Family: mediation

Sarah’s practice has a particular emphasis upon advising on or mediating complex financial claims upon divorce together with future arrangements for children. She has considerable experience of drafting pre and post marital agreements. As a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) she is recognised worldwide as having specialist knowledge of the recognition and dissolution of religious as well as civil marriages. Sarah has a vibrant family mediation practice with referrals from top tier law firms. She is a collaborative lawyer too. She recently won Jordan's Family Law Dispute Resolution Practitioner of the Year 2016. She favours a practical and pragmatic approach to resolving conflict.

Head of Family

Consultant Suzanne is widely known for her expertise in all aspects of family work, in particular the resolution of complex financial issues for high net worth individuals. Suzanne’s cases often have an international element and she has considerable experience in dealing with prenuptial agreements and cohabitation issues. Often referred to as “the Queen of Arbitration and Mediation’, Suzanne has a thriving mediation and arbitration practice and teaches both

Dominic is one of the five principals who founded Family Law in Partnership in 1995. As Head of Mediation, Dominic holds the strong belief that whilst separation and divorce is often a difficult and painful transition, it does not have to destroy a family. Dominic’s practice is focused on helping couples reach a consensus about their future as it relates to their children, finances and housing. Dominic mediates both domestic and cross border family disputes including international child abduction, access and custody cases. Having worked for many years in the Courts advising the judiciary in contested children’s matters and previously having worked in the field of adult psychiatry, Dominic has a range of skills, knowledge and experience which he uses to help his clients to reach agreement. His work has earned Dominic a reputation as one of the most experienced and respected mediators in the country – many of his mediation clients are referred to him by the top family lawyers in the country. In 2013 Dominic was appointed to the prestigious role of the Family Mediator member of the Family Justice Council.In addition to his work as a Mediator, Dominic is a UKCP registered family and systemic psychotherapist and he sees clients in conjunction with his lawyer colleagues where he offers consultation on the child related, emotional and psychological aspects of divorce and separation.

Partner

David is a director at Family Law in Partnership who has specialised in family law for over 25 years. David's clients include business owners, entrepreneurs, bankers, other lawyers and their partners. The focus of David's practice is financial claims on divorce, particularly those with an international dimension, and the legal issues affecting cohabitants, same sex couples and civil partners. David settles the vast majority of his cases outside the court process but where cases have to go to court he is a determined and effective litigator. His goal is to achieve the best outcome for his client and to do so in a way that produces an efficient, fair and positive result. David is a trained mediator and has FMA senior mediator status. He is an experienced collaborative lawyer and is a Resolution collaborative specialist. David lectures, writes and broadcasts extensively on a wide range of family law matters including on issues affecting cohabitants and same sex couples.

Mediator and Head of the Family Department

Partner. Claire's predictions of outcome are spot on and she delivers the best results for her clients by being creative, solution focused but tough when needed. She protects her clients absolutely and they value her no nonsense approach, absolute support, and determination to achieve the right solution. Her work spans the full range of family law. Whether working with domestic or international clients, she deals with complex financial claims, children issues, pre and post-nuptial agreements, cohabitant disputes and has extensive experience advising on cases involving trusts. Her clients are in commerce, finance and tech, professionals, families with inherited wealth and those in the public eye. Whilst being highly experienced in difficult litigation she also has a thriving dispute-resolution practice as a mediator and collaborative lawyer. 

Mediator ,full time

Area of practice includes family mediation; collaborative law; civil/commercial mediation; family court work. Alison is also a children and financial arbitrator. Types of work include complex financial settlements on divorce, wealth protection (including pre-and post-marital agreements), all issues mediation, advice in relation to disputes about children. Important cases include numerous confidential high-value divorce and pre-marital agreement cases involving individuals based in England & Wales and overseas. Increasing number of mediation cases, involving a wide range of clients, including some high profile individuals. Particular focus on resolving disputes in a conciliatory way in the best interests of the families and children involved. Reported cases include McMinn v McMinn [2003] 2 FLR 823 and [2003] 2 FLR 839, D v D (Divorce: media presence) [2009] EWHC 946. Heads the Mills & Reeve family dispute resolution practice.

Partner in the family department. Jo has broad experience of the complex financial aspects of divorce proceedings, dealing with cases exploring issues of inherited assets, trusts and company law, as well as advising on wealth protection pre-marriage – including pre-nuptial agreements.  In addition, she advises on disputes concerning children and on the issues surrounding cohabitation and other forms of family breakdown.

Partner ,finances

Mediator and Partner

Elizabeth is a director at Family Law in Partnership. She focuses on all aspects of family breakdown but has a particular interest in managing arrangements for children both in and out of the court arena as well as resolving financial disputes arising from the breakdown of a marriage or relationship. Elizabeth’s clients include professionals and business owners & executives, as well as stay at home parents, including those who have an international background. As the mother of two young children herself, Elizabeth understands all the practical aspects that need to be addressed by parents dealing with a separation and the different anxieties which parents may have in managing those issues. Elizabeth is committed to resolving issues constructively both in and out of court. She is a trained mediator and collaborative lawyer. Elizabeth is a member of The Law Society's Family Law Committee.

