Course: DR Conference 2019

Topic outline

Overview
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Sponsors
Dispute Resolution Question Time 2019
This year's panel is chaired by Resolution's Chair Margaret Heathcote.
Le Café
In this discussion-based session you'll find innovative practitioners keen to share their experience and useful tips. The session is divided into two slots of 40 minutes each.

Table 1: How can we stop the journey to parental conflict?

Adele Ballantyne, Relationship Therapist (Elda Consultancy); Maura McKibbin, Family Lawyer (Collaborative Lawyer & Mediator); Marc Etherington, Family Lawyer (Senior Associate at Turner Nicholson, YRes committee member & Collaborative Lawyer)

The Parenting Apart Parting Committee considers the topic of parental conflict. This interactive conversational session will explore the emotions expressed by parents following separation and how that can either promote or prevent co-parenting. We will further consider the voice of child and how their views can be interpreted by their parents. This lively and energetic session will also include opportunities for discussion about early intervention and the resources available to practitioners to support parents to ensure they follow the right path for the best interest of their children.

Table 2: Shaping the future of mediation accreditation (and helping you navigate the current process)

Tim Whitney and Karen Barham

Tim Whitney, Resolution’s representative on the FMC Review of Accreditation, and Karen Barham, PPC and Accredited Mediator, will guide you through the recent changes to the FMC Accreditation process, offer helpful tips and answer any questions for those working towards accreditation, and discuss future changes you would like to see to the Accreditation process as part of the FMC review.

Table 3: The Resolution Code in your DR practice – how to analyse clients and influence them

Elaine Richardson

Elaine Richardson, this year’s John Cornwell Award winner, examines how the Resolution Code can be used to your advantage and benefit your DR practice. We will focus on evaluating the state of mind of our clients and hone our listening skills. The presentation is supported by tried and tested resources, some science, personal stories, philosophy (ancient and modern), psychotherapy, audience participation and a modicum of music.

Table 4: Listening with confidence

Margaret Kelly, Divorce and Collaborative Family Lawyer Mediator and Arbitrator of Ketley Miller Joels; Mary Raymont, Family lawyer and Mediator, Advantage Mediation Ltd

Do you find yourself in meetings sometimes going through the motions , distracted by technology and not really being present for your clients and colleagues? Do you answer the phone and come away from the call feeling that didn’t really get to the bottom of what your client wanted or in fact weren’t really listening to much of what was said , even though you were taking notes? Do you ever hear clients complain that they are not being listened to? Can this be said about you? If you are interested in practicing active listening and identifying and developing empathy this session is for you. This is an interactive session sharing practical tips and exchanging knowledge about how to listen with confidence.

Table 5: Working better together

Alison Bull and Sue Brookes

Join Alison and Sue from the Mills & Reeve family team to consider: • How lawyers and mediators work together now (or not?!), using the family mediation model and the “lawyer-assisted” (civil/commercial) model • How we can become much better at working together to help our clients and ourselves • The challenges and potential solutions Alison Bull is an accredited family and civil/commercial mediator, PPC, child-inclusive mediator and collaborative practitioner. Sue Brookes is a family mediator and collaborative practitioner, and responsible for www.cohabitation-law.co.uk.
The Henry Brown lecture
Speaker: Angela Lake-Carroll
Angela maintains an independent portfolio of work related to family law (private and public law children matters), mediation and collaborative law practice. She also works as a family consultant with individuals, parents and families dealing with relationship breakdown or family transitions generally.
She is an accredited family mediator of more than thirty years’ experience and a professional practice consultant (PPC). She maintains her practice both as a mediator and as a PPC. She writes and provides national and international training for family and collaborative lawyers and for family mediators and was most recently commissioned to write training for Japanese mediators. She works in other fields of mediation and dispute resolution including commercial, medico-legal , Court of Protection and educational disputes
She has worked with and for Government and was formerly Director of Children and Family Services for the Legal Services Commission. Angela was Chief Executive and Director of Professional Practice for the Family Mediators Association (1994 – 2000) and was author of the Association’s Foundation Training Programme. She is currently acting as Consultant Head of Standards with Resolution where she is assisting with the organisational review of standards in relation to complaints and associated policy and procedure and Resolution’s Specialist Accreditation Scheme.
She remains a contributor to government policy in relation to children and families and a commentator on matters relating to family legal practice, family dispute resolution and professional training standards and practice. Angela co-chaired (with Professor Janet Walker) the Government’s Voice of the Child Dispute Resolution Advisory Group which made recommendations to Government in March 2015.
Angela is a contributing author to Family Law and other professional journals and writes and publishes guides for parents, step-parents and grand-parents who are dealing with family transitions.
Angela was a member of the Ministry of Justice’s Family Mediation Task Force, is Independent Chief Assessor to the Law Society’s Civil/Commercial and Family Mediation Accreditation Panels. She is a Trustee of Reunite International and member of the NYAS Professional Advisory Group. Angela is an independent consultant with Mills and Reeve and with Cambridge Family Law Practice.
- ALC - HB lecture - 2019 - slides File
Keynote address
Speakers: Mr Justice Cobb, High Court Judge, Chair of the President’s Private Law Working Group
Mr Justice Stephen Cobb is a High Court judge, appointed to the Family Division in January 2013.
He was called to the Bar in 1985 (Inner Temple) and took Silk in 2003. In 2004 he was appointed to the Family Justice Council (and re-appointed 2006 to 2009), and appointed a Recorder (crime and family).
In 2007 he was elected Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and he was Chairman of the FLBA in 2009-10. He was a member of the Ministry of Justice Family Court Information Pilot Advisory Board. He was awarded Family Law QC of the Year in 2012.
- Keynote DR Conference - Slides File
Workshops

