Paul Sturdy is a Director of the firm and is the Head of the Child Protection Practice Area Unit.

A highly competent and skilled litigator, Paul has earned the respect of his peers and clients as a result of his ability to balance tenacity with approachability. Paul principally deals with children’s referral work, having conducted countless children’s hearings, appeals and proofs. He has a reputation as one of the most accomplished and knowledgeable solicitors in this complex and developing area.

Paul fiercely defends his client’s interests, and has a particular interest in Human Rights legislation and the use of that to protect the interests of children and families. He has travelled the length and breadth of Scotland to represent clients, having conducted children’s hearings, appeals and proofs from Kirkwall to Dumfries and everywhere in between. Representing clients in different parts of the country has been aided by a readiness to utilise technology (such as Skype or Microsoft Teams consultations) to ensure that proximity is not a barrier to children and families obtaining the best representation possible. That has also enabled Paul and his team to adapt, and support clients to adapt, to the move towards virtual hearings for certain children’s hearing and court proceedings.

Paul was previously nominated as Trainee of the Year prior to embarking upon his development since qualifying as a solicitor, demonstrating his promise from the outset of his legal career. Today Paul delivers seminars to solicitors in relation to children’s referrals and was one of only a handful of solicitors to participate in the Scottish Legal Aid Board/CELCIS research into the role of the solicitor within the children’s hearing system. 

Paul has been appointed by the Scottish Government to the register of Child Interview Rights Practitioners, meaning he is one of a select number of solicitors in the country authorised to provide advice, support and assistance to children in relation to their involvement in interviews under the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019. Paul is also a member of the Law Society of Scotland’s Child and Family Law Committee.

In 2022, Paul was appointed by the Scottish Ministers to the panel of safeguarders and is routinely appointed by Sheriffs and children’s hearings to represent and safeguard the interests of vulnerable children in those proceedings.

Paul is primarily based at our Shettleston office. If you have any concerns or questions regarding a Child Protection matter, please contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.