A lawyer who specializes in Islamic law has been welcomed into Slater and Gordon’s family team.
Aysha Chouhdary has recently been appointed as a family solicitor at the company’s Cardiff office. The 29-year-old, who features in Wales Online’s Young Lawyers to Watch list, has experience in all areas of family law including complicated matters involving children and is able to offer advice on Sharia law and Islamic rulings.
She said: “I have always been aware that there is a Sharia element to family issues in some cases so those specific clients need a bespoke service. Before qualifying as a solicitor I contacted the Sharia Council who were happy for me to offer Islamic advice to those clients who needed it.
“It’s wonderful to be able to offer people these additional, highly specialized services. I can speak Urdu, Mirpuri, Hindi and Punjabi, which can help overcome any barriers with some clients.
“I think there is a need for this service as a lot of people are not aware of their rights when they have an Islamic marriage, a civil one or both. We are here to help them figure out what it all means and what is the best solution for them.”
Aysha, who is originally from Birmingham, moved to Cardiff in 2012 after gaining her law degree at the University of Birmingham and LPC at the Birmingham College of Law.
She started off as a paralegal and worked her way up the ranks at Welsh firm Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice before qualifying in 2016. She also founded the Asian Women’s Professional Network Group in Cardiff.
The mother of two added: “I have always had an interest in human in psychology but was also keen to pursue a career in law. In family law, there is an element of counselling and hand holding your clients. This brought my two loves together.
“It’s usually a really difficult point in someone’s life when they look for a lawyer to advise them after a relationship breakdown or in respect to matters relating to their child. My aim is to be there to support and guide my clients but to also be pragmatic and assertive on their behalf.
“I’ve always been ambitious and Slater and Gordon, being a national firm, initially caught my attention for being a world class legal services provider. I’ve now fallen in love with their ethos and how they look after both their clients and their employees. I have always wanted a flourishing legal career and a healthy, thriving family life – I can have that here at Slater and Gordon. There’s nothing wrong with having it all.”
Ben Evans, senior family lawyer at Slater and Gordon, said: “We are delighted that Aysha has joined our team here in Cardiff. It is really important to us that we are now able to offer this wide range of legal services and Aysha’s knowledge and background in Islamic law is another welcomed string to her bow.
“Her enthusiasm and dedication for her clients is admirable and she is already proving to be a huge asset.”
