Our colleague Sophie Payne took home the award for Best Family Law Paralegal at the CILEX National Paralegal Awards in Birmingham on 18 September 2025.
For those of us who work alongside Sophie, the recognition came as no surprise. In just three years at Invicta Law, she has become an indispensable part of our Child Protection Team, combining professional expertise with empathy shaped by her own lived experience of the care system.
Sophie’s path into law hasn’t been a straight line. Taken into care as a baby and later adopted by her foster family, she grew up with a deep, personal understanding of the child protection system. As a teenager, she even found herself helping her foster parents with fostering paperwork – a first glimpse of the insight that would later form part of her strength in this work.
After beginning her career in insurance and administration, Sophie joined Invicta Law in 2021 as a Legal Assistant. By 2024, she was promoted to Senior Legal Assistant, supporting solicitors on some of the most complex and sensitive child protection cases we handle, from non-accidental injuries to international safeguarding matters.
Her colleague, solicitor Phoebe Holland, describes what makes Sophie so special:
“The most remarkable attribute about Sophie is how much she cares – about the people she works with, the people we work for, and the children of the county that we work to support.”
That care runs through everything Sophie does. Whether she’s preparing detailed court bundles, mentoring new starters, or serving as a Mental Health First Aider for her team, she leads by quiet example. She also shares her story openly, helping to reduce stigma around adoption and inspiring others from care-experienced backgrounds.
Reflecting on her achievement, our Director of Law, Kam Singh, said:
“Sophie brings something incredibly special to her role – not just competence or reliability, but a deep personal insight into the lives of the children and families our clients work to support. That perspective is rare, and it’s something our whole organisation learns from.”
“She’s not someone who seeks the spotlight, but the impact she has is quietly profound. All of us at Invicta are incredibly proud. This award is a national acknowledgement of her expertise and dedication.”
We couldn’t be prouder. Congratulations, Sophie – this award is so very well deserved.
