Experienced Family Law Guidance You Can Trust

With over 25 years of experience in family law, I am here to help you navigate one of life’s most challenging transitions. Whether you’ve already hired a lawyer or are still considering your options, I can guide you through the legal process in a cost-effective way.

Divorce can be financially draining, especially when children are involved, and the emotional impact can be profound. I offer compassionate, practical advice to help you make informed decisions and protect your future.

Let me help you move forward with confidence.

A Chartered Family Mediator can be a valuable resource in resolving family law issues outside of court. Here are some benefits and services I offer:

• Cost-Effective: Using a Mediator typically involves fewer costs than going through the court system, as you are hiring one neutral professional to facilitate negotiations between both parties.

• Expert Guidance: Mediators are trained in family law and skilled in conflict resolution, helping you to focus on the needs and interests of all parties involved, especially the children.

• Custom Solutions: Mediators focus on creating agreements tailored specifically to your unique situation. This can include division of assets, financial arrangements, and child custody and parenting plans.

• Reduced Conflict: Mediation aims to maintain amicable relationships by fostering collaboration and communication rather than adversarial legal battles, which can be stressful for everyone involved, particularly children.

• Confidentiality and Privacy: Mediation is a private process, unlike court proceedings which are often public. This means your personal matters remain confidential.

• Time Efficient: The mediation process can often resolve disputes faster than court proceedings, allowing families to move forward more quickly.

• Focus on Children's Best Interests: A Mediator will keep the focus on creating arrangements that are in the best interests of the children, ensuring their preferences and needs are prioritized.

Chartered Family Mediators are dedicated to helping families resolve their disputes collaboratively, aiming to result in more satisfactory and sustainable outcomes for everyone involved.

It's understandable that the divorce process can be an emotionally challenging time for everyone involved. While legal professionals focus on the legal aspects of the situation, they aren't equipped to provide the emotional and psychological support that you might need. This is where therapists specializing in high conflict family issues can be invaluable. 

Reunification Therapy and Trauma Therapy can play crucial roles in helping families navigate these changes:

• Reunification Therapy: This type of therapy focuses on repairing and rebuilding relationships between estranged or alienated parents and their children. It aims to address underlying conflicts, improve communication, and rebuild trust, ensuring that the child's emotional well-being is prioritized.

• Trauma Therapy: Given the high level of stress and emotional upheaval caused by divorce, trauma therapy can help family members process their experiences, develop coping mechanisms, and ultimately heal from the emotional impacts of the divorce.

By integrating therapy into the divorce process, families can receive the emotional support and guidance needed to address and reconcile the complex feelings that arise, facilitating a healthier adjustment for everyone involved, especially for the children. This holistic approach can complement the legal and mediation processes to ensure that both the emotional and practical needs are addressed.

Divorce can be an overwhelming and emotional process, with so many decisions to navigate. A Divorce Coach can be a key ally in making the journey smoother. They help by offering emotional support, guiding clients through the complex emotional landscape, and helping to develop strategies for coping with the challenges that arise during and after the process.

Divorce Coaches can also assist with practical matters like organizing thoughts, setting goals, and providing tools for better communication, especially if children or co-parenting are involved. By addressing personal and emotional issues early on, they can reduce the number of calls to lawyers, saving time and money. 

The ability to focus on personal healing, gain clarity, and make informed decisions can be the real difference between a prolonged, painful process and a more streamlined, constructive one.

If the court orders or your family lawyer recommends a Voice of the Child Report to understand the views and preferences of your child(ren), I am here to assist you. With over 20 years of experience as a former member of the Clinical Panel at the Office of the Children's Lawyer, I have a deep understanding of Section 112 investigations, Voice of the Child Reports, Section 30 assessments, and I have successfully testified in hundreds of family law cases.

Services I Offer:

• Voice of the Child Reports: Conducting thorough and compassionate interviews to represent the child's voice and preferences in custody and access matters.

• Section 30 Assessment Support: Guiding clients through the Section 30 assessment process, helping you become organized and prepared for interviews and home visits.

• Expert Review of Section 30 Assessments: If you're not satisfied with the outcome of your Section 30 assessment, I provide an independent third-party critique to help you understand the findings and offer constructive feedback for your lawyer.

With my extensive experience, I provide personalized, reliable support to help you navigate complex family law proceedings with confidence.

Parenting Coordination is a child-focused dispute resolution process designed to assist parents in high-conflict situations. A Parenting Coordinator is a neutral third party that helps parents improve communication, resolve disputes, and implement the parenting plan according to the court order. The goal is to prioritize the children's well-being and ensure that the parenting arrangements work effectively.

They work closely with parents to address issues related to visitation schedules, vacation arrangements, decision-making, and other parenting conflicts.

If the parents reach an impasse on certain terms or cannot collaboratively resolve disputes, the Parenting Coordinator may have the authority to make binding decisions through arbitration. This helps to resolve disagreements quickly without needing to go back to court, reducing stress and legal costs for the family.

Overall, Parenting Coordination seeks to reduce conflict, improve co-parenting skills, and ultimately create a healthier environment for the children involved.