As child maintenance specialists, our team is dedicated to guiding families through the complexities of child maintenance arrangements. With a compassionate and knowledgeable approach, each member brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to supporting parents.
Senior Consultant – Michelle Counley
Michelle has been the driving force of NACSA and is now a prominent figure in the field of child maintenance. Her career began in 1995 as a single parent navigating the complexities of the original Child Support Agency. Over the years Michelle has become a leading advocate for parents dealing with child maintenance, and the Child Maintenance Service, providing crucial advice and support.
As the senior consultant at NACSA, Michelle’s role is primarily to work with parents involved with Tribunal proceedings, including preparation of detailed case files, presenting evidence and advocating on behalf of parents who believe that CMS decisions are incorrect. She works alongside family lawyers supporting clients through Schedule One applications. She also conducts training session for family lawyers and is the author of the annually published “Child Support Handbook”, by the Child Poverty Action Group which serves as a vital resource for understanding child maintenance laws and procedures.
Consultant – Libby Smith
Libby has been a consultant with NACSA since 2008 and is our Client Representation Manager as well as a main consultant. She has participated in advisory group discussions and supports Michelle in the publication of the Child Support Handbook.
Libby specialises in handling cases involving parents with complex income structures. She possesses extensive knowledge of child maintenance procedures and legislation, which she applies to conduct comprehensive case audits and debt audits. Additionally, she provides initial support and guidance for parents preparing to enter tribunal settings.
Consultant – Laura Vale
Laura has also been part of the NACSA Team since 2007. Her extensive knowledge of the CMS process offers invaluable support to parents, guiding them through each required step, including the complaints process, to ensure accurate child maintenance decisions.
Laura has a keen interest in CMS enforcement actions and has been instrumental in preventing many unjust enforcement orders, such as Liability Orders and Lump Sum Deduction Orders. Additionally, Laura possesses excellent knowledge of the rules surrounding disputed paternity and benefit claims and how these impact on the CMS case.
Consultant – Kerrie Pallett
Kerrie joined NACSA in 2021, initially as our receptionist, being responsible for all incoming enquiries and booking clients with the specialist consultants. Kerrie quickly demonstrated a passion for assisting parents, particularly those involved with disputes over shared care and equal care arrangements.
Kerrie is now our “Regulation 50” specialist. She expertly guides clients through the steps to identify shared care arrangements and conditions that might cause the child maintenance liability to end under regulation 50 child support maintenance calculations regs 2012.
Liaison Officer – Will Powick
Will is one of our newer team members, joining in January 2023 initially helping with general enquiries, but soon became our Liaison Officer. Will provides a supporting role to all consultants, including preparation of client cases and files which is invaluable to our consultants, and general CMS case management.
Will fully manages the administration of clients involved in Tribunal proceedings, providing seamless communication between clients, NACSA and HM Courts and Tribunals.
Office Manager – Maxine Harrison
Maxine has been with NACSA since 2022. She manages various aspects of the office management ensuring clients always receive an excellent service from us. She oversees the process for new intake instructions, and returning files when a case is closed. Maxine is instrumental in managing a smooth and efficient operation of the office, allowing our consultants to work effectively.
Receptionist – Sarah Stevens
Sarah is our newest member, joining us in January 2024. She handles all incoming queries via phone, email or from our website. She delivers timely responses with care and compassion, detailing information about the company and our services, or signposting them to more appropriate contacts where necessary.
Sarah provides a crucial role of maintaining a positive client relationship and customer satisfaction so that clients feel confident and reassured from their very first contact.
