Ridley & Hall Solicitors

Overview

Ridley & Hall is an award-winning, regionally based solicitors' firm headquartered in Huddersfield with a national profile across England & Wales. Founded from historic partnerships in 1927, the firm is known for its strength in family, kinship care and child-care work, contentious probate, private client and residential/commercial property, operating a multi-office model across Yorkshire. The firm emphasises practical, jargon-free advice, investment in technology and people (including apprenticeship and solicitor apprenticeship pathways) and positions itself as community-focused — running initiatives such as the Grandparents Legal Centre and partnering with local charities.

• Headquarters: Huddersfield, Queens House (35 Market Street)
• Founded: 1927
• Lawyers: 80 (described as an 80-strong team in firm communications)
• Offices: 4

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Family Law
• Private Client & Wealth
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Real Estate
• Immigration
• Public Law
• Commercial Contracts

Geographic Focus: Strong regional focus across Yorkshire (Huddersfield, Leeds, Pontefract/South Elmsall and Barnsley) with a national practice profile in England & Wales. The firm combines local office-based service delivery with nationally-significant casework (notably in kinship care and judicial review challenges to local authority policies) and works with national training providers (BPP Leeds) for its apprenticeship routes.

Training Contract

The firm operates multiple early-career pathways rather than a single traditional training contract model: a solicitor apprenticeship route in partnership with BPP Leeds (L4 Paralegal for 2 years followed by the L7 Solicitor Apprenticeship for 4 years; overall a six-year day-release programme) and Level 2 apprenticeships (administration/legal secretaries) via Kirklees College. The firm runs internal Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) which is currently offered to internal applicants who are paralegals with client experience. Work experience and 'Meet Our Lawyers' events give university students insight into the firm. Appraisals and monthly apprentice cohort meetings with senior leadership form part of development support.

• Trainee Intake: Three apprentices commenced on the solicitor apprenticeship pathway in September 2020 (Anna Woolard, Liam Jackson and Natalie Stephenson-Quayle) as an

Seat Options

• Family Law
• Private Client & Wealth
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Real Estate
• Immigration
• Public Law

Sponsorship

Apprenticeship routes are funded such that apprentices "do not have to pay for their course fees" and earn a salary while studying (day-release and university modules). The firm partners with BPP Leeds for the paralegal and solicitor apprenticeship pathway and works with Kirklees College on Level 2 apprenticeships.

Mentorship

Monthly apprentice cohort meetings (including attendance by the Managing Director) provide cohort-level support. The firm runs an annual appraisal scheme where line managers set objectives and review performance at six and twelve months; colleagues have access to named Operations & HR management and internal mentoring (examples include apprentices mentoring newer apprentices). There are Mental Health First Aiders and local buddy/team support channels (team WhatsApp, video meetings).

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Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Ridley & Hall Solicitors Looks For

Key Competencies

• Client care
• Team working
• Empathy
• Communication
• Professionalism
• Creativity
• Change management
• Resilience and commitment (particularly for apprentices and those working with vulnerable clients)
• Interest in community and public‑law/social‑justice issues (kinship care, child-care and vulnerable client work)

Evidence Signals

• Relevant work or volunteer experience with vulnerable clients or in family/child‑care settings
• Apprenticeship or college-based legal qualifications (evidence of successful vocational study)
• Local community engagement or charity work
• Demonstrable team working and client-facing experience (e.g., prior paralegal, administration, or legal secretarial roles)
• Practical experience on cases (court attendance, drafting, client contact) and evidence of empathy and communication skills

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Accredited Living Wage Employer
• Apprenticeship and training pathway (BPP Leeds and Kirklees College partnerships) with course fees covered under apprenticeship frameworks
• Investment in technology, marketing and resources to support efficient working
• Hybrid/remote working arrangements introduced during the pandemic and continued thereafter
• Mental health support including Mental Health First Aiders and funded counselling
• Regular team engagement activities (cooking club, workplace competitions, online quizzes and events)
• Annual appraisal with opportunity to request a salary and benefits review; firm undertakes benchmarking exercises
• Community and charity engagement (volunteering, sponsored events and pro bono-style local clinics)

Wellbeing

Ridley & Hall funds counselling where needed, has named Mental Health First Aiders and a Mental Health Ambassador, runs wellbeing initiatives and maintains active internal social activities to support colleague wellbeing.

Awards & Recognition

• Re-accredited Legal 500 Leading Firm (multiple years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• Lexcel re-accreditation (multiple years including 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2022, 2024)
• Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation (Law Society) and re-accreditations (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016)
• Yorkshire Small Law Firm of the Year (Yorkshire Legal Awards) 2013 and other regional award wins/shortlistings
• Modern Law Awards: Nigel Priestley, Lawyer of the Year 2016
• Law Society Excellence Awards: Nigel Priestley, Solicitor of the Year (Private Practice) 2010
• Yorkshire Lawyer of the Year – Nigel Priestley 2017
• Multiple regional shortlistings and awards across family, private client and property teams (Yorkshire Legal Awards, Family Law Awards, Sheffield Law Society awards, etc.)
• South Elmsall office – Collaboration of the Year (We Are Wakefield Business Awards) 2024
• Rising Star of the Year Award (Sheffield Law Society) – Hannah Pedley 2024

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The firm publishes an Equality and Diversity policy, is accredited as a Living Wage Employer, and has joined local dementia action initiatives. It demonstrates a commitment to social mobility and community engagement through apprenticeships, partnerships with local colleges and law providers and open community events.

• Equality and Diversity policy (published on the firm site)
• Accredited as a Living Wage Employer (2018)
• Yorkshire & Humber Dementia Action Alliance membership
• Dementia Friendly Firm initiative
• Shortlisted for Diversity & Inclusion Award (Yorkshire Legal Awards) 2022
• Charity and community partnerships (Mums In Need charity partner 2024; multiple community fundraising initiatives and pro bono-style local events such as free kinship carers training)

Pro Bono

Ridley & Hall runs community-focused legal events (for example free kinship carers training with free legal consultations), supports the Grandparents Legal Centre and other local charity partnerships, participates in awareness and fundraising campaigns (Macmillan Coffee Mornings, Yorkshire 3 Peaks, Pontefract 10K sponsorship). The firm publicises pro bono-style activities and community legal clinics rather than a specific firm-wide hours target.

Innovation

The firm describes itself as innovative and forward-thinking and explicitly states that directors continue to invest in technology and resources to support growth, efficiency and flexible working.

• Continued investment in technology, marketing and resources to support growth and work-life balance
• Adoption of hybrid and remote working technologies following the pandemic

Quick Application Angles

• Highlight direct interest or experience in kinship care/child-care/public-law matters — the firm is nationally known for kinship care work and landmark local authority challenges (mentioning awareness of their Grandparents Legal Centre will resonate).
• If applying for apprenticeship roles, emphasise hands-on vocational learning, examples of balancing work and study, and readiness for a day‑release model (the firm funds apprenticeship study and values on-the-job learning).
• Demonstrate community involvement or charity engagement (fundraising/volunteering) — the firm places emphasis on community partnerships and local initiatives.
• Reference the firm's Living Wage Employer status and its focus on wellbeing and hybrid working when discussing cultural fit — stress values like Support, Respect and Growth alongside concrete examples.
• For roles in property or commercial teams, note the firm's Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation and experience in commercial property; show awareness of their local‑market approach in Yorkshire.