Shariah Family Law Specialist Aysha Chouhdary promoted to Partner
Aysha Chouhdary, one of the few family lawyers in the UK offering advice on religious, cultural and international jurisdiction issues particularly Shariah Law and Islamic Rulings, has been promoted to Partner in the latest round of new year promotions at Geldards.
Aysha brings extensive experience in all family law related matters and is widley regarded as a top International Family Lawyer. Since joining Geldards in 2023, Aysha’s passion for diversity and inclusion led her to establish a brand new specialist Shariah Family law service. A talented multi-linguist, with languages including Urdu, Mirpuri, Punjabi and Hindi, Aysha seized the opportunity to broaden Geldards’ client offering by establishing a specialist global Shariah Family law service to help guide clients through the complexities of the dissolution of a marriage under Islamic/Shariah Law.
Launched in 2024 the service for Muslim clients advises on the civil and religious aspects of Shariah Family Law, offering a sensitive understanding of cultural issues at play, and has proved very popular with clients who regularly give exemplary feedback to the team. Aysha has achieved some life changing outcomes for clients especially where international child abduction was concerned.
In addition to her client work, Aysha is committed to paving the way for others to enter the legal profession and plays an active role in Cardiff & District Law Society. She has spearheaded several initiatives helping future lawyers overcome barriers to entering the profession. She previously took on the role of Mentoring Co-ordinator for the Society’s reverse mentoring scheme and her latest role this year is Chair of the Ethnicity Network. She is the first British-Pakistani, Muslim appointment to the Council in the Law Society’s 138 year history and hopes to expand the Society’s membership to a wider, even more diverse body of legal professionals, and students.
Aysha’s exceptional contributions to family law and her commitment to diversity and inclusion have been recognised with numerous national awards and accolades, often working complex cross-jurisdictional, multi-disciplinary matters.
In particular, Aysha’s achievements in driving forward diversity and inclusion have been widely recognised, and in November 2024 she scooped LexisNexis Family Law Awards prestigious ‘Associate Solicitor of the Year’ award. The coveted award is given for a major contribution to the field of family law, outstanding client service and teamwork within the firm and beyond. The judges commended Aysha on providing “A much needed service for Muslim clients and dedication to giving back to the wider legal community”.
She continues to be ranked in Chambers and Partners and has been commended in Legal 500 as ‘Compassionate and approachable’ and a lawyer who ‘goes the extra mile for clients’. Aysha is recognised as a ‘Leading Associate’ and ‘Key Lawyer’ in Family Law.
Jeff Pearson, Chief Executive at Geldards, commented on Aysha’s promotion:
“Aysha’s enthusiasm is infectious and her drive and dedication to expanding Geldards’ first class Family Law services for our clients is admirable. Aysha’s many awards and external achievements are testament to her outstanding approach and zest for improving legal services. Her promotion to Partner is richly well-deserved and I offer my whole-hearted congratulations.”