Frettens LLP

Family Law

Help with divorce, separation, domestic issues, and legal matters involving relationships.

Landlord & Tenant

Help for landlords and tenants with residential and commercial leases, disputes, and evictions.

General Litigation

Resolving disputes between individuals or businesses, including court cases.

Wills, Trusts & Tax

Advice on writing a will, setting up trusts, and planning how to pass on your assets.

Commercial Property

Legal help with buying, selling, or leasing shops, offices, and other business properties.

Corporate Law (Non-Listed)

Legal services for businesses that are not listed on the stock exchange.

Children Law

Legal issues involving children, including parental rights, guardianship, and care proceedings.

Residential Property

Buying, selling, or renting a home, including legal checks and mortgage-related issues.

Employment Law

Advice for employees and employers on workplace rights, contracts, and unfair dismissal.

Probate & Estates

Help with dealing with a person's property, money, and belongings after they pass away.

Matthew Fretten

Managing Partner

Matthew is a Corporate & Commercial lawyer with a reputation for pragmatic and strategic advice in the owner-managed SME market. He now spends almost all his time managing the firm, and sits as a non-executive director and honorary solicitor for the Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Niki Adkins

Partner & Head of Leasehold Property (FCILEX)

Niki has worked in leasehold property law since 2006 and heads the Leasehold Property Team, advising freeholders, leaseholders and management companies on residential leasehold matters. A member of the ALEP, she became a Partner in July 2022 and was recognised in the 2022 and 2023 Legal 500.

Ben Cobb

Partner & Head of Commercial Property

Ben joined the Commercial Property Team in 2017, started the Social Housing team in 2020, was made a Partner in 2021 and Head of Commercial Property in July 2025. He has particular expertise in commercial landlord and tenant work and was recognised in the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Legal 500.

Matthew Crampton

Wills & Tax Partner

Since qualifying as a solicitor in 2012, Matt has specialised exclusively in private client law. He joined Frettens in June 2026, having been a Private Client Partner at two regional firms, and has particular experience advising on complex and high-value estates involving inheritance tax.

Anna Curtis

Dispute Resolution Partner

Anna qualified as a Solicitor in 2008, joined the firm in 2019 and was made Partner in 2025. Her work includes contentious wills, contract claims, and property, leasehold and boundary disputes. She has been recognised in the Legal 500 for a number of years and is an Associate Member of ACTAPS.

Karen Edwards

Partner and Head of Corporate & Commercial

A Partner since January 2022, Karen heads the Corporate & Commercial team, having qualified in January 2011. She specialises in non-contentious company transactions including mergers, acquisitions and sales, and was recommended as a next generation Partner in the 2023 and 2024 Legal 500.

Clare Hallett

Residential Property Partner

Clare trained with Frettens, qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and became a Partner in 2016. With over 20 years' experience in property law, she advises on residential conveyancing including new build properties and complex title matters. She was recognised in the 2022 and 2023 Legal 500.

James Hammersley

Partner & Head of Wills & Tax

Qualified since 2008, James joined Frettens in May 2022 as a Wills & Tax Partner after previous experience at a large regional firm. Now head of the department and based in the Christchurch office, he deals with complex and technical cases. He was mentioned in the 2024 Legal 500.

Michelle Hayter

Partner & Head of Dispute Resolution

Michelle heads the Dispute Resolution Department and the firm's operations in Ringwood. She qualified as a Solicitor in 2002 and became a Partner in 2010. A fully-qualified ACTAPS member, she handles Estate, Trust and Will disputes and is recognised in the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Legal 500.

Simon Immins

Family Partner

A family law specialist for over 30 years, Simon joined Frettens in 2018 to establish and lead the Family team in Ringwood and was promoted to Partner in 2021. He is a trained Collaborative Lawyer, Family Mediator and member of Resolution, and his expertise has been recognised by The Legal 500.

Michelle Kemp

Partner & Head of Employment

Qualified in 2006, Michelle specialises in contentious and non-contentious employment law and HR matters, acting primarily for employers. She joined Frettens in January 2024 after almost 14 years as a partner in two specialist employment law firms, and represents clients in Employment Tribunals.

Malcolm Niekirk

Partner & Head of Insolvency & Restructuring

With three decades of Insolvency experience, Malcolm is a registered Insolvency practitioner as well as a solicitor. He joined in 2020 as Partner to head the Insolvency and Restructuring team, having led the insolvency teams at two large regional firms. He was recognised in the 2023 Legal 500.

