Freemans Solicitors

Overview

Freemans Solicitors is a Central London law firm established in 1995 that advises both individuals and businesses across a broad range of private client, family, criminal, immigration and property matters. The firm emphasises personal attention and public-access work, acting for privately funded and publicly funded clients (including high-profile and legally-aided cases) and maintains specialist teams in family, property and crime. Freemans operates from its headquarters in central London with an additional office in Watford, combines accredited specialist practice areas (children law, conveyancing quality, criminal and immigration accreditations) and runs community and charity-focused programmes as part of its local commitment.

• Headquarters: London, 18 Bedford Row
• Founded: 1995
• Lawyers: 30+
• Partners: 13
• Trainees: 2
• Offices: 2

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Criminal Law
• Family Law
• Immigration
• Real Estate
• Employment
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Private Client & Wealth
• Professional Negligence

Geographic Focus: Central London practice with an additional office in Watford. The firm serves local individuals and businesses in and around London, acts for publicly funded and privately funded clients across England and Wales and handles cross-border family matters (including work on the International Child Abduction panel). The firm takes a local-community approach while maintaining capacity for complex, often cross-jurisdictional family and immigration matters.

Training Contract

Freemans advertises a training contract offering a 'rounded training' experience primarily within its specialist teams (family, property and crime). Trainees are placed to work closely with experienced solicitors and partners in a small, practice-led environment, encouraged to engage with a Mentorship scheme and the firm's Charity committee. The website requires all academic and vocational qualifications to be complete prior to the start date and states the firm does not fund course fees prior to training.

• Trainee Intake: 2 (current trainee headcount)
• Academic Requirements: Minimum of a 2:1 degree classification and a proven academic background. Any successful applicant must have a qualifying law degree / GDL with either the LPC or both SQE1 and SQE2 completed before the proposed start date of the training contract.
• Application Deadline: 21 January 2026

Seat Options

• Family Law
• Real Estate
• Criminal Law
• Immigration
• Employment
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Private Client & Wealth
• Insolvency & Restructuring

Sponsorship

We are unable to provide funding for any course fees prior to training.

Mentorship

The firm runs a formal Mentorship scheme; trainees are encouraged to participate and receive guidance from supervising solicitors and partners. The firm also promotes involvement in an internal Charity committee as part of professional development and integration into firm life.

Apply on the Freemans Solicitors website →

Notable Matters

What Freemans Solicitors Looks For

Key Competencies

• Minimum 2:1 degree and strong academic record
• Commitment to client care (Commitment; Confidentiality; Courtesy; Competence)
• Interest in family, property and criminal practice areas
• Ability to work in a small, collaborative team and take practical responsibility
• Communication and client-facing skills (including foreign language skills)

Evidence Signals

• Completed qualifying law degree / GDL plus LPC or SQE1 & SQE2
• Demonstrable experience or interest in family, criminal or property matters
• Language skills (Arabic, Polish, Spanish, Urdu, Yoruba and other languages are spoken across the firm)
• Participation in mentoring, charity or community activities
• Practical client-facing experience (e.g., police station volunteering or similar)

Benefits & Wellbeing

Awards & Recognition

• Children Law Accreditation (Law Society) — departmental accreditation
• Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accreditation (Law Society)
• Criminal Litigation Accreditation Scheme (Law Society)
• Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme (Law Society)
• Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (Nina Hansen) since 2016
• UK Diversity Legal Awards — Managing Diverse Talent (2018)
• Highly Commended BSN Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) — Kishoree Kotecha-Pau
• London — Private client Family: children (Tier 1)
• London — Crime: general (Tier 3)
• London — Private client Family: divorce and financial remedy (Tier 3)
• London — Immigration: human rights, appeals and overstay (Tier 4)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Being a diverse and inclusive workplace is an integral part of our organisation.

• Equality and Diversity policy
• Mentorship scheme
• Charity committee
• Annual charity of the year programme (firm supports a nominated charity each year)

Pro Bono

The firm undertakes publicly funded work and pro bono-style access work for clients on limited means, participates in community fundraising (Macmillan World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, London Legal Walk, Wrap Up London) and supports a nominated charity of the year (recent examples: The Ben Kinsella Trust (2025), Women for Refugee Women (2023-24), Euston Foodbank (2021-22)).

Innovation

Quick Application Angles

• Make clear you meet the firm’s academic threshold (minimum 2:1) and confirm you will have completed a qualifying law degree/GDL and either the LPC or both SQE1 and SQE2 before the proposed start date.
• If applying for family or children work, reference cross-border child abduction experience or interest — the firm is on the International Child Abduction Unit panel and values candidates with relevant international-family knowledge.
• Demonstrate client-facing experience and language skills relevant to the firm’s multi-lingual client base (the firm lists many languages spoken internally).
• Refer to the Mentorship scheme and Charity committee as examples of how you would engage with firm life and professional development — the firm actively encourages trainee involvement in both.