Michelle is an experienced Family Law solicitor in the Public Team at Ridley and Hall Solicitors specialising in Adoption, Adoption Disruption and Kinship Care. Michelle also has previous experience in Care Proceedings, Private Law Family and Domestic Abuse.
Michelle has worked exclusively in Family Law since 2015. During her training contract, she regularly appeared before both District Judges and Magistrates, having successfully obtained blanket rights of audience in West and North Yorkshire. After qualifying as a Solicitor in 2019, Michelle joined Ridley and Hall focussing primarily on Adoption and Kinship matters while also representing birth parents in Care Proceedings. After a short time away from Ridley and Hall, she returned in December 2025, to continue working in the Public Team alongside Nigel Priestley and Sarah Brown.
Michelle prides herself on client care and is empathetic and understanding of the difficult nature of her cases. Michelle is extremely passionate about her work and will go above and beyond to ensure that her clients feel supported and that their voice is heard.
Child Care & Public Law Team
Sarah Brown
Partner,Solicitor,
Team Leader
Sarah is the Team Leader of the Public Law team. She primarily assists clients with a variety of issues related to adoption and has developed a particular specialism in advising clients on the adoption process and adoption disruptions....
Zoe Butt
Partner,Solicitor,
Team Leader of the Care Team
Zoe Butt joined the firm in March 2023 as a Partner. Zoe has a wealth of experience in children matters and works in our Care and Public Law teams. Zoe’s particular expertise is in complex care proceedings involving Child Sexual and Criminal Exploitation, and cases involving alleged Non-Accidental Injury. She also has a wealth of experience in dealing with cases involving Forced Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation and Honour Based Violence....
Nicki Butterworth
Associate Personal Assistant
Nicki is an experienced Personal Assistant who works within the Care & Public Law Team (for Child Care Director, James Cook).Nicki’s career began in the retail sector, and it was there where she began to hone her renowned communication and customer service skills....
James Cook
Director,Head of Child Care & Public Law Team
James Cook trained and qualified at a South Yorkshire firm where he specialised in family and immigration law. ...
Sara Horncastle
Partner
Sara Horncastle joined Ridley & Hall in April 2025 as a Partner in the Care Team. A specialist Children’s Solicitor, Sara has practised exclusively in the field of children law since qualifying in 2010. ...
Saniya Hussain
Paralegal
Before joining Ridley & Hall in January 2026, Saniya graduated from the University of Leeds, where she studied LLB Law. Upon graduating, she worked as an Usher/Administrative Assistant at Leeds Crown Court Criminal Division, assisting in very serious criminal cases with offences ranging from sexual allegations, assault, GBH and murder, conducting jury trials and returning verdicts....
Clare Linden
Partner
Clare joined Ridley & Hall Solicitors as a Partner in 2018. Clare graduated from Durham University and completed her legal training at the College of Law in York in 2006. Clare qualified as a solicitor in 2008 when she re-located to Leeds to join the niche family law firm McAras and was made a partner in 2013 following the firm’s merger with Simpson Millar solicitors in Leeds....
Laura Milburn
Partner
Laura has many years of legal experience and was called to the Bar in 2010. After qualifying as a Barrister, Laura cross-qualified to become a Solicitor in 2012. Laura is a passionate advocate and has used her advocacy and negotiation skills on behalf of many clients over the years. ...
Helen Moody
Partner,Solicitor
Helen joined Ridley & Hall in 2012 after completion of the Legal Practice Course, initially as a Legal Assistant working alongside Nigel Priestley to build up experience in the Public Law department. Helen completed her training contract at Ridley & Hall and qualified as a solicitor in 2016. Helen has had major successes in claiming allowances and back dated payments for kinship carers from Local Authorities across the country. Helen was made an Associate Solicitor in January 2023....
Kim Noble
Associate,Solicitor-Advocate
Kim qualified as a Solicitor-Advocate in 2019 after obtaining her Higher Rights of Audience (Civil) as a Trainee Solicitor based in the Care Department at a Local Authority. Kim has obtained a Law Degree, Legal Practice Course and a Master of Laws prior to qualifying as a Solicitor-Advocate....
Lauren Parker
Apprentice Solicitor
Lauren joined Ridley and Hall in 2023 as a secretary in the childcare department based in the Huddersfield Office. She obtained a Law Degree at the University of Huddersfield and joined another firm as a Conveyancing assistant before joining Ridley and Hall. ...
Nigel Priestley
Senior Partner, MBE
Nigel Priestley is a Senior Partner of Ridley & Hall Solicitors and a community care and adoption specialist solicitor. He is a member of the Children’s Panel and regularly represents children and parents in care proceedings....
Maryam Razzaq
Trainee Solicitor
Maryam Razzaq is a trainee in the Family Team at Ridley and Hall. In 2024, she was named Trainee Solicitor of the Year at the Yorkshire Legal Awards, recognising her commitment and achievements early in her career....
Emma Shinn
Legal Executive
Before joining the public law team at Ridley and Hall, Emma was a Senior Child Care Lawyer for a Local Authority dealing with a number of complex proceedings, including A & Ors (Care Proceedings: 1996 Hague Convention: Habitual Residence) [2024] EWFC 110....
