An interview with Amy Foweather, Partner and Head of Family Law

What do you do at Harrowells?

I’m a solicitor and Head of the Family team at Harrowells.  I’m a solicitor practising in private family matters. This includes financial settlements and private law children matters.  It also includes co-habitation agreements and nuptial agreements.

Can you talk us through your career progression journey?

My career has been quite varied. I started with a training contract at a firm in London and from there I transferred my training contract to Bradford and relocated closer to home in York. I worked on legal aid matters and with a fast turnaround on injunctions and protective orders. I specialised into public children work and represented both parents and children within care proceedings. I later moved into private family work and moved to Harrogate. I’ve since specialised into private family work and moved to Harrowells in a partner role in 2018.

How did you settle into Harrowells when you first arrived?

I was fortunate because I already knew several people at Harrowells, and I knew of their good reputation. There was a good induction process, where I was able to spend time with lots of different departments within the firm to make sure that I had all the information I needed. I was then able to hit the ground running, with a case load to take over from day one.

How has your career developed at Harrowells?

I started working at Harrowells in 2018 in a partner role, having been a partner at a previous firm.  I then returned from maternity leave in 2023 as head of department.  

How does Harrowells compare to other law firms you have worked at?

Whilst still professional and corporate, it has less of a corporate feel in terms of its culture. The firm is inclusive and friendly. 

What do you enjoy about your job?

I enjoy the work we do, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it! But I also enjoy working with the team. We're lucky, because the family team is fabulous, everybody's lovely, which makes it a great environment to work in.

We've got a great team.  Everybody is really dedicated to the work that we're doing, but also really committed to supporting each other, which makes a massive difference. We're all ambitious and good at what we do, and we are not just ambitious for ourselves, we are ambitious for the team as a whole.

How would you describe your relationship with your clients?

Our client relationships are strong. Not just my personal relation with the clients, but the whole team. The clients have contact with different members of the team as part of their journey. Their first point of contact is normally Dawn, our Client Care Manager, and she will set up that initial meeting with myself or one of the other solicitors. They also have contact with the legal assistants throughout the process. We regularly get positive feedback for the team from our clients, which is lovely.

You’re a working mum, how does working at Harrowells fit in?

There is genuinely flexible working at Harrowells, which massively helps with reducing the stress around this. I normally get into the office early, but if something crops up and I need to do a nursery run in the morning, the flexitime allows me to do that without worrying about getting in for a particular time. Likewise, if I need to leave early, there’s no criticism and you can work around your own personal needs.

For me, the office location in York city centre is convenient. It’s easy to get to work, it’s handy if I need to pop out and get anything and it’s great to have so many good restaurants, bars and coffee shops nearby.

Would you recommend a career at Harrowells?

I guess it depends on what you’re looking for. I’ve personally found it to be much less corporate than you might find in some of the bigger firms in Leeds or London, for example. Of course, there are still billing targets, but the culture is much more inclusive, and you're part of a bigger and more supportive team.

Harrowells is a great choice if you want a firm that’s going to give you the opportunity to progress and develop in a way that suits you.