Business Details
49 Years
experience
Emergency
services
Award-Winning Legal Services in Newcastle & South Shields
Gray David has been a trusted legal practice for over 45 years, consistently recognised as a market leader in both the Chambers UK Directory and Legal 500 Directory. Our purpose-driven approach combines legal excellence with genuine empathy, ensuring accessible representation across family, criminal, immigration, and property law. With a team of over 90 professionals, including 10 partners, we prioritise clear communication and client-centred solutions.Our commitment extends beyond individual cases, supporting local and national charities while maintaining Lexcel accreditation for practice excellence. We operate from strategically located offices in Newcastle and South Shields, serving clients across the North East region with a blend of deep expertise and compassionate understanding.
Services
Family Law
Criminal Defence
Immigration
Property Conveyancing
Wills & Probate
Mental Health Law
Motoring Offences
Court of Protection
Family Mediation
Details
- Year established: 1977
Highlights and features
- We have over 45 years' experience in delivering legal services
- Ranked in Band 1 by Legal 500 and Chambers UK for multiple practice areas
- We communicate complex legal matters in clear, understandable terms
- Our team includes Law Society Mental Health Tribunal Panel accredited representatives
- We maintain Lexcel accreditation for excellence in practice management
Associations and certifications
- Lexcel
- Solicitors Regulation Authority
What people say
Expert legal support
Positive case outcomes
Compassionate representation
Clear communication
Timely responses
Services
Family Law
Our award-winning family law team handles divorce, child custody, and domestic abuse cases with sensitivity and expertise. We provide legal aid where available and specialise in both private and public law matters. Our solicitors help clients navigate relationship breakdowns while prioritising children's welfare and financial settlements.
Criminal Defence
Ranked Tier 1 by Legal 500, our criminal defence team represents clients facing serious charges including fraud, assault, and motoring offences. We offer 24/7 emergency crime line support and have extensive Crown Court experience. Our solicitors challenge evidence and build robust defences for clients across the North East.
Immigration
Nationally recognised immigration specialists handle personal and business visa applications, citizenship, and deportation cases. Our ILPA-accredited team provides clear guidance on UK immigration law with multilingual support available. We assist clients with Home Office appeals and sponsor licence applications.
Property Conveyancing
CQS-accredited property solicitors manage residential transactions including purchases, sales, and remortgaging. We handle right-to-buy schemes and complex property disputes while maintaining efficient 12-16 week transaction timelines. Our team works with all major mortgage lenders across Newcastle and South Shields.
Mental Health Law
The North East's largest mental health law team represents patients under the Mental Health Act. We handle tribunal appeals, hospital detention cases, and nearest relative rights. Our accredited specialists provide urgent 24-hour response for Section 2 detainees and community treatment order applications.
People
Janice Hall
Partner
Experienced criminal defence solicitor with 25+ years' expertise in representing clients at Magistrates' and Crown Courts. Specialises in complex fraud and serious crime cases while leading the firm's pro bono initiatives.
Bryony Rest
Partner
Head of Immigration ranked Band 2 nationally by Chambers. Leads ILPA's Family and Personal Immigration Working Group, providing expert advice on citizenship applications and business sponsor licences with multilingual client support.
Lucy Mead
Partner
Head of Family Law with specialist expertise in child custody and complex financial settlements. Recognised for excellence in legal aid cases and public law proceedings involving local authority interventions.
Emma Silburn
Partner
Head of Mental Health Law managing the region's largest specialist team. Accredited by the Law Society Mental Health Tribunal Panel, providing urgent detention reviews and community treatment order expertise.
Hayley Baker
Customer Relationship Manager
Property department coordinator with 15 years' experience in residential conveyancing. Manages client relationships for house purchases, sales, and remortgaging processes across the North East region.
Questions
What areas of law do you specialise in?
We specialise in family law, criminal defence, immigration, property conveyancing, mental health law, wills & probate, and motoring offences across Newcastle and South Shields.
Do you offer legal aid?
Legal aid is available for eligible clients in family law and criminal defence cases. Immigration cases do not qualify for legal aid under current regulations.
How quickly can I get an appointment?
Emergency crime appointments available immediately. Routine appointments typically scheduled within 48 hours at our Newcastle or South Shields offices.
Are you regulated by the SRA?
Yes, we are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with numbers 558594 (Newcastle) and 569044 (South Shields) and hold Lexcel accreditation.
What are your office locations?
We operate from 56 Westgate Road, Newcastle NE1 5XU and 142 Fowler Street, South Shields NE33 1PZ with hybrid working arrangements requiring prior appointments.
How long have you been in business?
Established in 1977, we have provided legal services in the North East for over 45 years, combining experience with modern client-focused practices.
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Reviews (5)
Ste Corner
Dec 02, 2021
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In my personal experience I cannot fault this firm Lesley was absolutely amazing right from the start very helpful and supportive throughout and I would 100% recommend this firm without doubt especially for family law! Again thank you for everything you done Lesley you where brilliant and a credit to David gray solicitors.
Steven Richardson
Aug 16, 2021
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Anne and Nicola were excellent in assisting with a tricky house purchase. I would highly recommend them, and would definitely use David Gray again in the future
Jessica Sivell
Aug 03, 2020
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Thank you Jordan Garvin for helping me purchase my first home! Jordan was so friendly and always kept ontop of things and kept me updated. Always thought you had to chase solicitors but Jordan was perfect and made things more stress free. I would definitely recommend Jordan and David Gray solicitors.
Abdu War
May 04, 2017
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To Bryony Rest Me and my family would like to provide our solicitor Bryony Rest with the best words to express to her on our good feelings and thanks. We were very happy all the time that she was dealing with our case and the abnormal effort she has done to have our visa and citizenship was highly appreciated. To be honest, we do not know how to do to get our visa without her support and her advice all the time. Bryony has done fantastic work with us and we will never forget her hard work to help us and to make our case very successful. Well done Bryony, you have done very big job with us and everybody in my family wants to say to you thanks a looooooootttttt.
Will Chan
May 11, 2016
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A bad company. While I don't want to discuss my personal circumstances I would advise all to avoid this company. It's bad news
