- Menu
Q&A with Laura Thorpe, Head of Dispute Resolution
Huge Congratulations to Laura Thorpe, who is Head of the Dispute Resolutions Department at Norrie Waite & Slater and recently qualified as a Solicitor. Laura has been qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executive since 2009 specialising in Civil Litigation and decided to undertake further exams to cross qualify as a Solicitor, broadening her knowledge and skills.
In this Q&A, we caught up with Laura as she shares insights into her journey, role, and what she brings to the department.
Q: What does the Dispute Resolutions Department handle?
A: Our department assists clients with a wide range of legal disputes, including: Consumer/Contract disputes, Property/ Neighbour disputes, Professional Negligence claims, Will disputes, Debt Recovery and Landlord and Tenant matters for both individuals and businesses.
The disputes we deal with vary considerably from high value money claims to boundary issues or personal disputes between family members. Each case is important and we tailor the work we carry out to achieve the outcome desired for our clients.
Q: What do you find most rewarding about your work?
A: The work can be challenging but it is rewarding to solve legal disagreements for my clients and to obtain a sense of justice with a desired result.
I also enjoy the variety of the work and cases - no two days are the same!
Q: Dispute resolution can be stressful for clients. How do you approach your work to support them?
A: Litigation can be stressful for clients. Often disputes can affect daily lives and I am empathetic to my client’s perspective, as well as providing advice on the legal position. Unfortunately what may seem morally right is not always followed by the law. I therefore have a solution-orientated approach when dealing with cases and communicate with clients to ensure they are fully aware of the process and options.
Q: What advice would you give to someone facing a legal dispute?
A: The most important advice if someone has a claim being made against them, is not to ignore it. Often ignoring correspondence does not make disputes disappear but instead can escalate them more quickly to Court proceedings.
It is also important to be organised with all documentation so that you can either effectively pursue or defend legal action and to obtain legal advice. Legal advice does not mean that a claim has to proceed to Court but provides you with your legal rights and strategies to resolve the dispute.
📞 For more information or to speak with Laura about your dispute resolution needs, contact us on 0114 2766 166
We’re proud to have Laura leading the way in dispute resolution at Norrie Waite & Slater and we look forward to connecting with her here again soon.