Michelle Petersen

Partner & Head of Residential Property

As Partner and Head of the Residential Property team, Michelle advises on sales, purchases, remortgages, transfers of equity, equity release, matrimonial conveyancing and adverse possession claims. She also has significant experience in commercial property and acts for developers on plot sales.

Rosemary Sharp

Family Partner

A Partner in the family team, Rosie qualified as a solicitor in 2010 and joined Frettens in 2025. She has experience in divorce and financial settlements, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and children arrangements. A member of Resolution, she is recognised in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.

Andrew Stynes

Partner & Head of Family

Andy has over 30 years' experience in Family law and has been a collaborative lawyer since 2006. He advises on divorce, separation, associated financial issues and disputes over children. A member of Resolution, he was recognised in the 2024 Legal 500 and is listed as a Leading Lawyer by Wiselaw.

Patsy Whitford

Commercial Property Partner

Patsy has particular expertise in development land, including options and overage, having worked for national and local developers. She also undertakes commercial landlord and tenant work. She joined the firm in 2021, was promoted to Partner in July 2026 and was recognised in the 2024 Legal 500.

Lee Young

Wills & Tax Partner

A Solicitor since 1996 and Chartered Tax Advisor since 2003, Lee advises on personal tax, wills and trusts and acts as trustee in over 100 trusts. A past Chairman of the Bournemouth Branch of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners, he was recommended in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Legal 500.

Kate Fretten

Consultant Employment Solicitor

A member of the Employment Lawyers Association, Kate qualified in 2001 and worked as a Partner at Frettens for many years. As consultant, she advises on contentious and non-contentious employment issues, primarily for employers, and gives day-to-day guidance to HR professionals.

John Stembridge-King

HR Services Consultant

A Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, John joined Frettens in June 2026. After a career in the RAF, he gained over 10 years' experience within the unionised aviation sector, supporting commercial airline pilots. He holds an MA in HR Management, a Postgraduate Certificate in Employment Law and an MBE.

Nathan Andrews

Associate (Non-Solicitor) & Head of HR Services (Chartered MCIPD)

Nathan has over 18 years of people management experience and is a Chartered Member of the CIPD. He joined Frettens in July 2024 after more than seven years running his own consultancy, and has particular expertise in workplace investigations, mediation and complex employee relations matters.

Paula Arnold

Wills & Tax Associate

With over 20 years' experience, Paula advises individuals, families and business owners on Wills, trusts, estate administration and succession planning. A full member of STEP, she began her career with HM Revenue & Customs before moving to PwC and, in 2005, into the legal profession.

Anna Davey

Residential Property Associate

A CILEx Conveyancing Practitioner, Anna started her career in Property Law in 2007 and joined the firm in September 2026. She deals with residential sales, purchases, remortgages and transfers of equity, and volunteers with CILEx as a Specialist Reference Group Adviser.

Chris Dobbs

Employment Associate

A member of the Employment Lawyers Association, Chris qualified in 2017, joined Frettens in 2019 and was promoted to Associate in July 2023. He acts for employers and employees in dispute and tribunal work and provides HR advice to businesses. He was recognised in the 2023 and 2024 Legal 500.

Kerri Hunter

Dispute Resolution Associate

Kerri qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives in July 2016 and cross qualified as a Solicitor in January 2017. With over ten years post qualification experience in Dispute Resolution, she handles property and boundary disputes, TOLATA claims and commercial disputes.

Laura Mabin

Residential Property Associate (FCILEX)

A CILEX Practitioner based in the Christchurch office, Laura joined the firm in October 2019. She deals with residential purchases, sales, remortgages and transfers of equity, and has also dealt with adverse possession claims, matrimonial conveyancing, assents and transfers of part.

Hannah Martin

Commercial Property Associate

Hannah works in the Social Housing team with housing association clients and acts for landlords and tenants buying and selling commercial property. Her experience includes acquisitions and disposals, development land transactions and secured lending. She was included in the 2025/2026 Legal 500.

Holly Munro

Wills & Tax Associate

A former British Army Officer, Holly trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and left the Army as a Captain. She then obtained a Distinction from the Legal Practice Course at Bournemouth University, joined the Wills and Tax team in September 2025 and became an Associate in July 2026.

Natalie Neil

Residential Property Associate (FCILEX)

Natalie joined the firm in 2005 and qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive and Fellow of CILEX (FCILEX) in August 2021. An Associate in the Residential Property team, she deals with all aspects of residential property, including sales, purchases, remortgages and transfers of equity.

