Wigan-born solicitor celebrates "an amazing year" since launching her own law firm

Victoria Melling was born and brought up in Aspull, where her parents still live, and started VM Family Law in neighbouring Bolton after specialising in this area.

She was joined by experienced consultant solicitor Janet Larkin, who was in practice in Wigan for more than 35 years.

Senior solicitor Ceri Thomas then joined the company and completing the team has been paralegal Julie Stott.

“It’s not just that the team has grown over the past year,” explained Victoria.

“It’s also the extent of the experience between the four of us - in excess of 100 years altogether. This includes resolution accreditations and previous legal 500 mentions.”

In “an amazing year”, Victoria was also a finalist in the SheInspires Awards in the Women in Business category.

During this busy 12 months, there was an increase in other ways of “meeting” clients like Zoom and Teams rather than in person in the office.

“Some worried that this would impact their ability to build a rapport with clients,” stated Victoria, “but in my experience it has been easier.

“We can bond over home schooling or interruptions from the dog or the postie.

“I also think that ‘meeting’ in the office was quite daunting for many clients who would become very anxious and not sleep well the night before whereas clients feel more at ease in their own homes, not to mention the time they save on the travel.

“Furthermore, remote meetings often allow them to meet when it’s more convenient for them, perhaps in their car at lunchtime or when they can have someone with them who might not have been able to come to an office appointment.”

Looking ahead to the next 12 months, Victoria felt that, while delay in the court process would continue to be a problem, no-fault divorce and the removal of the need to apportion blame was “a huge step forward”.

As for the growth of VM Family Law, Victoria is confident that its team is well-equipped for any changes and challenges in 2022.

“I’m very proud of our achievements in our first year,” she said, “and really look forward to more success in the next.”

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