Battens Solicitors, one of the largest law firms in the South West, now has one of the strongest children law teams in the region following the announcement that Gemma Galvani, from its Family Law division, has been awarded a place on the Law Society's revered Children's Panel.

The accreditation is a recognised hallmark of quality and helps guardians and other professionals working with children, identify highly qualified legal practitioners who can act on behalf of children in specific cases where they need legal representation, such as care proceedings or difficult private law disputes.

Qualifying is not easy. Ms Galvani, like all prospective members, had to undergo a rigorous assessment at the Law Society in London which scrutinised her skills, knowledge and expertise in handling Children's Act matters, before finding out if she had been accepted.

"I am thrilled to become a member of the Children's Panel. I have extensive experience in this area but wanted to evidence my knowledge by passing the Law Society’s stringent application process so that I can act on behalf of children and represent them at a very difficult time in their lives."

Ms Galvani's membership means that Battens is now the South West's go-to Family Law team guardians can trust to manage sensitive and complex children law cases.

Louise Gidley, Head of Family Law at Battens, said:

"Gemma's accreditation means we now have six members of the Children Panel in our firm, making Battens Family Law team one of the strongest legal teams in the region in terms of children law expertise."