A NEW lawyer team has the aim of keeping children and victims of domestic abuse.

Harrison Clark Rickerbys' team led by Mat Waddington will specialises in law relating to children, draws on the specialist expertise of Victoria Pratt, an expert in supporting the victims of abuse, as well as the firm’s family law partners and teams across the region including the family law teams in Worcester.

Mr Waddington said: "We see this as a natural extension of our family law work; we have all, sadly, come across instances of abuse, and our new focus will mean that we can respond rapidly and really effectively to support those who are the most vulnerable.

"The work involving children includes care and supervision orders; the domestic abuse work includes getting injunctions including non-molestation and occupation orders.

“A local authority’s wishes for a child are not necessarily the same as what really is best for the child and that child should have the right representation. Parents or grandparents who want to keep the child in the family, but safe, also have the same right, so on other occasions, we can act for them. The central factor is the safety and wellbeing of the child concerned.”