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Emma Pearmaine


Managing Director
Department: Family & Matrimonial, Management
The Legal 500 – The Clients Guide to Law Firms

Emma Pearmaine is our Managing Director, winner of the Yorkshire Law Awards Managing Partner of the Year Award 2020. Emma is very proud to have supported our people to win Yorkshire Law Awards Small Law Firm of the Year Award 2019 and to be shortlisted for the same award in 2020.

As a family and matrimonial specialist for over 20 years, she has represented clients in divorce and children cases. She has particular niche expertise in matrimonial cases involving challenging business, pension, maintenance and other finance issues.

Emma joined Ridley & Hall as a Director in 2017. She started her career in Huddersfield and later moved to Leeds to work with clients nationally in her role as Director of Family Legal Services at Simpson Millar LLP. Emma is instructed by clients from across England and Wales.

As Trustee for the London based charity The Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Violence, Emma is considered to be a go to expert on domestic violence issues.

In 2018, Emma was shortlisted in the Forward Ladies National Awards 2018, Female Entrepreneur of the Year category in Yorkshire, North East and Scotland.

Chambers and Partners 2017 describes her as: “A specialist in domestic violence cases, ancillary relief and private children law. She wins acclaim for her calm approach and ability to navigate through complex points of law. A recent client enthuses: “I would recommend her to anyone!” “

Emma is recommended in the Legal 500 United Kingdom 2020 for her work in the family law sector.

Clients recommend Emma Pearmaine and she is seen regularly delivering speeches, as Family Law expert regularly giving seminars and training to charities, companies, police forces  and sector specialists. She can often be heard speaking on the radio and is much quoted in the press on this topic as she campaigns to raise awareness about domestic violence related issues.

In 2014 she won the Modern Lawyer ‘Lawyer of the Year’ Award.

She has been a member of the Multi Party Family Courts Parliamentary Group. Emma is also Immediate Past President of Leeds Law Society and member of their executive committee.

Emma is a key member of the Ridley & Hall management team. The Modern Law Award recognised her strong management and leadership ability resulting in the very rapid and expansive development of national Family Legal Services at Simpson Millar. She has brought all this experience and expertise to Ridley & Hall, working with her colleagues to develop all aspects of the business.

Emma is as interested in the development of legal process and services as she is in the delivery of them.

Emma is married and is the very proud mother of 2 sons. In her spare time she loves to be with her family and friends, she cooks up a storm in the kitchen, enjoys walking the dog in the countryside and loves curling up with a good book.


Family & Matrimonial, Management Team

Anthony Elston

Finance Director
Anthony is a Chartered Accountant and was a partner in a national firm of accountants until 2011. He then joined a national consumer law firm as Finance Director and worked as part of the management team achieving significant growth organically and through acquisition, culminating in the sale of the firm in 2014 to a public company....

Tracey Firth

HR Manager
Tracey joined Ridley & Hall as a HR Manager in 2021. She is a Chartered member of the CIPD....

Adam  Fletcher

Business Development & IT Director
Adam served as Managing Director from 2012-2018, overseeing 25%+ growth. With 20+ years in residential property, he excels in conveyancing. In 2023, he took on the role of Business Development and IT Director, pivotal in the firm's future. He's dedicated to expanding the client base and enhancing technological support. Ridley & Hall is an exciting place for him....
Chloe Flynn Headshot

Chloe  Flynn

Solicitor
Chloe joined Ridley & Hall Solicitors as a Trainee Solicitor in April 2022. Chloe completed training in Residential Property, Commercial Property and Care and Public before securing a newly qualified solicitor position in our Family and Matrimonial Department. Chloe joined the Family and Matrimonial team in July 2023 and qualified as a solicitor in September 2023....
Kate Hames Headshot

Kate  Hames

Solicitor
Kate joined the Family and Matrimonial Department at Ridley & Hall Solicitors in 2020. Having graduated with a degree in Law from Northumbria University, Kate spent over 12 years working for Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service in Leeds, developing her legal knowledge and acumen within both their criminal and family law departments....
Shelley Harper

Shelley Harper

Associate,
Solicitor
Shelley joined Ridley & Hall Solicitors in 2020 and is a Solicitor in our family department having qualified in 2018. Shelley completed her Law Degree at Sheffield Hallam University and continued her studies at BPP University Law School in Leeds....
Emma Hopkins Jones Headshot

Emma Hopkins Jones

Partner
Emma joined Ridley & Hall as a Partner in September 2020. Emma is an experienced family law specialist, practising in all areas of private family law. Emma’s expertise in financial issues on separation, and in particular cases involving unmarried couples, was recognised in the Legal 500 2017....
Vicky Medd

Vicky Medd

Partner
Vicky Medd is a family solicitor with over 20 years experience.  She is an accredited specialist with Resolution and has a lot of experience of financial relief, and child disputes.  Vicky was also recently involved in one of the first family arbitration cases in the country and has a lot of experience in dealing with cases as expeditiously as possible, whilst achieving the best outcomes for clients....
Ernestas Motiejunas

Ernestas Motiejunas

Solicitor
Ernie has practised family law since January 2021 (aside from a brief stint in conveyancing) and has been advising clients on all aspects of family law since. Ernie has worked on cases where serious domestic abuse has been a factor and has been successful in obtaining non-molestation orders, occupation orders as well as other injunctions against the other party. Ernie further has experience in advising on the validity of marriages, in particular, Islamic marriages, and has experience in making applications for declaration of validity of marriage. ...
Karen Roberts

Karen Roberts

Partner
Karen Roberts has well over 20 years practice experience as a Family Solicitor and has a warm, and approachable style. She undertakes all areas of Family Law work, representing individuals facing difficult children’s issues, domestic abuse concerns and divorces/separations involving the resolution of financial issues. She represents parents and grandparents in care proceedings brought by the Local Authority and where family and children’s placements have broken down. ...

Themer Slimane

Marketing Manager,
Partner
Themer is the Marketing Partner at Ridley & Hall, responsible for overseeing both online and offline marketing activities for the firm. He collaborates closely with the Managing Director, Emma Pearmaine....
Zuzanna Taithe

Zuzanna Taithe

Solicitor
Since August 2019, Zuza has worked as a Paralegal in Ridley & Hall Solicitors’ Residential and Commercial Property Teams and, subsequently, as a Legal Secretary in the Care and Public Team, having previous experience in the firm as a placement student. Zuza has been awarded a Training Contract at Ridley & Hall, which commenced in July 2021. ...