Charlotte Pottinger

Residential Property Associate (ACILEX)

Charlotte has over 10 years' experience in residential conveyancing. Her work includes sales and purchases of leasehold and freehold property, Equity Release transactions, Transfers of Equity, buy to let properties, residential re-mortgages, Deeds of Easement and matrimonial conveyancing.

Richard Ramshaw

Leasehold Property Associate

Richard joined the firm in 2021 as a solicitor in the commercial property team, where he dealt with a wide range of property transactions. In 2025 he transferred to the leasehold property team, working alongside Niki Adkins and Kerry Martin, and he was promoted to Associate in July 2026.

Zoë Watson

Corporate & Commercial Associate

Based in the Wimborne office, she works in the Corporate & Commercial Team alongside Karen Edwards, the Partner in the department. She completed her training in 2020 in a commercial team at another local firm and has experience in company sales and disposals, as well as general commercial advice.

Laura Bowie

Residential Property Chartered Legal Executive

Based in Christchurch, Laura qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in October 2024, having studied with CILEx while working in conveyancing. She holds a Masters in History from the University of Aberdeen (2013) and the Graduate Diploma in Law from Bournemouth University (2015).

Anthony Eaton

Dispute Resolution Solicitor

Having qualified as a Solicitor in 2019, Anthony joined the firm in Christchurch in September 2023. He advises on a broad range of contentious matters, including professional negligence claims against property surveyors and solicitors, contested probate matters and boundary disputes.

Nicola Fisher

Corporate & Commercial Solicitor

Nicola advises on a wide range of company transactions and contracts from the Wimborne office. A Chartered Secretary, she qualified as a Solicitor in 2022 after working as company secretary for an asset manager. Her experience includes acquisitions and disposals, group reorganisations and MBOs.

Julie Frampton

Wills & Tax Executive

With the firm since 1993, Julie worked her way from office junior and team secretary to become a fee earner in 2008. A Paralegal, she helps clients draft wills and advises on lasting and general powers of attorney, the administration of estates and the financial affairs of elderly clients.

Phoebe Gamble

Residential Property Licensed Conveyancer

Based in Ringwood, Phoebe completed the CLC exam in July 2026 and is now a fully qualified Licensed Conveyancer. She joined the firm in April 2021 as an Administrator and was promoted in July 2023 to Residential Property Paralegal, assisting with fee earner duties.

Julia Gaunt

Residential Property Licensed Conveyancer

A Licensed Conveyancer since 2015, Julia spent many years as a secretary and PA in the residential property field before qualifying. She joined the Residential Property team in Ringwood in June 2020 and deals with freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, remortgages and transfers of equity.

Jason Grimster

Dispute Resolution Executive (FCILEX)

Jason taught law for 24 years at Bournemouth University and Brockenhurst College, where he was Head of Law for 15 years. A Chartered Legal Executive since 2020, he specialises in dispute resolution and litigation, including building disputes, consumer claims and property litigation.

Chloe Hayter

Wills & Tax Executive

A Chartered Legal Executive since August 2026, Chloe has worked in the legal profession since 2015, with experience across Clinical Negligence and Conveyancing. She joined Frettens in September 2022 and moved to the Wills & Tax team in July 2023 to develop her private client expertise.

Arya Koohgilani

Corporate & Commercial Solicitor

Arya qualified as a solicitor in February 2024 and has worked both in-house and in private practice. His experience includes company reorganisations and demergers, commercial agreements, share and asset transactions, and registering and renewing trademarks. He is fluent in Persian/Farsi.

Paul Longland

Corporate & Commercial Solicitor

After qualifying with a London firm, Paul was a Partner in the Company & Commercial team at another local firm for over 30 years before joining Frettens. His experience includes complex company reorganisations and demergers, and acquisitions and disposals of care home businesses.

Kerry Martin

Leasehold Property Executive

Since late 2023, Kerry has worked in the leasehold property team, having joined Frettens in 2020 in commercial property. She mainly deals with lease extensions, deeds of variation, enfranchisement, drafting new leases and general lease advice, and is an Associate member of CILEX (ACILEX).

Justine Mears

Employment Solicitor

Justine studied the Legal Practice and Advanced Drafting LLM at Swansea University, then worked at Bournemouth County Court, clerking and producing court orders. She joined the firm in September 2023 as a Trainee Solicitor, qualified in September 2025 and works in the Employment team.

