Shanika Varga handled our case, a Step-parent Adoption request by a young Teenager to his Step-father where the absentee Birth Father was contesting the application. We knew from the beginning that the chances of the Adoption being approved were slim and cases like ours were rare. However, Shanika listened to our reasons and gave us clear sound advice from the very start, she clearly understood the importance of what we were trying to do. She was realistic and supportive in her advice, giving us our options at each stage and keeping a close eye on the financial cost for us. Her advice was always delivered clearly and was pro-active, it was so comforting to feel she was completely in control of our situation at a time when we were emotionally vulnerable. We felt that we as a family mattered to her and we trusted her immediately, we never once felt like just another client. The diligence and care she put into our statements and preparations for Court were exceptional, the CAFCASS officer involved the case praised them as probably the best she had seen for their clarity and content. Shanika helped us select a Barrister that was within our budget and that excelled in dealing with less straight forward cases. She ensured that he had everything he needed for Court and supported us throughout the whole ordeal in a manner above and beyond our expectations. We have no doubt that it was Shanika's dedication to detail, diligent hard work and genuine belief in us that took our case from the near impossible, to having a chance, and finally a life changing success. We cannot praise Shanika and the team at Stowe Family Law enough.