Redhill: 01737 773533 :: Horley: 01293 771102
A familiar face and a service you can rely on is what are needed by those who are in the process of getting divorced or who face the daunting task of sorting out their finances on separation so we thought that we would take this opportunity to introduce you to one of the key players in the Family Department, Mena Ruparel, who you are likely to meet should you require an appointment with us.

I qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and have since become an Accredited Specialist with Resolution in Matrimonial Finance and Matrimonial Advocacy. I regularly lecture in Matrimonial Law and am in the process of writing a law book that I intend to be accessible not only to practitioners but to anyone.

What has been the most memorable day as a lawyer? Probably when I received the largest bunch of flowers I had ever seen from a client at the conclusion of his case. I ended up filling every vase in the house and still had lots left over! Solicitors often get a bad press or people think we overcomplicate matters when really I’m trying to make the process as simple as possible for my clients. I have a policy of not doing anything that won’t advance a case in some way and so it was nice to know that my client appreciated the work I’d done.

What has been your worst day as a lawyer? When I was told by my training principal that I would never be a Law Superhero!

And the most surreal day? It has to be when I received a letter from a firm of Solicitors requesting that my client stop buying animals as they were concerned that potential buyers would be put off the property if he didn’t – the only thing was that my client owned a Farm!!!

What made you want to become a lawyer? I watched too much L.A. Law! It made me want to help people and to be the “complete deal” – I enjoy the cut and thrust of Court advocacy but also understand that clients will need support and guidance throughout their case. I try to use clear and straightforward English to ensure all my clients understand the legal process in full.

What would be your advice to anyone looking for a Family lawyer? Before you settle on one firm I would advise you to check them out as much as possible. Find out if the solicitor in question is a Resolution member (www.resolution.org.uk). See if they will see you on a fixed fee basis initially so you can meet them; after all you will have to feel comfortable telling them about your private life so it’s good idea to meet them first. Believe it or not some firms will even offer 30 minutes of free legal advice. Above all, I would say you should ask yourself if you feel that your solicitor is giving you balanced and objective advice. There is nothing worse in my book than someone who just tells a client what they want to hear as it usually just results in problems further down the line!

If you hadn’t become a lawyer what career would you have chosen? I think that I’d have become a reflexologist; still solving people’s problems but just in a very different way.


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