Dual qualified solicitor joins The Family Law Company

Vincent Ibekwe has joined The Family Law Company’s Exeter team bringing fresh skills to support clients in all aspects of family law.

Dual qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales, and a solicitor and barrister in Nigeria, Vincent has a particular specialism in divorce and the financial consequences of marriage breakdown.

He grew up in Nigeria and after achieving a degree in English Literature, followed a career in education as a secondary school teacher. After deciding he could make more impact in law, he studied for five years for his law degree, followed by a year at law school.

Initially Vincent worked for a  top tier law firm in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos with cases involving commerce and corporate issues. On moving to the UK in 2022 he took a role with an immigration charity where he developed skills that opened up new possibilities. He qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2024 and joined The Family Law Company’s Divorce and Finance Team earlier this year.

He said: “It’s a very different area of law to the commercial sector, but I’m using the soft skills I developed working for the immigration charity; compassion, listening, paying attention to details - which all help me to make a difference to our clients who are often struggling with difficult circumstances.”

Being dual-qualified means Vincent brings knowledge of a different legal system and cultural distinctions which can help inform his approach to cases.

Joint-MD Rachel Buckley added: “On behalf of the firm I’m pleased to welcome Vincent to the team. The skillset from his work in Nigeria and immigration is quite unique and provide a number of potential benefits to our clients. We are incredibly proud of the diversity of our lawyers and the skills this brings to our clients ”