Legal Q4 Director's Award - Aislinn Burton

Congratulations to Aislinn Burton for winning our Q4 Legal Director’s Award!

Aislinn is a Solicitor in our Family & Children department based in our Eastbourne office. Her area of expertise is children and she represents parents when the Local Authority is concerned that their children are suffering harm. Aislinn also represents parents who need the Court to make decisions about their children because they are unable to come to an agreement with the other parent. This may include disputes over where a child should live and how much time should be spent with either parent.

Barbara Macdonald, Partner in our Family & Children department was thoroughly impressed by Aislinn after a highly experienced individual took the time to tell her how impressed she was with Aislinn’s work and professionalism. They mentioned her “diligence in preparing for the Conference [with the client] and the detailed and careful advice, both written and oral, that she gave the client.”

Barbara states, “It’s difficult to imagine Aislinn is less than one year post-qualification. She is a real asset to our South Coast team, and we are lucky to have her!” Aislinn has now officially been qualified for 14 months.

When asked how she felt about receiving the news Aislinn said she was very surprised to receive a call from our CEO, Adrian Jaggard but also really happy when he announced the news to her that she had won the Legal Director’s Award.

About Aislinn’s Career at Taylor Rose

Aislinn joined Taylor Rose as a newly qualified solicitor in February 2022.

Aislinn stated that “working on children matters can be incredibly rewarding because you have a front-row seat to parents making positive changes in efforts to better the lives of their children. Seeing this happen in real time and being part of this journey is very satisfying.”

When asked what she finds most challenging about her role this is what Aislinn had to say:

“When you represent parents in Care Proceedings, you are often working with vulnerable people who are at their lowest point – whether through mental health problems, domestic abuse, substance misuse, or any other challenges. Sometimes steps taken or decisions made during the proceedings can be sad, and it is impossible for this not to have an emotional impact on you. I’ve found my colleagues to be really supportive during tricky cases, and they are always happy to be a sounding board when I need them to be.”

Aislinn’s key to success is to always listen to her clients and not make any assumptions about them based on what she has already read. She stated that it is important to understand that parents going through the court system need a solicitor who is going to try and understand their position, how they ended up there, and what their long-term goal is. If you start out with any assumptions this can set things off on the wrong foot for both yourself and your client.

Following from this her one tip she would like to share with her colleagues is to always reach out, “whether you need a second opinion about a case or whether you just need to blow off some steam after a long week. The support will always be there, and you always feel better once you’ve picked up the phone.”

Aislinn names her Taylor Rose colleagues as the reason she has been able to develop both personally and in her career. She states they are always happy to take time to speak to her, to discuss a particular case or even just to catch up. She gives a special mention to both Barbara Macdonald and Molly Lewis-Clements in the Eastbourne office as well as Lisa Ursell who is based further along the South Coast in our Bognor Regis Office. She would also like to thank Nicola Jones-King, head of our Family & Children department.

Here at Taylor Rose, we have four values: aspiration, integrity, innovation and commitment. Aislinn stated that integrity resonates the most with her. When she’s working with parents in challenging circumstances, it’s important that she is upfront with her advice and honest about the likely decisions that will be made by the Court.

She believes that “for mothers and fathers facing the prospect of their children being removed from their care, it’s vital that they receive good and candid legal advice so that they are making informed decisions. Being frank with my advice also helps to build up a professional relationship of trust, so that the parents I represent can feel comfortable asking me questions and know that they will receive a clear answer.”

Aislinn outside of work

Aislinn was born in the midlands and moved to London for University. She loved living in London but was keen to escape the busy city so she and her husband moved to Eastbourne in 2022. She stated that “Eastbourne felt like home very quickly and we both love living by the seaside. We wouldn’t trade it for anything!”

She named her husband, Tim followed by her family and friends as the most important people in her life. Although she did mention this usually changes to “whoever offers me a cup of tea the quickest when I’m engrossed in something”.

One fun fact about herself is that she got married in Rochester Cathedral directly above the crypt, which is the home of a legal document that is older than the Magna Carta (The Textus Roffensis – it is 100 years older than the Magna Carta, and it contains the only copy of the oldest set of laws in England).

Outside of work, after busy days in the office or in court, Aislinn enjoys doing a gym class to burn off some steam. Although, she said she only enjoys the short classes where she can work out intensively for half an hour and then go home for a nice dinner.

At the weekend, Aislinn likes to enjoy lazy mornings which include cups of tea in bed followed by brunch. She also enjoys going to the cinema and can be partial to a spot of crazy golf, which Eastbourne is well-equipped for as it has a few different crazy golf courses.

When asked what her guilty pleasure is, Aislinn said this was “Cake. Especially the sort of cake where there is actually more butter icing than there is cake.”

Aislinn’s Favourites:

• Book: Aislinn is an avid reader and her go-tos are crime and psychological thrillers. The book Gone Girl originally got her into thrillers; she likes anything with twists and turns. She also enjoys books that make you think a bit harder than usual, like the Handmaids Tale, and books that make you laugh out loud, like Bridget Jones’ Diary.

• Music: Anything she can sing and dance to in her kitchen: Spice Girls, ABBA, Måneskin and even the Hamilton soundtrack.

• Film/TV Show: Her favourite TV show is Friends and she has seen every episode countless times. If she needs to switch off and relax, it is her go-to show as it instantly puts her at ease and makes her laugh every time.

• Travel Destination: Aislinn really enjoys going on holiday: exploring new places and trying new food in the sun. She struggled to give a single favourite travel destination but loves Barcelona. She has been to Barcelona both as a child and as an adult and describes it as a “city that has something for everyone: culture, food, beach, attractions and shops.” She could go there again, and again, and still never see or experience all of it.

We'd like to take a moment to thank Aislinn for all her hard work and dedication that she has demonstrated. Congratulations on winning our Q4 Legal Director's Award!