What can I do for you?
I am a specialist family lawyer, collaborative lawyer and recently trained family arbitrator with over 30 years’ experience dealing mainly with the more complex financial issues (eg, businesses, trusts and pensions) that need to be negotiated when a marriage or other personal relationship sadly comes to an end. I can also advise sensitively and effectively on arrangements for children (where they live and the arrangements for the time they spend with each parent) and I have expertise in drawing up pre- and post-marital agreements. I have considerable experience in work that involves international issues.
Supporting my clients’ aims and objectives
Although I will always fight my client’s corner vigorously, I believe passionately that the best outcome for couples going through the emotional and financial stress of a divorce is one that is agreed between them. Sometimes this isn’t possible and the court has to decide, but most of my cases settle without a decision having to be imposed on my client. What motivates me is being able to help people come through the process of family breakdown confident about their future, financially secure and, most importantly when children are involved, continuing to have a good relationship with their children and being able to co-parent effectively.
What do others say?
We are very proud of our family law team at Mills & Reeve. We are ranked in the top tier for family law work in both Chambers UK and Legal 500 directories. We recently won the accolade of Private Client Team of the year at the Manchester Legal Awards 2012, in recognition of the innovative work we have done, which included our Divorce UK iPhone App and YouTube channel as well as our fixed pricing option.
I aim to provide outstanding client service and clear legal advice that avoids jargon and gets the job done. Chambers UK has described our family law team as maintaining “an excellent reputation for cost-effective, high quality family work". The guide also says that I am "quietly confident with a steely edge"! As part of a nationwide network of offices, our team "has the expertise to handle any and all family related matters", and one of our peers from another firm said to Chambers that we "are very knowledgeable and have national presence and strength and depth in numbers".
On a personal level, a client asked for feedback by Chambers told them that I was a lawyer “who has huge experience and technical expertise; a real ability to cut through complex issues and arrive at optimal solutions” and a peer said that I was "strong, able and energetic".
A client wrote to me very recently saying my "strategy was first class" and my "skills achieved the outcome we were aiming for".
What else should you know?
I have been a member of Resolution, the leading family law association, for around 25 years. I was National Chairman in the mid-90s and am still involved nationally on the Executive, National and Law Reform Committees. I contribute regularly to the print and broadcast media and present at training seminars. I am one of only a few Fellows of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers outside London and I am also a trained collaborative lawyer, being a member of the Greater Manchester collaborative group, Separation Solutions, and the Central London Collaborative Forum, the group set up for IAML Fellows.
I am a regular contributor to Twitter and can be found at @topfamilylawyer.
Through our www.divorce.co.uk website, and more recently our Divorce UK YouTube channel and Divorce UK iPhone app launched in July 2011, our team offers valuable free resources for those going through separation or divorce.
Finally, outside of work, I am a keen sports watcher and participant. I mentioned recently that, when at school, I was part of a team that bowled the opposition out for nought in 13 balls. One of my colleagues here said that this was "far more interesting than all of that other boring stuff in your profile"! Charming (but very Mills & Reeve)!