A Reading family solicitor has been named as a finalist in the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards (LALY Awards).
Saifalee Doolooa-Collins, Solicitor and Team Leader in the family department at Reeds Solicitors, is one of three named finalists for the Family Legal Aid award. Saifalee launched the firm’s family law team in Reading from scratch when she joined in 2013.
James Ferry (Head of Family Law at Reeds Solicitors) comments on Saifalee’s approachable and friendly nature. He adds that “Saifalee has a great reputation for her work in the Thames Valley area and amongst professionals. She does a lot of volunteer work with local charities and organisations who help families and parents who are often in difficult situations.”
For more than ten years, Saifalee has been involved with the Berkshire Women’s Aid (BWA). The BWA provides confidential support, information, outreach services, and refuge accommodation for women and their children who are affected by domestic abuse and violence in Berkshire. In this role, Saifalee and her fellow volunteers are affiliated to the Women’s Aid Federation of England (WAFE) and provide their time and services throughout Bracknell, Reading, West Berkshire, and Wokingham.
At the BWA, Saifalee offers training sessions for their service users on various topics such as non-molestation order applications and she, along with her team at Reeds, continues to run a legal clinic for Berkshire Women’s Aid on a monthly basis to provide free legal advice for those involved with BWA seeking help.
She has been on the Children’s Panel (now the Law Society’s Children Law Accreditation Scheme) since 2017. Specialising in childcare and complex children litigation, Saifalee represents children in court proceedings, as well as parents and other family members.
In a press release, CEO of the organising body Chris Minnoch says:
‘Choosing the finalists was a fiendishly difficult task for our judging panel this year, as the calibre of nominations was so high. The nominations are a testament to the professionalism, resilience and sheer brilliance of lawyers working in the social justice sector – who all deserve to be celebrated. We send our warmest congratulations to everyone shortlisted, and heartfelt commiserations to those who weren’t.’
Other finalists in the Family Legal Aid Category are Amna Khaliq (Wilson Solicitors LLP) and Victoria Jones (RLE Law). The LALY’s are the renowned yearly awards awarded by the Legal Aid Practitioner’s Group. The ceremony will take place in London on July 12th, 2023.
To contact Saifalee Doolooa-Collins, please visit her staff profile here. For other enquiries contact our team of Reading family solicitors through the webpage here.
Reeds Solicitors LLP is an award winning, leading national law firm specialising in personal and business law. Reeds Solicitors LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority: SRA Number 637962
