Family Services

Which Path?
If you don’t yet know what you want, it’s hard to choose the right path to get you there.  Do you need a mediator, a lawyer, a counsellor etc….? Sarah’s experience in family law means she can help steer you in the right direction.  Sarah offers an initial meeting to help you work through the head fog and come out with some clarity about what your next step(s) should be.  We can also refer you to people we know and trust who would be well placed to help you on your path, if we don’t offer the service you need. If you want to set up a “Which Path?” meeting, please contact us here


Family Consultant
A family consultant is a wide-ranging role. Although not a therapist, because of their qualifications and experience, a family consultant can help you manage some of the more emotional aspects of separation.  As a family consultant, Sarah can help with:

  • Preparation – making sure you and your partner are ready for the process you are working in, e.g. collaborative law or mediation (with another mediator).  What should I do to prepare?  What will meetings be like?  How can I make sure I make myself heard?  
  • Communication – especially around children.  What is the best way to tell them?  How do we handle tricky situations that might arise? 
  • Ongoing Support – for one party who may be struggling, the right ongoing support for your children and support for the process as a whole – including the lawyers in collaborative law.  Its only by talking about things and reflecting on what’s gone well and what could be better that we learn and really move on.


If you want to use Sarah as a Family Consultant, please contact us here


Solicitor Support
Many clients have said to me (in my former capacity as a solicitor), “I don’t know, I’ve never done this before…”  I understand instructing a solicitor can be daunting.  You want to get the right person who is a good fit with you.  And then you need to make the best use of that valuable resource, which means understanding how they work and how you will be charged.  Sadly, a lot of clients waste unnecessary costs on solicitors because they rush to use them as the first port of call to let off steam about their ex or linger on long conversations which might be better had with a counsellor. Perhaps you feel anxious because this is the first time during the relationship you have had to get to grips with finances.  Or you just feel so overwhelmed with the whole separation that you would struggle to give a solicitor coherent instructions. Panic not.  Sarah can work alongside you with our ‘Solicitor Support’ service.  This could be a help in choosing the right solicitor at the outset and/or working alongside you to make sure you use your chosen, expert solicitor to the maximum effect.  If you want to set up a ‘Solicitor Support” meeting, please contact us here


Direct Access support  
Maybe you’re not instructing a solicitor but planning to work with a barrister (Counsel) on a direct access basis.   If you’re struggling with a hearing coming up and need help getting your paperwork in order or clarifying your position for your chosen barrister, Sarah can work alongside you on that – in a way that still keeps it cost effective. If you would like to know about how we can help with Direct Access, please contact us here


Ad hoc assistance  
You might be handling things pretty well yourself but are a bit stuck on one thing.  This could be completing application forms or other paperwork, understanding process and timescales etc. Happy to help if we can and, if you don’t know, just ask.  A no obligation conversation will clarify whether we can assist and, if so, at what cost.  Or, if not, we’ll refer you to other service providers we know and trust for the one-off support you need. 

If you would like to know about whether we can provide you with ad hoc assistance, please contact us here