News

POD Invitation Evening | 11 September 2008

More than 60 business people attended the launch of Gloucestershire’s Collaborative Family Law Pod. The pioneering service is a new way for divorcing or separating couples to work together with trained professionals to deal with family and child disputes.

Specially trained family lawyers from seven local solicitors' practices - Alison Fielden & Co and Stone King Sewell in Cirencester, Thomson & Bancks in Tewkesbury, Davey Franklin Jones in Cirencester & Gloucester and Davis Gregory, Rickerbys and Willans in Cheltenham - are working to offer the service to people in the county.

For the launch, which took place at Rickerbys in Cheltenham, they were joined by other family lawyers, financial advisors, accountants, mediators and therapists, all of whom were keen to hear about the Pod and its approach.

“People in Gloucestershire deserve this service,” said Thomson & Bancks solicitor John Sherahilo, liaison officer for the Pod.

“All sorts of issues arise out of the breakdown of a relationship and the traditional approach has been to go to court to try to resolve them. The collaborative process gives divorcing or separating couples or civil partners a way to resolve disputes respectfully and equitably without having to go to court. A variety of other professionals can be brought into help couples, including financial advisors, accountants, mediators and therapists. In helping them to focus on their most important goals, especially their children, it provides a civilised and non-confrontational way to separate as painlessly as possible."