Business Details
16 Years
experience
Emergency
services
Trusted Solicitors in Southampton | Footner & Ewing
Footner & Ewing is a well-established law firm with a rich heritage spanning nearly two centuries. Our practice combines traditional values with modern legal expertise, offering clients a personalised and efficient service across a wide range of legal disciplines. We prioritise clear communication, ensuring clients fully understand their options while benefiting from our extensive experience in family law, conveyancing, probate, commercial matters, and criminal defence. Our team of accredited professionals adheres to the highest standards of quality, as evidenced by our Lexcel accreditation and membership of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme.With offices in Southampton, Romsey, Totton, Shirley, and Wickham, we serve both private and legal aid clients, maintaining a strong commitment to community engagement and intergenerational client relationships. Our merger history reflects a shared ethos of client care and operational efficiency, supported by a staff complement of approximately 65 professionals.
Services
Family Law
Conveyancing
Wills & Probate
Commercial Law
Criminal Defence
Litigation
Powers of Attorney
Details
- Year established: 2010
Highlights and features
- We combine nearly 200 years of legal heritage with modern expertise.
- Our team holds Lexcel and Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditations.
- We offer 24-hour criminal defence services with experienced specialists.
- Our multi-office presence ensures accessible local legal representation.
- We provide fixed-fee initial consultations for family law matters.
Associations and certifications
- Lexcel
- Conveyancing Quality Scheme
- Solicitors Regulation Authority
What people say
Expert legal guidance
Personalised service
Experienced team
Strong local knowledge
Services
Family Law
We handle all aspects of family law, including divorce, financial settlements, child custody, and domestic violence cases. Our Resolution Accredited Specialists provide practical advice through mediation or litigation. Clients benefit from our Law Society Children Panel membership and fixed-fee initial consultations.
Conveyancing
Our Conveyancing Quality Scheme-accredited team manages residential and commercial property transactions. Services include equity release, lease extensions, and new build purchases. We prioritise clear communication and proactively address potential issues to streamline the moving process for clients.
Wills & Probate
We offer comprehensive will preparation, probate administration, and lasting power of attorney services. Our specialists handle inheritance tax planning, trust management, and Court of Protection applications, ensuring compliance with legal requirements while protecting client interests.
Criminal Defence
Available 24/7 via dedicated emergency lines, our criminal defence team represents clients at police stations and courts. With higher court advocacy rights, we handle complex cases including serious criminal charges, leveraging decades of experience in legal aid and private client matters.
Commercial Law
We support SMEs with company formation, commercial property transactions, employment law, and contract disputes. Our services include licensing applications, business acquisitions, and lease agreements, tailored to meet the specific needs of corporate clients.
People
Nigel Lee
Family Law Solicitor
Specialising in family law with particular expertise in financial claims and ancillary relief cases, Nigel provides strategic legal advice grounded in over two decades of experience handling complex divorce settlements.
Neil Puttock
Criminal Law Specialist
As joint head of criminal law and holder of higher court advocacy rights, Neil leads police station representation and serious criminal case defence, combining practical expertise with recognition as a duty solicitor scheme participant.
Joanne Smith
Probate Specialist
Joint head of wills and probate, Joanne specialises in estate administration and mental capacity issues, maintaining professional affiliations with lifetime lawyers and dementia care initiatives across Hampshire.
Nathan Metcalfe
Conveyancing Solicitor
TEP-qualified conveyancing expert with specialist knowledge in property transactions, Nathan manages complex residential and commercial deals while maintaining STEP professional standards in new build and lease extension cases.
Jane Hiatt
Criminal Defence Lawyer
Award-winning legal aid specialist Jane focuses on criminal defence work, combining court duty solicitor experience with recognition as the 2011 Criminal Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year for exceptional client advocacy.
Questions
What areas of law do you specialise in?
We specialise in family law, conveyancing, probate, commercial law, criminal defence, and litigation, with accredited specialists across all practice areas.
Do you offer legal aid services?
Yes, we provide legal aid for family law, criminal defence, and family mediation from our Southampton and Totton offices.
Are your conveyancing services accredited?
Our conveyancing team holds the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation, ensuring high standards in property transaction handling.
What is your experience with probate matters?
Our probate specialists handle estate administration, will preparation, and Court of Protection applications, with team members holding STEP and lifetime law qualifications.
How do you handle property transaction delays?
We proactively monitor Land Registry applications and provide regular updates, advising on potential expedited processing options for urgent cases.
