An East Lancashire law firm is celebrating a prestigious industry standard … achieved inside its first year of trading!

Sarah Bentley Solicitors, specialists in family law, has been awarded the Lexcel quality mark by the Law Society.

It follows an exhaustive and detailed inspection and recognises the high standards of client care and management at the Padiham-based firm.

Founder Sarah Bentley said: “When people see the Lexcel accreditation they can be confident that they are dealing with a firm which understands the need for excellence and can deliver the very best in service, while also being cost efficient.”

A recognised expert in family and child welfare across East Lancashire for more than 30 years, Sarah took the decision to establish her own practice last autumn. The firm has since grown to a five-strong team and doubled its office premises.

“Our ethos is based around professionalism, practicality, discretion and support and we are very proud to have been awarded the Lexcel quality standard,” added Sarah.

Lexcel is developed specifically for the legal profession and gives assurance that a practice meets high client care and business management standards. It is run by the Law Society, the professional body for solicitors in England and Wales.

Lexcel-accredited firms are inspected annually and to gain accreditation they must undergo a rigorous application and assessment process.

Christina Blacklaws, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, said: "Delivering good client care and maintaining a strong client relationship are essential for solicitors and those gaining and maintaining Lexcel show their dedication to go above and beyond. Committing to high standards in customer service and practice management is fundamentally important in today’s increasingly competitive legal services market.”