About us
Collaboratively Trained Solicitors
Philip Barnsley - Higgs & Sons Solicitors, 3 Waterfront Business Park, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY5 1LX. 0845 111 5050
Philip is a partner in the firm and head of the department. He specialises in all aspects of matrimonial law and is highly regarded particularly when dealing with complex financial matters. Philip is also a trained Collaborative Family Lawyer.
His areas of expertise include financial and property matters on divorce as well as providing proactive and specialised advice on family businesses and trusts. Philip has also developed a reputation for dealing with Pre and Post Nuptial Agreements for high net worth individuals and complex variations of existing orders.
Philip will also be Chairman of Resolution in the West Midlands (formerly the Solicitors Family Law Association) from October 2010, as well as sitting on the Birmingham Law Society Family Law Committee.
Kelly Perks - Higgs & Sons Solicitors, 3 Waterfront Business Park, Brierley Hill, West Midlands DY5 1LX. 0845 111 5050
Kelly is a Solicitor with the firm who specialises in private matrimonial and family law. She is predominantly involved in complex large financial settlements on marriage and relationship breakdown for high net worth individuals and business people. Kelly is also a trained Collaborative Family Lawyer.
She also specialises in issues that may arise at the beginning of a relationship, i.e. the preparation of Pre-Nuptial, Civil Partnership and Cohabitation agreements. She also has extensive experience of private law disputes with regard to children, principally applications for adoption, residence, contact or leave to remove the child from the jurisdiction.
Debbie Fowler - DWT Legal, 37 Worcester Street, Kidderminster, DY10 1EW. 08447 703799
Bruce Gaudion - Thornes Solicitors, Lich Gates, Wolverhampton, WV1 1UA. 01902 313311
Bruce joined Thornes in 1999 and is now a Partner and heads up the firm’s family law department, having practiced exclusively in a wide range of family law for the past 10 years. Bruce is an accredited member of the Law Society’s Family Law Panel, a Resolution member and qualified as a Collaborative Lawyer in 2009.
Bruce has successfully assisted literally hundreds of separating couples, whether married or not, to resolve disputes relating to their homes, financial affairs and children and advises about and drafts pre and post nuptial agreements and cohabitation contracts.
Outside of work Bruce has found the time to qualify as a PADI scuba diving instructor.
Lisa Grimmett - Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors, Brodie House, Central Square, Telford, TF3 4DR
Lisa joined Lanyon Bowdler in November 2001. She read law at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, graduating in 1993 with a 2:1 honours degree. Lisa subsequently attended the College of Law, York, where she was awarded a postgraduate diploma in Legal Practice with commendation. She trained with a large West Midlands firm, where she remained for five years after qualifying as a Solicitor before joining Lanyon Bowdler.
Lisa is a member of the Family Law Panel and a member of the Solicitors Family Law Association. In December 2004 she was appointed as an Advanced Member of the Law Society's Family Panel, specialising in financial claims following separation. This achievement puts Lisa in a very select group of recognised specialists in this field of work. The panel assessment was rigorous and her success reflects on her ability and experience.
In July 2010, Lisa qualified as a Collaborative Lawyer. Under the Collaborative approach, clients commit to resolve matters through agreement rather than court proceedings. It gives the client much greater control of the process and outcome, achieving mutual aims through a constructive, non-confrontational approach.
Lisa specialises in all matters relating to Divorce, Separation, Co-habitation and Private Law Children Proceedings. She has a sympathetic yet efficient approach, gaining satisfaction from guiding clients through the difficult times and legal procedures associated with relationship breakdown.
Louise Jones - DBL Talbots, Denning House, George Street, Wolverhampton, WV2 4DP
Louise qualified in 1995 and has practised exclusively as a Family Law solicitor since that date. She is a partnet at DBL Talbots and has been with the firm for the past ten years.
Louise qualified as a collaborative lawyer in November of 2007 and is committed to the process of resolving family conflict using client centred processes.
Louise has a wide range of experience in all aspects of Family Law including Divorce, Separation, Financial Settlement and, issues relating to Children. Louise also advises upon and prepares pre-cohabitational contracts. She has experience in advising unmarried and same sex couples on all aspects of relationship dispute.
Louise is a member of Resolution and a member of the Law Society’s Family Panel. She is also a member of the Law Society Specialist Children Panel and has been a director of the Citizens Advice Bureau in Wolverhampton for the past six years. She is based in the firm’s Wolverhampton office.
Meera Khosla - Painters Solicitors, 29 Church Street, Kidderminster, DY10 2AU. 01562 822295.
