Susan Davies

Since qualifying as a solicitor in 1996, Susan Davies has devoted  her career to specialising in family law, particularly divorce and separation, and resolving complex financial disputes. 

Prior to joining Pickerings in 2016, Susan was a partner and Director at another Staffordshire Law firm, and has consistently secured a place in Legal 500's 3rd Tier for numerous years, maintaining her position in Tier 3 in the 2024 edition.

Collaboratively trained, Susan has always been a member of Resolution, allowing for amicable dispute resolution, using a no-nonsense, honest, and practical approach.

This allows her to exercise her skills to secure customised, tax-efficient, and amicable out-of-court settlements. Her expertise extends to representing a diverse range of clients, including high net worth professionals and their partners, with a focus on achieving the best possible outcomes tailored to each client's unique family circumstances. She frequently provides advice in cases that include multiple properties, business or company assets, and substantial pension values.  Susan also provides legal advice to individuals or businesses involved in farming and agricultural-related issues and has represented interveners/joined parties in legal proceedings. 

Susan's client-centred approach ensures clear, practical, and honest advice, empowering clients to make well-informed decisions about their future. Recognising the emotional impact of separation, Susan provides clear, calming, and practical advice on the legal implications of relationship breakdown and deals with financial arrangements such as family trusts and complicated pension arrangements.

As a highly driven individual, Susan sets high expectations for herself and her team. She regularly advises and negotiates on cohabitation agreements, financial agreements, as well as pre and post-nuptial agreements.  Her aim is to help clients communicate intentions and minimise misunderstandings not only in the event of a relationship breakdown but also when new relationships begin. 

Key Specialisms:

• Pre and post-nuptial agreements for medium to very high net worth clients (up to £40 million pounds) 
• Divorce and dissolution proceedings
• Applications for financial orders on medium and high net worth clients, particularly business owners as well as advising on complex variations of existing orders
• Cohabitation agreements for unmarried partners
• Negotiation of financial settlements on divorce (or dissolution) and representation in court applications for medium and high net worth clients
• Matters involving children and necessary living arrangements
• Conducts own advocacy; and
• Collaboratively trained

Experience:

• Frequent representation of company directors in cases involving complex business structures and high-value assets
• Negotiation of pre and post-nuptial agreements, including cases with significant wealth
• Cases involving assets, including land held by other family members, or subject to Family Deeds of Arrangement
• Cases where a third party with a financial interest has been joined to the proceedings
• Negotiation and resolution of financial and children disputes using the collaborative law process.

Contact Susan on 01827 317078 or sdavies@pickerings-solicitors.com

Susan is recommended in The Legal 500 2024

The 'professional and strong' team at Pickerings Solicitors is jointly led by Susan Davies who concentrates on divorce and finance work and Richard Westley who excels in children matters. It regularly deals with high-net-worth matrimonial cases where there are businesses, properties and pensions involved. 

Testimonials

‘I think attention to detail is very important and Susan Davies listened intensely but was also able to give guidance and good advice without being intimidating‘.

Susan was also recommended in The Legal 500 2023

The family team at Pickerings Solicitors is jointly led by Susan Davies, who specialises in divorce and finance, and Richard Westley, who leads the children law team... Davies handles all aspects of divorce and separation and is a collaboratively trained lawyer.

‘Great team. The staff is all professional and caring and explained everything well to me so I knew the process. Would highly recommend this firm!’

‘Susan Davies is incredibly easy to talk to, I felt well supported during each and every stage. Very professional but with a caring nature which you need during divorce proceedings. She made the whole process much easier with her explanations of each stage of my proceedings. Her knowledge and experience made me feel confident and the outcome was better than I expected all down to her hard work'.

Davies is equipped to handle all aspects of divorce and separation and is a collaboratively trained lawyer. She regularly deals with high-net-worth matrimonial cases (often where businesses and pensions are involved) in addition to pre-and post-nuptial agreements.' 

'Successfully concluded a collaborative case involving the parties’ joint family business, pensions, UK and foreign property with non-business assets to the value of £1.5m.'

Client Testimonial:

Susan and Siobhan were excellent, honest with me and always helpful.  Danielle was always prompt and polite and kept me up to date.  

SA, Oct 2023

Pickerings, especially Susan Davies has provided excellent advice, with honesty and support throughout several years of divorce and financial remedy.  Throughout, the team remained kind whilst being professional and working to my best interests.  I would not hesitate to use Pickerings in any other legal work that I may require in the future and have already recommended their services to several people.

SAH, Oct 2023

'Susan Davies in the family team was brilliant throughout the entire process.  I was very pleased with everything and would recommend her and her team to others'.

LT Jan 2023

'I used Pickering’s solicitors in 2020 for some professional services and found their service to be excellent. 
I personally highly recommend Susan Davies, she absolutely helped me in my hour of need and was the calming, reassuring influence that I needed, thank you so much Susan :) 

Choose Pickering’s with confidence. No personal connection, they just stepped up after another solicitors let me down.'

'Susan was perfect in listening to my issues and getting matters resolved'

Ms W October 2019