Children Panel-accredited lawyers and a track record of achieving outstanding results in some of the most complex cases in the country. Bringing that expertise to Liverpool is a natural and hugely exciting next step. Hazel is an exceptional appointment. Her experience and reputation make her a fantastic addition to the partnership, and we are delighted to welcome her alongside Jessica, Ellie and Hannah.
We are building a formidable team in Liverpool, with the strength of people like Kirsty Leedam already established in the office. Our ambition is to create a destination practice for specialist family and children law in the city, where clients can access some of the very best legal expertise in the country.”
