Range of Services for Clients:
I offer a broad range of services and will always try to find a level of service and a cost structure that will suit each individual client. I have one golden rule which is that I will not go to court for clients (other than to present agreements to the Judge).
I am flexible about when and where I meet with you. Most of my meetings take place at my office but I will meet elsewhere if that suits you better.
My services include the following:
Telephone consultation: (there is no charge for this telephone consultation which will last between half an hour and an hour).
Early information about your options can be incredibly helpful and is an important first step for anyone facing separation. I am very happy to talk to you about your options once I have secured a broad understanding of your situation in order to make a recommendation about the best way forward. I can make some suggestions about further reading/research which will help to broaden your understanding of those options. If I do not think that I can help you then I will be very pleased to make some suggest the names of others who would be able to offer support and advice;
Comprehensive evaluation meeting: (there is a fixed fee of £200 plus VAT for this meeting which will last approximately 1.5-2 hours).
At this meeting I will seek to understand your family dynamic in more detail and focus on the options in depth with you. We can consider which process might be the best match for you and your partner. You can browse my client reference library and I can provide a wealth of information about how separation impacts on families and what steps you might find useful. I can arrange to introduce you to a Family Consultant if you would find some further emotional support helpful. If family collaborative practice or mediation do not seem appropriate then I am very happy to form a link between you and a family litigation lawyer whom I know and respect;
Collaborative review and legal drafting service: sometimes a couple have been engaged in private discussions and have reached consensus on most or all of the issues arising from their separation. They then wish to understand if they have covered all aspects, to fine tune their agreement and to undertake the drafting of legal documents (usually divorce paperwork/financial court order) and presentation of those documents to the Judge for approval. In such circumstances it may be the case that this can be tackled in one substantive meeting (or sometimes two shorter meetings), with both collaborative representatives there, in order to fine tune the agreement reached/focus on detail and drafting to move through the legal process and achieve judicial approval to those agreements;
Full collaborative representation: this process works best for couples who have not yet tackled issues arising from their separation and who wish to have the support of the collaborative process to help them to move forward. Early in the process we can address how many meetings are likely to be needed. The pace and content of the process is driven by you to enable a solution to be tailored to your individual family needs;
Family mediation: another option for couples is to engage me to act as a neutral and impartial Family Mediator. Here my role is to help you both to reach agreements about how best to make arrangements for the future, relating to either your children or your finances. I can help you to generate options and to reality check those options alongside your commitment to find a solution that will work for your family. This process works best with parallel legal advice since I cannot give advice, take sides or draft the legal paperwork in my role as a Family Mediator;
Collaborative mediation support: For some families a mediation service offers the best forum for them to find workable and fair solutions around a table. At the conclusion to that process or sometimes during the mediation process an individual may need some legal advice and/ or someone to draft legal paperwork and to process a divorce/financial court order in order to achieve finality in the spirit of the cooperative mediation process they have undertaken;
Collaborative litigation support: there may be circumstances where an individual has chosen not to have a legal representative for a family litigation process but wishes to tap in to some ad hoc, constructive support/advice alongside the process;
Collaborative after care: some clients need help and support to monitor and avoid future family conflict after their process has concluded. I can offer an ad hoc service to clients supporting them as and when they need it, to ensure that family conflict is managed and contained for the well being of their family;
Discrete collaborative support and advice: sometimes clients need advice and support about a discrete issue, for example how to manage the school holiday arrangements or how best to tackle the introduction of their new partner. I can provide such advice/support in a constructive and cost effective way;
Reference library: at my office I have a useful stock of books and resource materials which are intended to give you information to help you to make good decisions and to keep your costs down.