A. The rise of the neutral - a systemic approach to dispute resolution practice

Speakers: Carolyn Hanes Mediator, PPC, non-practising Solicitor, Accredited Civil/Commercial Mediator and; Jane McCann Mediator, Family Consultant, BACP Accredited Counsellor

Suggested level: intermediate

As the family law landscape changes, we need to develop increasingly resourceful approaches to our DR practice in order to give clients what they want. This workshop will focus on how to work with neutral professionals (legal, financial, child-inclusive and therapeutic). Aiming to invigorate the creative practitioner in us all, this workshop approaches the theme of systemic working in a fun and experiential way. It will help you to develop a bold, creative approach to your practice so you can offer a bespoke service that truly meets the needs of your clients. There will be a combination of presentation, experiential exercises and group discussion with the addition of a little music and poetry to keep you going.
- Rise of the Neutral - slides File
B. The lens we look through determines what we find. Is it time to look at the underpinning philosophy of what we are practicing?
Speakers: Bill Hewlett Civilised Separations, postseparation family repair

Suggested level: advanced

In Western society, the Age of Reason (Aristotle et al) has led to the prioritisation of the rather rigid and change-resistant left hemisphere of the brain over the considerably wiser right hemisphere. Family law and mediation has, in my view, mirrored the left hemisphere’s propensity to focus on content (details and facts) over context (what has it been like for these people to be in a relationship with each other?). This workshop will demonstrate, through the use of an actor, how to effectively use both hemispheres to work together, thereby ameliorating a more successful outcome for separating parents.
- The lens - Bill Hewlett - slides File
C. Using words well
Speakers: Nicola Wallace 4 Paper Buildings

Suggested level: all levels

Life is all about relationships. Professional life is about professional relationships. The danger when acting in our professional role is that we focus solely on the factual matrix, statute, precedent and the structuring of arguments. We forget that words have power. Relationships can be enhanced or diminished simply by our word choice. How we speak and how we read the verbal and non-verbal cues of others, is vital. Drawing on a variety of sources, this workshop examines language used in disputes, why empathy is so different from sympathy, will help develop an understanding of what people may really be communicating, and provide ground work for tackling difficult conversations. Whether in mediation, client meetings, before a judge, with lawyers and even in our non-professional world, using words well can influence the success of our interrelationships at every level.
D. Early neutral evaluation (ENE) and arbitration: a flexible approach
Speakers: Duncan Brooks, Tristan Harvey and Morgan Sirikanda

Suggested level: intermediate

In this interactive and practical workshop we will discuss the benefits of early neutral evaluation and arbitration, and provide a demonstration of an arbitration preliminary hearing. Other topics which will be covered include:
- When to consider ENE or arbitration
- Preparation for the hearing
- Participation in a hearing
- The role of the judge and the arbitrator
- Special considerations when working with litigants in person
- The future of private judging
- Integration with other forms of dispute resolution
- ENE - slides File
E. Working with emotional parents
Speakers: James Pirrie (experienced collaborative lawyer and mediator) and Jo Harrison (former family lawyer and experienced couple and divorce therapist) work together in the multi-disciplinary practice at Family Law in Partnership.

Suggested level: beginner

In this workshop, they will bring their insights into working with emotional parents. The workshop will aim to understand the pressures on both clients and practitioners when working with emotional parents and will focus on how to relieve the pressures and find productive ways for clients to move forward. The workshop will comprise a mixture of theory and discussion, where attendees will be able to bring examples from difficult cases of their own if they wish.
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Let us know what you think

Please let us know what you thought by filling in our online feedback form.
Further links
- Programme Dispute Resolution Conference 2019 File
- Cafe Menu 2019 File

Topic outline

Overview

DR Conference - Twitter Wall

Let us know what you think

Sponsors

Dispute Resolution Question Time 2019

Le Café

The Henry Brown lecture

Keynote address

Workshops

A. The rise of the neutral - a systemic approach to dispute resolution practice

B. The lens we look through determines what we find. Is it time to look at the underpinning philosophy of what we are practicing?

C. Using words well

D. Early neutral evaluation (ENE) and arbitration: a flexible approach

Speakers: Duncan Brooks, Tristan Harvey and Morgan Sirikanda

E. Working with emotional parents

Speakers: James Pirrie (experienced collaborative lawyer and mediator) and Jo Harrison (former family lawyer and experienced couple and divorce therapist) work together in the multi-disciplinary practice at Family Law in Partnership.

Feedback

Let us know what you think

Further links