Carla Williams

Carla is a Senior Family Law, and Children Law Chartered Legal Executive specialising in all areas of family law at Co-op Legal Services, based in Manchester in Danielle Taylor’s team. Carla helps clients both in the UK and Internationally.

Carla has experience of dealing with a variety of family law issues across England & Wales. She has particular expertise in complex divorce financial settlements involving substantial assets including business interests, trusts and assets, both within the UK and abroad.

Carla is also experienced in advising clients where the assets are more modest which present different challenges. Carla has experience in resolving matters at an early stage, by agreement, as well as complex and contested cases which go all the way to final hearing and provides clear advice to her clients as to what path she believes will be in their best interests.

Carla can also provide legal advice and services for the consequences of relationship breakdown for unmarried couples and same sex partnerships whether on matters relating to the children and/or property.

Carla has exceptional experiencing in assisting clients through the very difficult process of resolving arrangements regarding their children such as where they will live and who they will spend time with, known as child arrangements orders. This can include prohibited steps and specific issue orders to having a child returned to the care of another parent for example or to prevent a parent from changing a child’s surname.

Carla has achieved accreditation with The Law Society as an Advanced Family Law Practitioner in both Children Act and Family Law Act applications such as non-molestation and occupation order injunctions.

Carla recognises the significant impact of separation and divorce on children and deals with these matters sensitively and proactively. This is particularly important when advising clients on relocation applications whether to somewhere else in the UK or even beyond. Carla is approachable and takes the time to explain complex legal situations in a way that clients can understand to better help them make the right decisions for them and their situation. Having been a child once involved in court proceedings herself, has given Carla a unique understanding of the importance of the voice of the child in these often difficult circumstances.

Significant Experience

Carla has had success in representing parents where there have been concerns of parental alienation. In one such case, the voluntary shared care arrangements for the child broke down after the mother alleged the child had suffered an injury in his father’s care.

Despite the local authority indicating that they had no concerns, the mother would not accept this and continually made allegations which were ultimately not accepted. Carla issued proceedings and represented the father at several hearings successfully getting contact reinstated until the matter resolved by consent that the previous arrangement of shared care were to be enshrined in a binding court order, allowing the father greater rights than he previously had.

Carla has successfully represented an unmarried mother in a dispute over a property she owned with the children’s father where he had vacated the property more than 5 years ago, had contributed nothing towards the mortgage or upkeep of the property whatsoever in that time yet sought for the net proceeds of sale to be split between the parties equally.

These types of TOLATA cases can be notoriously difficult to prove that the normal 50/50 position has changed, based on a party’s behaviour alone, however, Carla achieved a 70/30 split in favour of the mother as well as a court order towards the mother’s fees from the date a reasonable offer had been put forward by her but not accepted by the father.

Career History

Carla started her career as a legal secretary before being selected by her law firm to undertake training to become a Chartered Legal Executive with CILEx. Carla began her training with CILEx Law School in 2004, completing the 4-year course in 2008 whilst also working full time gaining valuable, “on-the-job” experience.

Carla completed her qualifying experience in 2013, after a short break for maternity leave, and became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.

Initially, Carla practised in civil litigation with her core subjects being Contract, Tort, Landlord and Tenant and Civil Litigation before training in Family Law & Practice. This has given Carla invaluable wider knowledge of the law which she puts to good use with her family clients.

In March 2023, Carla attained CILEx Lawyer status. This award means that Carla is a qualified lawyer who is entitled to practise unsupervised in the same way as a solicitor can in her area of expertise, Family Law. As part of this qualification, Carla participated in multi-day advocacy training.

In 2024, Carla continued building on her expertise by being awarded the prestigious Advanced Family Law practitioner status recognised for her knowledge.

Professional Memberships

Carla is a member of The Law Society on their Advanced Family Law panel and CILEx as a CILEx practitioner.

When not working

Outside of work, Carla spends a lot of time at her local tennis courts where she has a role on the committee as the Junior Liaison Officer and as a qualified LTA Assistant Coach.

When the weather is too bad for tennis, Carla enjoys knitting, crochet and amigurumi or can be found playing guitar.