Nigel Priestley is the Senior Partner at Ridley & Hall and one of the leading solicitors in kinship care, adoption, and children’s law. With decades of experience, he is nationally recognised for his work supporting vulnerable children and families.

A former long-standing member of the Children’s Panel, Nigel has represented both children and parents in complex care proceedings. His expertise spans adoption breakdown, adoption support, and family and friends care, areas in which he has led groundbreaking legal challenges and secured landmark judgments.

In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field, Nigel was named Yorkshire Lawyer of the Year in 2017 and was awarded the MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to children and families.

Nigel has successfully brought Judicial Review proceedings to hold local authorities accountable, including a pivotal case against Kirklees Council over unfair Special Guardianship Allowance rates. His work in the Court of Appeal has clarified the legal status of children placed with grandparents, helping secure better support for kinship carers across the country.

A passionate advocate, Nigel also represents adoptive parents and grandparent carers in care proceedings, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights protected. His cases have featured in the legal press, particularly those involving international adoptions and serious developmental needs in children.

Nigel works closely with national organisations such as Kinship and Adoption UK, advising families on post-adoption support and writing a regular legal column for Adoption UK’s magazine.

He is also the Chair of Trustees at SFAC (Strengthening Families for Abandoned Children), a global charity supporting alternatives to institutional care. Through this work, Nigel has contributed to major child protection reforms in countries including Paraguay and Brazil, and regularly speaks at international conferences.

In 2002, Nigel co-founded a pioneering Twinning Link between the Huddersfield Law Society and the Uganda Law Society, delivering training to over 2,000 Ugandan lawyers. This initiative won the Pro Bono Award at the Yorkshire Legal Awards and was highly commended at the Law Society Excellence Awards.

Nigel’s commitment is deeply personal—he is both an adopter and a kinship carer, giving him unique insight into the challenges faced by the families he represents. He also volunteers his time by offering free legal advice through the Crossroads Project, an award-winning charity in Meltham, West Yorkshire.

Outside of law, Nigel is a Licensed Lay Minister in the Parish of Meltham Christ the King, where he continues his dedication to service and community.

Areas of work Nigel deals with

• Care proceedings
• Kinship Care
• Adoption

Awards

• Awarded the MBE in New Year Honours 2021 for series to children and families
• Won Yorkshire Lawyer of the Year 2017
• Won Lawyer of the Year Award at the Modern Law Awards (2016)
• Shortlisted for Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Adoption Week Awards (2016)
• Shortlisted for Partner of the Year at both Yorkshire Legal Awards and Family Law Awards (2016)
• Shortlisted for Family Law Partner of the Year at the Family Law Awards (2015)
• Won Legal Champion of the Year Award at the Kinship Care Awards (2013)
• Named The Solicitor of the Year (Private practice) in the National Law Society Excellence Awards (2010)
• Shortlisted for Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Award (2008)
• Law Society Highly Commended Solicitor of the Year (2008)