Olivia Parkinson

Dispute Resolution Solicitor

Olivia qualified as a Solicitor in September 2022 and was promoted to associate in January 2026. She handles civil and commercial litigation, with a particular interest in contentious probate disputes. A qualified ACTAPS member, she was recommended in the 2024 Legal 500 for Commercial Litigation.

Jack Phillips

Employment Solicitor

Jack graduated from the University of Law with a first-class LLB in August 2023 and completed his LPC and LLM with a Distinction a year later. After seats including Commercial Property and Employment, he qualified as a Solicitor in September 2026 and continues in the Employment team.

Cheryl Phimister

Residential Property Executive

Cheryl joined Frettens in September 2020 and deals with all aspects of residential property, including leasehold, freehold, unregistered, shared ownership and transfer of equity cases. She began as a Paralegal dealing with remortgages and was later a Senior Conveyancer at several local law firms.

Bethany Pinner

Wills & Tax Solicitor

A First Class LLB Law graduate of the University of Reading, Bethany spent a year as a Graduate Legal Assistant in the Family Team. Her training contract covered Family, Wills & Tax, Corporate & Commercial and Residential Property. As of September 2026 she is qualified as a Wills & Tax Solicitor.

James Privett

Corporate & Commercial Solicitor

A law graduate of Bournemouth University, James started at Frettens as a Legal Secretary in the Commercial Property team and qualified in June 2025 into the Corporate & Commercial team. His work has included share and business sales, a company reorganisation and a share buyback.

Becky Shale

Wills & Tax Solicitor

Becky qualified via the Solicitor Apprenticeship route and has been working locally in the legal profession since 2019. She joined Frettens in July 2026 as a Wills and Tax Solicitor, works in the Christchurch office and is experienced in dealing with Wills, LPAs and Estate Administration.

Lauren Smallwood

Wills & Tax Solicitor

Lauren trained at Frettens and qualified as a Solicitor in September 2021, joining the Wills & Tax team. She has a first class degree in Law from Bournemouth University and a Distinction from the LPC, has completed her diploma in trust and estate administration and is a full member of STEP.

Bryony Spicer

Family Solicitor

Bryony joined the Family team when she qualified in July 2024, having trained at a firm in Brighton. She previously worked for a legal aid firm securing non molestation orders. Her experience includes financial remedy proceedings, children matters and pre and post nuptial agreements.

Megan Spicer

Family Solicitor

A Solicitor in the Family department in Wimborne, Megan joined Frettens in December 2025. She graduated from Brunel University with a Law Degree in 2018 and completed her LLM LPC in 2021. She qualified in January 2024 within Family Law, where she worked predominantly in divorce finance matters.

Rhiannon Stevinson

Wills & Tax Chartered Legal Executive

A Chartered Legal Executive and Fellow of CILEX, Rhiannon qualified in August 2025. She joined the Wills & Tax team in May 2023 after 4 years as a Private Client Executive at another local law firm. She deals with Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Administration of Estate.

Charlie Stickland

Commercial Property Solicitor

Charlie qualified as a Commercial Property Solicitor in October 2024, having spent a year as a paralegal in residential property and trained with another firm. Her work covers refinances, leases of business premises, and sales and purchases of commercial buildings and agricultural land.

Katelyn Webster

Family Solicitor

Katelyn graduated from Bournemouth University in 2022 with an LLB (Hons) and joined Frettens as a Legal Assistant in the Family Team. She qualified as a Solicitor in August 2025 via the SQE route. Her work includes divorce and dissolution, financial remedy and private children proceedings.

Regan Cooke

Trainee Solicitor

Regan graduated from Bournemouth University with an LLB degree in Law. She joined Frettens as a Graduate Legal Assistant and began her Training Contract in September 2025, with seats in Family and Residential Property before joining the Wills & Tax team in Wimborne.

Isobel Forward

Trainee Solicitor

Isobel completed her LLB (Hons) Law degree at Bournemouth University in 2026, having gained hands-on experience as a placement student in the Residential Property team at Frettens. She rejoined the team in Wimborne as a Trainee Solicitor in September 2026.

Louie Good

Trainee Solicitor

A first-class law graduate of Bournemouth University, Louie completed a placement year at a business law firm in Brighton and Hove, then spent a year as a paralegal in the Wills & Probate department of a firm in Chichester. He joined Frettens in September 2025 and is now a Family team trainee.

