THE TEAM
please read profiles of our team members below.
COMPANY DIRECTORS
HELEN KIRKHAM
Director
Helen is an experienced family law solicitor who is able to provide advice on many areas of family law. She is a member of Resolution, the country’s leading organisation of family lawyers, and she prides herself in her ability to empathise with her clients. Helen also provides assistance to the Great Dunmow CAB and is involved in providing advice to their clients at their offices on a volunteer basis.
Helen is also an accredited Resolution Family Mediator.
KEELEY HANMER
Director
Keeley is a Chartered Legal Executive and has worked with the firm since 2000.
She specialises in conveyancing.
FAMILY & MEDIATION DEPARTMENT
HELEN KIRKHAM
Director
Helen is an experienced family law solicitor who is able to provide advice on many areas of family law. She is a member of Resolution, the country’s leading organisation of family lawyers, and she prides herself in her ability to empathise with her clients. Helen also provides assistance to the Great Dunmow CAB and is involved in providing advice to their clients at their offices on a volunteer basis.
Helen is also an accredited Resolution Family Mediator.
CHRISTINE KETTLEY
Solicitor and Head of Family Team
Christine joined Foort Tayler Solicitors in February 2013 as a Matrimonial Solicitor, joining Helen Kirkham in the Family Department. She qualified as a Solicitor in 2011. Prior to joining us, alongside practising in family law, Christine specialised for 4 years in Mental Health Law, representing vulnerable Client’s who had been detained under provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983.
Due to her expertise in this area, Christine was accepted as member of the Mental Health Accreditation Panel.
SARAH HORSEMAN
FILEX, and Accredited Family and Child-Inclusive Mediator
Sarah is an experienced Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives who joined the team in November 2014. Sarah’s primary role within the family team is dedicated to heading up family and child-inclusive mediation. Alongside having developed our wonderful mediation practise, Sarah can also undertake all aspects of family law, and is a trained collaborative lawyer.
NATASHA BRADLEY
Family Lawyer
Natasha joined Foort Tayler in 2024, specialising in Family Law.
KELLY GILLON
Family Department Co-ordinator
Kelly joined the firm in October 2014, and provides secretarial and administrative support to the Family Department.
CONVEYANCING DEPARTMENT
KEELEY HANMER
Director
Keeley is a Chartered Legal Executive and has worked with the firm since 2000.
She specialises in conveyancing.
LEANNE SMITH
Licensed Conveyancer and Head of Conveyancing
Leanne qualified as a Licensed Conveyancer in 2004, and joined our team in 2018.
She specialises in conveyancing.
KATIE LANE
Trainee Legal Executive
Katie joined the firm in September 2019 to provide administrative support. She qualified as a paralegal in August 2022 and now supports the conveyancing department. She is currently sitting further exams with the view to qualify as a CILEx Lawyer in the near future.
CLAIRE BUTTRESS
Solicitor and Head of Wills and Probate
Claire is an experienced Private Client solicitor who qualified in 2003. Claire joined our Wills & Probate team in 2021. Claire is able to offer advice in Wills (including the use of Will trusts to protect assets or to provide for a vulnerable beneficiary), Probate, Intestacy, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection Matters, Trusts and Tax planning.
Claire is a full member of both STEP and Solicitors for Elderly and prides herself on her approachable manner and empathy.
BETHANY OVEN (formerly Carter)
Private Client Solicitor
Bethany joined Foort Tayler in January 2022, to work with Claire Buttress in the Private Client Department.
Bethany achieved fantastic grades throughout her SQE training with us, and qualified as a solicitor in September 2022. Bethany is able to offer advice in Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney and prides herself on her ability to offer friendly and empathetic advice.
LEENA BLOXHAM
Legal Secretary
Leena has many years of legal experience having been employed by solicitors all her working life and joined the firm as a Legal Secretary in 2014.
ALISON LAVER
Private Client Executive
Alison joined Foort Tayler in August 2024 to work with Claire Buttress and Bethany Oven in the Private Client Department. Alison has 20 years’ experience in dealing with private client matters and offers advice in Wills, Probate and Lasting Powers of Attorney. Alison prides herself in being able to offer friendly and empathic advice.
RECEPTION
JOANNE SUMMERS
Receptionist
Jo joined Foort Tayler as our Receptionist in 2017 after being in a retail office position for 37 years. She provides front line telephone & receptionist support to clients & potential clients to the firm, which enables us to operate efficiently.
