Making a difference through Family Law and beyond

Although all solicitors hope to help their clients, few do so with the emotional and personal impact of those practicing family law. After all, the matters often at stake in family law cases, such as the welfare of a child or justice for a victim of abuse, have a seriousness that some might say is unmatched in many other areas of the law.

One solicitor playing a vital role in helping people navigate some of the more stressful and emotional times in their lives is Katarzyna (Kasia) Zatorski. Kasia joined the Wilkinson Woodward Solicitors Family Law team recently, bringing with her a wealth of experience in family law, specifically in matters concerning children and domestic abuse.

Following her graduation from the University of Huddersfield in 2012, Kasia worked for Sheffield-based Wosskow Brown before starting a training contract at Benjamin Roberts in Halifax. Upon qualification she joined Ramsdens Solicitors, from where she moved to Truth Legal, where she established the firm’s Family Department. 

When the opportunity to join Wilkinson Woodward presented itself, Kasia didn’t hesitate as it meant working with and learning from one of Yorkshire’s most established and respected legal professionals, Penny Manock. Penny, who specialises in complex and high net-worth cases, has been with the firm for more than 30 years.

Kasia has a deep-rooted desire to use her skills and knowledge to help others and has been working with various Polish and English organisations and charities to assist victims of domestic abuse across England and Wales since 2016.

She is actively involved with Vesta, a Crewe-based organisation supporting and empowering Polish families, Opoka, a domestic abuse charity based in Bristol, and the Polish Community Centre in Shrewsbury. Before the pandemic, she also ran free advice clinics for the Polish community in Wakefield. Additionally, Kasia has become a familiar face at local Polish businesses in Calderdale and Kirklees and supports the Polish community wherever possible.

Kasia believes that language is a barrier which often prevents Polish people in the UK from reaching out for help. In her experience, being able to speak to someone in your native tongue, and having that person actively listen and understand, is very powerful. As such, she uses her abilities as a fluent speaker of Polish to offer women a safe space to communicate.

Also working with English organisations, Kasia proactively seeks out charitable organisations that could use her skills, although her stellar reputation means that she is often approached for support and assistance.

As part of her efforts, Kasia was asked to host a Vesta conference on understanding domestic abuse last year. The event, which was held in Manchester, included speakers from Poland and attracted hundreds of delegates.

While Kasia has always performed her charitable work independently of her professional position, Wilkinson Woodward finds that her deep understanding and empathy brings valuable insight and expertise to the team. As such, we are delighted to have Kasia on our Family Law team and proudly support the charitable work she does.

Wilkinson Woodward’s Family Law team, which deals with all aspects of family law, divorce, children, cohabitation, and domestic violence, and which has a fantastic reputation across not only Halifax, Huddersfield and Brighouse, but throughout Yorkshire and beyond.

For more information visit https://www.wilkinsonwoodward.co.uk/