Family Barrister Sarah Cook invited Family Lawyers from Pearsons Legal to Kenworthy’s Chambers’ new offices in the heart of Manchester to undertake some advocacy training.

The workshop proved popular, with attendees, keen to pick up advocacy skills from Sarah Cook who is widely recognised as an accomplished advocate. 

Speaking with us before the skills workshop, Sarah explained how she wanted the training to provide Family Lawyers with best practice, tips and tactics for advocacy. Emphasis was placed on a case study, how to approach the case from initial review to submissions in court, dealing with judicial intervention and unexpected applications related to disclosure.

Feedback from the course indicates how successful Sarah was in delivering these learning objectives. One attendee said, “Sarah was extremely helpful, explaining the importance of preparation and tips when in court.” Another described the training as “Very well organised and informative. Useful information to prepare for cases.”

Meanwhile, head of the Family Law Team, Divorce and Family Law Solicitor, Emma Kendall added, “Thank you for your time – even as a qualified Solicitor I have learned good tips and tricks.” 

Hosted in Kenworthy’s Victoria Buildings, close to all the key courts frequented by Barristers, the advocacy skills workshop included an anonymised case study which provided a perfect chance for attendees to practice their advocacy skills utilising a real-life Private Children Law case. 

This practical element proved effective training, with one trainee stating that it was a “Perfectly pitched session. Thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone!” Another attendee complimented the advocacy skills practice, saying “The workshop was extremely insightful, and Sarah definitely eased my fears around advocacy. The skills provided will be taken away and used in practice. Thank you.”

One grateful legal professional left feedback saying, “Really informative. There was good direction on how to prepare for submissions. I would be interested to learn more about witness handling.”

Due to the standout success of this advocacy skills workshop, Sarah may present more in the future, if her busy work diary allows! Please check our Events Page to sign up for future online training opportunities.

Sarah Cook maintains a busy family practice dealing with Children Law and Family Finance matters. If you have a Family and Finance case you need advice or advocacy for, call our Family Clerks Courtney Richards and Daniella Howarth on 0161 832 4036, email Courtney@kenworthys.co.uk, Daniella@kenworthys.co.uk, or fill out our contact form.