Mills & Reeve LLP

Family.

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.

Trained Burges Salmon, Bristol; qualified 1997; Burges Salmon 1997-99; Addleshaw Goddard LLP (latterly as a legal director) 1999-2008; Mills & Reeve LLP 2008 to date. Publications of note: contributor to Humphreys Family Proceedings (2005); Debt and Insolvency on Family Breakdown (2002); A Practitioner’s Guide to Joint Property (2005); Divorce and the Farm, Resolution Good Practice Guide (2009/2012); numerous articles in professional journals. Lectures on family law topics to a wide range of audiences.

Resolution National Committee, Resolution EDI committee,  HOT pod, Collaborative Law Manchester, Manchester Area Resolution, Pro-Manchester EDI committee (co-chair); Association of Women Solicitors.

Tiverton School; University of Manchester (1993 LLB 2(1)); Manchester Metropolitan University (1994 LPC (Commendation)); University of Manchester (2003 Post-Graduate Diploma in Counselling Award); trained collaborative family lawyer (2007); Accredited CEDR civil/commercial mediator (2009); Resolution trained family mediator (2010); listed as Ministry of Justice provider of MIAMs; qualified to consult directly with children in mediation (2011).

Family activities, cycling (member of Glossop Kinder Velo), running, skiing, school governor.