Dominic Holmes

Trainee Solicitor

After an LLB Law degree at Cardiff University, Dominic started at Frettens as a Graduate Legal Assistant supporting the Insolvency team. His training contract began in Dispute Resolution, and in March 2026 he moved to the Commercial Property Team in Ringwood. He has passed his SQE1.

Chelsea Jeffs

Trainee Solicitor

Chelsea completed her LLB (Hons) at Cardiff University and the Legal Practice Course at the University of Law, Southampton. Before joining Frettens in September 2025 she was a paralegal in the Litigation and Recoveries department of a local firm. She is in the third seat of her training contract.

Susie Moore

Trainee Solicitor

After a two year law degree at Bournemouth University, Susie joined Frettens in August 2024 for a one year placement with the Employment and Insolvency & Restructuring teams. She previously worked at the Magistrates' Courts and clerked for the family circuit judge at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Antoinette Ogungbe

Trainee Solicitor

Antoinette has worked as a Paralegal in the local area since 2021 and joined the Dispute Resolution team at Frettens in July 2024. She started her training contract in September 2025, with seats in the Insolvency Team and the Wills & Tax Team, and is now in Dispute Resolution for her third seat.

Hannah Peasland

Trainee Solicitor

Hannah completed her LLB (Hons) degree at the University of Exeter in 2023 and joined Frettens in July 2024 as a Legal Secretary. Her training contract began in September 2025 in the Wills and Tax department, followed by Dispute Resolution and now the Insolvency team. She has passed her SQE1.

Rhys Saidi

Trainee Solicitor

Rhys studied Law LLB at Bournemouth University, achieving a First Class Honours. He joined Frettens as a Graduate Legal Assistant in September 2024. After Trainee Solicitor seats in Commercial Property and Dispute Resolution, he is completing his third seat in the Wills & Tax team in Christchurch.

Saima Zainab

Trainee Solicitor

Saima graduated from the University of Manchester with a first-class degree in Law. She joined the firm's Graduate Programme in September 2025, spending her first year as a Graduate Legal Assistant, and is now a Trainee Solicitor in the Commercial Property team in Christchurch.

Mikail Akhtar

Graduate Legal Assistant

Mikail studied Law at the University of Birmingham and gained practical experience through vacation schemes at HCR Law and Talbots Law. He also completed a Sustainability Internship at the university's College of Social Sciences, where he published a policy brief on EU energy policy.

Michelle Allen

Leasehold Property Assistant

Michelle deals with initial enquiries, provides cost estimates and opens files for the Leasehold Property Team. She is responsible for the initial stages of work received into the team and provides administrative support for its members.

Favour Arabambi

Graduate Legal Assistant

Niamh Barratt

Residential Property Assistant

Niamh is a Residential Property Assistant in the Christchurch office, working closely with Laura Mabin, Cheryl Phimister and Laura Bowie. She previously worked as a sports coach, delivering PE sessions and holiday camps in schools around the Bournemouth and Poole area.

Simone Bayly

Senior Residential Property Paralegal

Simone began her career in residential property in 2013. As a Senior Paralegal she deals with all aspects of residential sales and purchases, from start through to exchange and completion. Her experience includes issuing contracts, completion statements and post completion registrations.

Francesca Bourner

Wills & Tax Administrator

Francesca works in the Wills and Tax team. Before Frettens she spent 12 years in banking, starting as a cashier and working up into management, where she supported the registration of Probate, Bereavement and Power of Attorneys. She later worked as an administrator for a fire door company.

Tayla Carlsson

Wills & Tax Trainee Paralegal

Tayla works for the Wills & Tax team in Christchurch, where she primarily assists the fee earners and occasionally helps out other departments. She also handles initial enquiries and is often one of the first people clients speak with. She has an NVQ Level 3 in Administration.

Edward Carter

Residential Property Paralegal

Based in the Ringwood office, Edward is a paralegal in residential property who assists the fee earners. He deals with purchases, sales, transfers of equity and re-mortgages, and enjoys handling unusual and complex issues and providing a personable service to clients.

Clare Clark

Residential Property Administrator

Shelley Dancer

Residential Property Paralegal

Shelley has been a Paralegal since 2016, working in the Residential Property team, and is currently studying to become a Licensed Conveyancer. She deals with freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, remortgages and transfer of equity, working closely with estate agents to progress matters.

Debee Deane

Wills & Tax Trust Administrator

Debee comes from a financial background and switched to working within a law firm 15 years ago, focusing on Family Law and Trusts. She is an affiliate member of STEP and is currently working towards the Full STEP Diploma.