Partner and specialist financial and children lawyer who heads up Mills & Reeve's London family team, Joanna is a trained barrister who is also a mediator and collaborative lawyer. Joanna’s work involves advising clients both within and outside of the jurisdiction who have complex financial and children issues arising from family breakdown, often involving trusts, business assets and pensions. She works with clients on wealth protection, drafting and advising on pre and post marital agreements. From a client: “A tremendous asset….Calm, assured, diligent and clearly very knowledgeable, Joanna performed superbly throughout proceedings” From Counsel: “Brilliant and has a steely determination to do the best for her clients” From Counsel: “Joanna is clever and charming.  Her clients love he. She has a real warmth and sense of humour that disguises her determination to win.  She commands a dedicated team and leads by example – fearless hard work

Kate has considerable expertise in acting for barristers, solicitors and clients in the financial sector. Many of her cases involve foreign jurisdictions with off-shore assets and/or international lifestyles.  She has expertise in disputes between property owners, being either family members or couples, financial provision upon divorce/dissolution, intervening in divorces, advising unmarried parents in their claims, undertaking complex children work such as leave to remove applications and negotiating pre and post nuptial agreements. Reported cases: Re: D (A Child) (Abduction: foreign custody rights) [2006] UKHL 510, El Gamal v HRH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed al-Maktoum [2011] EWHC B27 (Fam); Re A (A Child) [2014] EWCA Civ 1577 and GN v MA [2015] EWHC 3939 (Fam), Ashby v Kilduff [2010] EWHC 2034 (Ch.).

Partner and head of the family department dealing with all aspects of family law, in particular matrimonial finance, prenuptial agreements, often of very high value, and private law children work.

Partner

Partner specialising in family law including financial settlements on divorce (cases involving complex elements such as the forensic investigation of company assets/international assets/court proceedings in other jurisdictions/family trusts), disagreements over contact and living arrangements regarding children, unmarried couples who break up and disagree as to the ownership of property, and separation agreements. Lisa is a skilled negotiator and trained mediator and ranked as one of the best by directories. She has outstanding reviews from former clients on Trustpilot and Google.

Founding partner specialising in all aspects of divorce and family law, including complex financial issues and children. Accredited and practising family mediator, a qualified and practising collaborative lawyer and has a special interest in resolving disputes concerning children. Contributor ‘Rayden and Jackson on Divorce and Family Matters’, 17th ed. Has lectured for the College of Law and was one of the first family law mediators trained by the Family Mediators Association. Chair of the Association 1995 and 1997, and vice-chair of the United Kingdom College of Family Mediators 1996 and 1998. Simon was shortlisted for the prestigious Family Law Awards 2014 in ‘Family Law ADR Practitioner of the Year’ category. In 2015 he was nominated as one of the best family lawyers in London for the Family Law Index, published by Spear’s, a magazine for high-net-worth individuals and their advisors.

James is a director at Family Law in Partnership. He specialises in complex financial issues arising from divorce and separation and non-adversarial and cost effective approaches to divorce including mediation, arbitration and collaborative law. James also has a strong track record of helping clients to achieve excellent outcomes in the Court system. James led Resolution's “Parenting after Parting” inititative to heighten lawyers' awareness of positive co-parenting. James is also the founder of Divorce Diaries, a collection of insights and experiences of former clients going through divorce or separation. He was one of the first lawyers to train as both a collaborative lawyer and a family arbitrator and James is qualified to arbitrate both financial disputes and children matters. As a trained mediator he is also qualified in the commercial model of mediation and direct child consultation.

Ruth is a senior accredited mediator and counsellor, practice consultant and trainer of mediators, lawyers and therapists. She has over 30 years’ experience in family, mental health and human relations, both in the public and private sectors. Ruth’s expertise covers the full spectrum of family issues ranging from divorce and separation (including finance and housing matters) to children matters (including residence and contact issues, international relocation of children and schooling) and mediation in relation to pre- and post-nuptial agreements, civil partnership and cohabitation agreements. She offers preparation and support to couples about to embark on mediation with other firms or court proceedings. Ruth also acts as a family consultant and sees clients in conjunction with her lawyer colleagues. She is an experienced counsellor with a depth and breadth of knowledge in this field and can offer couple counselling, when appropriate. Ruth’s clients include individuals, couples (including same sex couples), family members in dispute and children and young people, whom she sees either as part of their parent’s mediation process or for one to one counselling sessions.

Suzanne leads the family and contentious trusts and succession teams in Europe and is one of the most highly accoladed family lawyers of her generation. She has more than 20 years' experience dealing with international financial cases with a special focus on Italy, private international child matters and negotiating multi-jurisdictional nuptial agreements. She regularly deals with family businesses, inherited wealth, tax and pensions issues. Her communication skills and ability to deal, with empathy with highly charged and emotionally sensitive matters is renowned. Her ruthless efficiency and contagious energy is universally recognised alongside her premier levels of client service. She always provides comprehensive strategic guidance from the outset but with an eye on the commercial reality of the situation. She is a practising Mediator and collaborative lawyer and lectures internationally on family law matters. Suzanne is fluent in Italian and well known for her Anglo Italian practice. Client: 'she has the right balance of sympathy for my situation combined with a razor sharp legal brain but a calm and non-confrontational approach to the negotiations with an obvious will to win'.

Connie is a Partner in the family team and has experience of dealing with all aspects of private family work relating to both finances and children. Connie regularly assists clients who need help with their separation and the practical and financial implications arising out of this. Most of Connie’s clients or their partners work in the City and many have an international connection. Connie therefore regularly works with solicitors in other jurisdictions. Connie has expertise in international surrogacy cases and helps parents with the parental order applications required following their children’s birth. On these cases, she works closely with members of our immigration team to resolve any issues in bringing the children home. Connie is also a qualified mediator and assists as a mediator for clients in respect of all practical and legal issues surrounding family relationship breakdown. She is recognised as a Next Generation Lawyer in Legal 500 UK 2019 for Family: Mediation and in Chambers UK 2020 as an Associate to Watch in Family/Matrimonial.

A Partner in the family team with experience of all types of private family work relating to both children and finances. Lauren is also a mediator and helps clients to work through the practical and legal issues arising from family relationship breakdown.

Principal Associate and Accredited Family Mediator