I qualified as a Solicitor over 30 years ago, specialising in family law at a high level and was for many years a Partner in charge of family law in my practice. I was accredited on the Law Society Family Panel and Law Society Advanced Family Panel. I was honoured to be elected by my fellow solicitors to serve as President of Wigan Law Society in 2006. In 2011 I was elected by the Law Society as an Assessor for fellow solicitors seeking to apply to join these senior specialist level Panels. I have very detailed experience of all aspects of family law including children and financial matters.
I am mindful of the difficulties that a relationship breakdown can cause for the parties and their children and that they should have options in how to resolve issues which can arise.
I trained as a Family Mediator in 2001 and as a Collaborative Lawyer in 2005 to offer my clients the maximum opportunities of options to progress family difficulties both as a lawyer and as mediator.
I have been a member of the mediator’s professional body the Family Mediators Association (known as the FMA) continuously since 2001 and completed my mediation qualification gaining full accreditation in 2004. I have extensive experience of all aspects of mediation. In 2011 I was awarded Senior Mediator status by the Family Mediators Association. I am a qualified Family Mediation Professional Practice Consultant with responsibility for supervising other mediators and am qualified to offer Direct Child Consultation also known as Child inclusive Mediation.
In 2012 I was honoured to be elected as a Trustee Director to the Board of the Family Mediators Association and in 2013 as the Vice Chair of the Family Mediators Association. In 2015, I was re-elected as a Director and Trustee of the Family Mediators Association with which role I continued for the maximum allowed time. Currently, I’m a Director of FMA Trading, the company which runs FMA’s training.
In 2014, I decided to leave my legal practice to concentrate on family mediation recognising the importance of assisting people in sorting out in a mutual and autonomous manner the challenges and problems which can arise following a relationship breakdown.
I realise that mediation is not suitable or appropriate for everyone but believe it is an important option to be considered as part of the menu of options open to deal with family issues. I will fully explain and help you to understand what mediation is (and isn’t), discuss with you the background to your situation, explain your options and mutually assess with you if mediation may assist you.
I am aware that clients often want to be able to make decisions for themselves but feel that they either have difficulty in managing constructive communication between themselves with their ex-partner or sometimes they simply feel that they don’t have enough legal and practical information.
In mediation, I will not assist you as a lawyer but instead as a dedicated mediator. I will not advise you, take over or make decisions for you but will offer you both totally impartial guidance and support to lead you to a structured and relevant dialogue and will provide the tools of practical legal and information to hopefully put you in a better place to take control of your life and make decisions by yourselves.
