The outstanding reputation of Jones Myers family lawyers has been recognised in the latest edition of The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom.

Retaining their listing for the 14^th consecutive year are Director and Partner Richard Peaker, Founder Peter Jones, and Collaborative Family Law expert Norman Taylor.

Partner Kate Banerjee who heads Jones Myers internationally renowned Children’s Department is featured for the first time for her extensive expertise.

Here’s a snapshot of our four family lawyers. All have been nominated by their peers – leading lawyers who recommend the professional abilities of colleagues in the same geographical and practice area.

Richard Peaker, who heads the Financial Remedies Department, is an expert in complex financial disputes and has vast experience in divorce and separation cases.

A specialist in high net worth cases, he acts for a wide range of clients who include businesses owners, shareholders, lawyers, accountants and other high end professionals. His experience also includes cases involving farming and rural communities.

Richard is regularly recommended by clients, barristers and independent financial advisors.

Peter Jones, the firm’s founder, is a leading divorce lawyer, has extensive experience at the highest level in all aspects of divorce and financial disputes.

A former Deputy District Judge and an ex national chairman of Resolution, Peter chairs Resolution’s Specialist Accreditation Committee.

He was one of country’s first Arbitrators to resolve differences on financial and property matters.

Norman Taylor is highly experienced in financial issues arising from family and relationship breakdown and has a wealth of expertise in medium to high value cases.

He is respected nationally and locally as an enthusiastic pioneer and advocate of non-confrontational, solution-based resolution of family issues.

A lecturer in collaborative law, Norman mentors students at Leeds Beckett University.

Kate Banerjee is anacknowledged leader in Children’s Law and appears at all levels of Court.

Kate has expanded her practice to Court of Protection work and the department now covers the entire range of children/vulnerable adult cases.

Highly regarded by clients and peers, Kate is a Law Society Children’s Panel member and is on the panel of the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit.  

Jones Myers holds the title of Family Law Firm of the year North where judges singled out our skills in Mediation, Collaborative Law and Arbitration which avoid going to court. 

Said Peter Jones: “It is an honour to be recommended again by our peers for the latest Best UK Lawyers and the acknowledgement reflects our commitment to consistently delivering excellence in family law.”  

For queries on divorce or any aspect of family law, call us at Leeds on 0113 246 0055, Harrogate on 01423 276104, or York on 01904 202550. Visit jm2023.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

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The countdown to Resolution’s fourth Family Dispute Resolution Week, which runs across November 23-27th , is a timely opportunity to flag up the alternatives to the ‘traditional’ court hearing route for divorcing couples.

Supported by the Law Society and the Family Mediators Association, this year’s theme, ‘putting children first’ promotes the benefits of adopting a more conciliatory, non-court based approach to family disputes, as courtroom battles can be very emotional and distressing for all involved, especially children.

Collaborative Family Law (CFL) Practice Groups UK wide are organising activities to promote non-court resolution in family breakdown. My own local Group, CFL Leeds, is holding a food-making challenge at Chino Latino restaurant, where we will “collaborate” in teams with our non-family lawyer guests to produce a variety of sushi dishes together. This will be on Wednesday the 25th November at 17.00. The idea is to demonstrate how working together produces far better results than being in competition.

Litigation is an option which can bring many disadvantages, including high costs, substantial distress, and a prolonged process. It assumes there is conflict, whereas there is often only disagreement – which can nearly always be solved creatively through discussion, asking questions and finding solutions together.

Going to court is usually the most expensive option, and can be a cold, clinical, very public and daunting experience, where you hand over the decision-making to a judge who does not know you and has no real idea what is truly important to you.

The far more positive ways to resolve family breakdown issues are through mediation, collaborative law, and arbitration.

In mediation, trained intermediaries meet with both partners together and help you reach agreement on those issues where you disagree, such as arrangements for any children.

The collaborative process sees each party appoint their own collaboratively trained lawyer, meeting to work things out and backed up by support and legal advice. All sign a contract committing them to trying to resolve matters by agreement, without going to court. The lawyers will agree only to represent the parties within the collaborative process, and not in court.

These non-court options involve both parties far more, encourage a greater understanding of the other’s point of view and are designed to forge a long-term solution, without lingering bitterness, based on a fair, realistic settlement.

Rather than the adversarial court process that can leave a family at war, they are all intended as a launching pad for a more positive future, which minimises impact on children.

These non confrontational options ensure that youngsters are as happy as is possible post-divorce, seeing that their parents who, while no longer together, are not at each other’s throats or pressuring them to take sides for years or even decades. The children are watching and can be dramatically affected by the way in which their parents resolve their difficulties.

Family arbitration is where both partners agree they need a third party to decide a financial issue or issues, but do not want to go through the court process. An experienced family lawyer, trained as an arbitrator, will make a final, binding decision.

Our regular blog visitors will know that it has always been our driving aim at Jones Myers to ensure the best outcomes for children.

Court really should be a last resort.  Generally, you can achieve much better solutions for all the family, especially any children, by cooperating and working out agreement in private meetings with your ex and their representatives in a safe, private and non-threatening environment. Here, a solution is worked out based on your respective long-term goals, rather than imposing a ‘win-lose’ philosophy.

Jones Myers family lawyers are members of Resolution – professionals committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes. All follow a code of practice that promotes a non-confrontational approach to family issues.

As Winston Churchill, at his wisest and most succinct, memorably advised, “To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war.” Although he was alluding to a different kind of battleground, the principles he advocates are no less pertinent in family law.

If you have any comments, queries or concerns on divorce related issues, leave a comment below, call the team at Jones Myers on 0113 246 0055 or tweet us on @helpwithdivorce

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The announcement comes as the government’s own figures reveal that 60% of parents are now without a lawyer when they go to court to contest arrangements for their children.

Statistics from the Ministry of Justice also show that the number of litigants in person contesting financial matters rose to over 30% for the first time.

It pains me to say “we told you so”, however as regular readers of our blog will know, we predicted that the demise of legal aid for most family matters would propel more people into DIY divorces with far reaching consequences for the wellbeing of both parents and children.

The government’s £1.4m investment in increasing advice at eight Personal Support Units in England and Wales is akin to putting a sticking plaster over a broken limb.

Couples need expert legal advice before they attend court, not when they are turn up on the day for their hearing.

Other elements of the initiative include increasing online advice for separating couples, using law graduates and retired volunteers to provide extra advice, and directing people to lawyers giving pro bono (free) support and even legal representation.

We would agree with the Law Society’s comments on the measures below:

“Legal aid cuts have forced more and more people into “do it yourself” justice, where they find themselves in strange surroundings, dealing with unfamiliar procedures while trying to sort out the future of their children, family home and finances.

“A support strategy is not the solution for the many vulnerable people who need early, expert legal advice. Pro bono advice can never be a substitute for a properly funded legal aid system.”

The government says it is committed to helping divorcing couples resolve their issues outside court, yet this latest ‘knee jerk’ measure is directed at those who find themselves in that very place.

It is perhaps worth reflecting that no one would expect you to remove your own appendix; why therefore does government think that everyone can be their own (objective) lawyer? So often it is that good advice early on which can resolve matters – saving financial and emotional cost and court time. I doubt if government will listen.

Perhaps we should all buy the DIY book on surgery….just in case.

Do you have experience or views on going to family courts without a lawyer? Do you think this new service will help?

If you have any questions about separation or divorce please call us on 0113 246 0055, leave us a comment below or drop us an e-mail.

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