Valerie Henley has now qualified as a Collaborative Lawyer. She has trained with Resolution and is now an accredited specialist.

She is Head of the Family Department and can now offer Collaborative Law as a further option to couples that are attempting to deal with Children and Financial issues following family breakdown.

Collaborative Law is a new approach which involves couples working with their Solicitors, all together in the same room, to reach agreement without the need for costly and stressful Court battles.

It is a commitment to minimising the financial and emotional pain family breakdown causes.

Couples stay in control of their own futures, instead of leaving decisions to a Judge in a Court room.

Collaborative Law is built upon mutual problem solving where the parties and their Lawyers pledge to work together to negotiate an agreement without going to Court. If an agreement cannot be reached, and Court is seen as the only solution, the Lawyers involved cannot act for either party in the subsequent Court case. This means that everyone involved (including Valerie herself!) have an incentive to settle the case.

Resolution is a 5500 strong group of Family Lawyers, committed to adopting a conciliatory approach. It says:

'It takes a certain kind of couple, and a certain kind of Lawyer - one who is focused on solutions rather than confrontation - to make it work. Where it has been practised elsewhere in the UK, it has received remarkable results'.