A YORK-BASED law firm has bolstered its team with the appointment of an experienced paralegal.

Rachel Raper has spent more than two decades helping families across Yorkshire with their legal issues.

With a specialist paralegal qualification in family law she is able to provide advice on a wide range of subjects, including divorce proceedings, financial relief, child custody matters, cohabitation disputes and change of name deeds.

She is a Fellow of the Institute of Paralegals and a member of the Resolution First for Family Law – the UK’s largest organisation of family law specialists.

Simon Nellar, Hethertons’ head of family law, said: “Her support and expertise comes at an important time for our firm as we continue to experience phenomenal interest in our services.”

l Growing sales at an East Yorkshire farm machinery importer has led to the recruitment of a business manager.

Sancton-based Manterra Ltd has recruited Breege Kilfeather to the new position to ensure the office runs smoothly and customer relationships are developed.

Having recently moved from Buckinghamshire, where she was a housemistress at Wycombe Abbey School, she will be responsible for streamlining Manterra’s data collection and management and will be the first point of contact for customers.

She comes from an Irish farming family and came sixth in the Irish National Farmerette Ploughing Championship as a teenager.

l Leading cable cleat manufacturer Ellis, of Rillington, has promoted Stephen Walton to the position of chief engineer.

A mechanical design engineer with close to two decades of experience, he joined Ellis in 2015 and has played an important role in developing a number of new products.

Richard Shaw, managing director, said: “In the short time Stephen has been with us he has made a real impact on a number of different levels, including new product development, and the work he has done on our existing products and on behalf of various customers.”

Mr Walton said: “When I moved to Ellis last year I did so because I wanted a new challenge, so to find myself rewarded for rising to it so successfully just 12 months later is a huge compliment.”