About Franklins Law

Steven Clews - Senior Partner

Steven joined Franklins as an Assistant Solicitor in 1985, was made a Partner in 1987 and Senior Partner in 2002. He holds an Honours Degree in Law from University College London and qualified as a Solicitor in 1981. He is an accredited specialist family lawyer with particular specialisation in financial provision and domestic abuse cases. He is also a long-standing member of the Resolution Organisation (formerly The Solicitors Family Law Association), which promotes a non-adversarial approach to resolving problems arising from family and relationship breakdowns. Apart from specialising in family and criminal/motoring law he also deals with Wills, Probate and Transfers of Equity. Steven is a member of Duty Solicitor schemes and was on the first ever rota after the introduction of the schemes under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act in the 1980s.

When not being the World's nicest boss (he says) he still plays the occasional game of rugby (slowly), skis (dangerously), plays badminton (atrociously), and scuba dives (hilariously). All this helps to keep him out of the hair of his wife and their combined total of five offspring.

Kash Prashad - Partner

Before attending the College of Law in 1998 and going on to qualify as a Solicitor Kash obtained an Honours Degree in Theology from Oxford University. She initially worked in conveyancing before putting her considerable people skills to best use, specialising in family law. She is also a member of the Resolution organisation.

Kash gave up a promising career as a performer, having sung at the Albert and Festival Halls and played one of the three wise men for six years running in her school nativity play to follow her father, who is a Barrister in Trinidad, into the law, albeit in the slightly less exotic location of Leighton Buzzard. Married with three children and an understanding husband, Kash is presently on maternity leave and looking forward to coming back to work for some peace.

Nick Tuckfield - Partner

Nick became a solicitor in 2006, having obtained a 2:1 honours degree in Law. He specialises in all aspects of family law, and has developed particular skills dealing with children cases. Nick's caseload also includes a wide variety of other areas of legal work including employment, civil litigation, and probate. He developed his experience and sympathetic approach working with the University College Hospital NHS Trust and his local Citizens Advice Bureau and is now also a member of Resolution.

Somewhere along the line he found time to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Psychology. Nick demonstrates that ex-prop forwards can be human beings too, and with a young family to support, in more ways than one, his sporting ambitions are now realised vicariously from the touch line through the football skills of his son.

Janice Gabbott - Solicitor and Head of Residential Property

Janice qualified as a solicitor in 1996 and was previously a director of a national residential conveyancing firm. She now lives near Leighton Buzzard and has taken up a role that gives her the chance to combine her experience with a more individual approach to clients.

Janice enjoys spending her spare time being taken for long walks in the countryside by her five Jack Russell terriers. She also enjoys Salsa dancing and keeps her enviable sense of calm with the occasional assistance of yoga.

David Young - Head of Commercial Property, Wills and Probate

David qualified as a solicitor on a date he prefers not to divulge, but let’s just say that he remembers witnessing the Magna Carta. Over his years in practice in the Beds/Bucks area he has built up devoted following of clients who value his calm, meticulous, good sense approach.

By his own admission a bit of a fair-weather biker, David also takes an active role in the Flitwick Vale Rotary Club, of which he is presently secretary. He is also a churchwarden in his home town of Ampthill. David says that if he had any spare time he would spend it in the garden.

Mike McCourt - Deputy District Judge and Litigation Solicitor with Higher Rights of Audience and Accredited Mediator (see ADRg website)

Mike's range of experience makes him our ideal Lord High Everything Else. When not helping clients with his down-to-earth, realistic advice Mike is a slightly improbable gym-bunny who tells us convincingly the he also has a penchant for mountain biking and long-distance running and walking, thereby demonstrating that it takes all sorts.

Maureen Hillyer - Senior Partner's Assistant

Having only lived in Leighton Buzzard since she was 16 Maureen ruefully acknowledges that she will never be considered a true local, but has a friendly, helpful, commonsense approach to make her a popular first point of contact for clients.

Maureen has worked in the law for over 20 years, 10 of which have been spent with Franklins specialising in family and criminal work. With 2 grown up children Maureen now has more time to spend on her contrasting hobbies of cross stitch and rock n roll dancing.

Kim Welford - Conveyancing Assistant

Kim has worked in conveyancing since she left school in a year which it would be far too indiscreet to specify. Kim joined Franklins in 2000 and since then has added a knowledge of Wills and probate to her conveyancing skills.

Whenever the chance arises the Kim likes to spend time on her country estate in Turkey. She is also a keen supporter of the Wasps Rugby Club, unofficial wine expert and multiple - but glamorous - granny.

Colette D'Arby-Wright - Family Law Assistant

After completing a Business Studies Course Colette went into family law at the age of 19 and has worked in this field ever since, which she claims to be 20 years. She has almost forgiven Joanna Lumley for impersonating her. Colette must be one of the few grandmothers recently to sustain a burn from the exhaust pipe of her go-kart. Apart from setting a bad example to her 2 children and 7 grandchildren, Colette likes to spend time skiing, scuba diving or just relaxing on her canal boat.

Val Carter - Conveyancing and Litigation Assistant

Val is the “sweeper” of the team, with the talent and versatility to cover any position on the field. She provides invaluable assistance to all departments and keeps the solicitors in line. She is unfailingly helpful and in the unlikely event that she doesn’t know the answer to a client’s query she will make sure she finds out.

Val and her husband organise classic car rallies in this country and abroad and she manages to combine her gourmet passions with her role as an unarmed combat instructor (if only part time).