Meera is a partner at Painters Solicitors specialising in divorce. She has been a matrimonial solicitor since 1992, a Law Society Panel member since 1994 and a Resoliution accredited specialist since 2002. Meera is also a trained Collaborative Law Prectitioner.
Julia Tolson - Julia Tolson Family Law Solicitor, 57 Westwood Avenue, Norton, Stourbridge, DY8 3EQ. 01384 346467
Julia Tolson is the proprietor of a niche family law practice based in Stourbridge. She has specialised exclusively in family law for 15 years. The vast majority of Julia’s work involves providing legal advice and support to divorcing and separating couples.
Julia offers a personal, solution focussed service to her clients, dealing with a wide variety of family issues including those relating to money, property and children.
Julia has also developed a reputation for providing ‘preventative solutions’ such as cohabitation and pre-nuptial agreements.
Julia is a member of Resolution and is a trained Collaborative Law Practitioner.
Nick Wynn-Williams - Rees Page Solicitors, 8-12 Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, WV1 4BL. 01902 577721
Nick has 17 years experience working in the field of Family Law at Rees Page Solicitors. He is head of the firms Family Law Department and a Partner in the Firm.
Nick deals with all areas of Family Law including Divorce, Separation, Family Finance comprising complex high asset and pension cases, issues relating to Children and Property Disputes between unmarried couples.
Nick is a member of Resolution and is also an accredited member of the Law Society's Family Law Panel. He trained as a Collaborative Lawyer in December 2007.
Collaboratively Trained IFA's
Paul Gorman - IFS (Professional Connections) Ltd, Suite 29 Hilton Hall, Hilton Lane, Essington, Staffordshire, WV11 2BQ. 01902 863494
Paul is an affiliate member of Resolution and has been accredited by them as a Pension and Divorce specialist. He is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute, Institute of Financial Planning and Personal Finance Society, and is one of a small number of IFA’s who holds a Certified Financial Planner licence.
Paul has worked with like minded professionals for over 10 years and has amassed over 25 years experience within financial services.
Ian Hawkins - EFG Independent Financial Advisers, Waterloo Court, Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, WV1 4DJ. 01902 710402
Ian is an senior director of EFG Independent Financial Advisers, a subsidiary of EFG Private Bank, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Ian's qualifications include AFPC G60 (the Pensions Module of the Financial Planning Certificate), which is considered to be of degree standard according to David Salter in his book Pensions & Divorce.
Ian has been employed within the financial services industry for over 20 years. Through this time his advice has predominantly been provided to employers, employees and trustees with regard to pension planning.
Ian's other area of expertise is Pensions and Divorce and I am a Resolution Accredited IFA who has been assisting family lawyers with the issues surrounding pensions for the last 10 years. This has been via reports for court proceedings and also advice to family lawyers to outline the strategies required to provide the most effective solutions for their clients.
In addition to assisting family lawyers Ian also advises clients about the implications of their matrimonial proceedings and its effect upon their investment and pension planning.
Ian has completed training in collaborative law.
Collaboratively Trained Forensic Experts
David Lidell - PKF (UK) LLP, New Guild House, 45 Great Charles Street, Queensway, Birmingham, B3 2LX. 0121 212 2222
David is a Forensic Partner at PKF. He has over nineteen years’ forensic experience and has prepared numerous expert reports for use in ancillary relief claims including business valuations, advice on liquidity and income potential, and consideration of tax issues relating to settlement. He has given expert evidence in court and assisted in mediation and arbitration. David is a contributing author to a practical guide aimed at family law practitioners entitled Unlocking Matrimonial Assets on Divorce, published by Jordan Publishing. He is an accredited collaboratively-trained expert. In addition to his role as a matrimonial finance specialist in PKF, David also heads the forensic practice in the Midlands.
Claire Round - PKF (UK) LLP, New Guild House, 45 Great Charles Street, Queensway, Birmingham, B3 2LX. 0121 212 2222
Claire Round is a Director in the Forensic Services department at PKF, based in Birmingham. Claire manages a variety of litigation support cases and undertakes financial and fraud investigations. She is also part of PKF’s dedicated Matrimonial Finance Team, specialising in ancillary relief matters.
Claire has prepared numerous valuation reports as accounting expert, shadow expert and single joint expert, as well as advisory reports. Her work often involves assessment of the liquidity of a company and advice on division of assets. She also liaises with PKF’s taxation specialists to determine tax efficient options for settlement.
Claire collaborated with David Liddell on a text book for Jordan publishing entitled ‘Unlocking Matrimonial Assets on Divorce’.
Claire is an accredited collaboratively-trained expert