Emma Dugdale

Residential Property Paralegal

An A-CILEX qualified Paralegal, Emma assists Clare Hallett in the Residential Property Team at Wimborne, dealing with residential sales and purchases through to exchange and completion. Her legal background spans over 15 years and includes commercial property, family matters and litigation.

Lucie Luther

Leasehold Property Assistant

Lucie deals with all initial enquiries for the Leasehold Property Team and advises clients on their options. She also handles post-completion tasks such as Stamp Duty Land Tax Returns and Land Registry Applications. Her earlier roles spanned the finance, aviation and logistics industries.

Anne Spicer

Commercial Property Paralegal

Anne works in the Commercial Property team in Ringwood. She began her legal career as an office junior, then a legal secretary, before qualifying as a Licensed Conveyancer in 2001. She was a fee earner in residential conveyancing for a number of years and recently moved into a support role.

Tahnee Turtle

Residential Property Paralegal

A Paralegal in the residential property team, Tahnee assists Clare Hallett. She deals with all aspects of residential sales from start through to exchange and completion, including preparing contract papers, dealing with enquiries and liaising with third parties. She also assists with purchases.

Sophie Wilson

Residential Property Assistant

Sophie is the Residential Property Assistant to Michelle Petersen, supporting her in case management and other areas of her role. She has a varied background in financial services and human resources, most recently gaining experience in mortgage administration before coming to Frettens in 2024.

Sarah Baron

Wills & Tax and Family Legal Secretary

Sarah is the firm's longest serving team member, having joined in 1989. An experienced Legal Secretary and PA in the Ringwood office, she assists Wills & Tax and Family and also covers for other PAs throughout the firm.

Zoe Burns

Commercial Property Legal Secretary

Zoe is a Legal Secretary/PA supporting the commercial property team in the Ringwood office. She commenced with Frettens in June 2024, assisting the fee earners with file openings, enquiries, initial paperwork and payments. She is an experienced administrator, having worked for Kondor Ltd.

Charlotte Collings

Legal Secretary

Before joining Frettens, Charlotte gained over three years' experience working at a solicitor's firm in Lymington. She now works within the Dispute Resolution team, based in Christchurch.

Lisa Daly

Commercial Property Legal Secretary

Francesca Dixon

PA / Trainee HR Adviser

Originally a Legal Secretary in the Insolvency and Employment departments, Francesca was promoted to Trainee HR Services Advisor. She works alongside Nathan Andrews to deliver specialist HR support to clients and is a student member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Amanda Evans

Wills & Tax Secretary

Amanda is a secretary in the Wills & Tax team in Christchurch. She has always worked in private client and joined the firm in March 2024 to assist the team.

Leah Searl

Dispute Resolution PA

Leah has worked in the legal industry since 2003 and moved to Frettens in 2005. She is a PA in the Ringwood office, working for the Dispute Resolution team, and also assists the Family and Wills and Tax teams when required.

Maisie Styles

Legal Secretary

Maisie works as a Legal Secretary for Wills & Tax and Family in the Wimborne office. Before joining Frettens she worked in hospitality for 8 years, most recently as head receptionist at the Bournemouth branch of The Ivy.

Liberty Watts

Wills & Tax and Family Legal Secretary

Liberty joined Frettens in September 2025 as a Legal Secretary in the Ringwood office, assisting the Wills & Tax and Family teams. She graduated from Solent University in 2024 with a degree in Criminal Investigation with Forensic Psychology, then worked for HM Courts & Tribunal Service.

Akshay Kumar

Placement

Akshay has an honours degree in Sociology and is reading Law at Swansea University. He has received Excellence Awards for ranking in the top 10% of his cohort and for the highest mark in one of his law modules. He is on a year-in-industry placement with the Employment and Insolvency teams.

Charlie Marshall

Placement

Charlie is studying Law LLB at Bournemouth University and is due to graduate in 2028. He is spending a year at Frettens as a legal placement student within the Employment and Insolvency teams.

Keira Woolsey

Placement

Keira is completing a year-long placement within the Family team, assisting with day-to-day matters. She joined Frettens after completing her second year of Law with Criminology at UWE. At university she assisted with pro bono matters through a Personal Injury Clinic and a Street Law project.

Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS)

The Law Society

A recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices, providing assurance that the firm meets required standards for property transactions.

Cyber Essentials

NCSC

A government-backed certification helping organisations protect against the most common cyber attacks and demonstrate commitment to data security.