Resolving Family disputes the Resolution way

We invest a lot of ourselves in our personal relationships. The break-up of a marriage or long term relationship is likely to unleash a lot of negative emotions.

As an experienced family law solicitor I know in this emotional maelstrom there is a serious risk that one or both of the couple may make poor decisions which they might later regret.

Making Good Decisions

Before taking any steps on behalf of a client, I would always wish them to be clear that they are certain in any decision to separate. “The grass is not always greener”. On the other hand some relationships do reach the point where they are broken beyond repair and are even harmful.

Where clients are not absolutely sure I would always suggest that they take their time to think things over. I may make a referral to a counsellor (relationship or individual counsellor).

Making informed decisions

Getting good legal advice is often an important component in making the best decisions. Advice is only as good as the information that it is based on.

When I meet a client for the first time I will always wish to ensure that we have enough time to discuss their situation thoroughly and enough time for me to answer their questions.

In my view a half hour meeting is simply not sufficient time to gather enough information, to establish a rapport with a client and to answer their initial questions.

My track record

I have been a member of Resolution for over 20 years. I was one of the first mediators trained by Resolution in 1996 and I was also amongst the first Collaborative Family Lawyers to be trained in Devon in 2005.

I am the current elected Chair of the Devon region of Resolution (my second term).

I have also served spells on the Governing Board of the Family Mediators Association and the National Family Law Committee of the Law Society.

We are based in Honiton but also have branch offices in Taunton and Exeter from which we see clients by appointment.

Why everyone should seek advice from a Solicitor who is a member of Resolution.

The Resolution approach is about good practice, fairness, realism and protecting the needs of children. It is about doing the best for the client.

Resolution’s 6500 members must adhere to its Code of Practice, which requires lawyers to deal with each other in a civilised way and to encourage their clients to put their differences aside and reach fair agreements.

Resolution also supports the development of family lawyers through its national and regional training programmes, through publications and good practice guides and through its accreditation scheme.

The Resolution Code of Practice

The Resolution Code of Practice can be found at http://www.resolution.org.uk/code/ The Code encourages the use of family mediation where appropriate.

More Information and Tips

There is not enough space here to repeat the various tips about family law matters and the importance of family mediation. I would urge anyone who is thinking of separating to have a look at the different pages on my website