A TRIO of new appointments have been made at a Basingstoke law firm.

Phillips Solicitors, based in London Street, has taken on Maria Booth as a family law solicitor and Nour Belal as a trainee while former legal secretary Claire-Marie Selwood has stepped up to the mark and become a solicitor in the company's wills and probate team.

Maria, who joins the firm after taking a short break from law to have a family, said: “I am thrilled to be a part of the family law team at Phillips and look forward to advising clients on their family matters.

“I am keen to build on the strong reputation that Phillips has, working with its knowledgeable family law team.”

Claire-Marie has worked in the legal profession since 1995 and after a short break she joined Phillips in October 2016 working as a legal secretary in the wills and probate team, where she gained knowledge and experience.

Claire-Marie said: “I found that I enjoyed working for the Phillips’ wills and probate team so the decision to convert to this new practice area was a natural choice.”

Nour recently joined Phillips as a trainee solicitor and currently works in its family law and litigation teams and

will spend the next two years working across all departments of the firm.

Jack Gardener, Phillips director and shareholder said: “We are very pleased to welcome Maria and Nour to the firm and to promote Claire-Marie within the wills and probate team.

“These appointments mark a continuation of our ongoing strategy for investing in staff and demonstrate the firm’s commitment to providing clients with talented legal professionals.”

Fellow director and shareholder Max Hope added:  “It is already clear that Maria, Claire-Marie and Nour are passionate, hardworking and driven and we wish them every success as they add strength and depth to Phillips in this exciting period of growth.”