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Bedfordshire Collaborative Law Group is made up of Specialist Family Solicitors and Legal Executives committed to working with you to promote a fair and amicable divorce settlement for separating couples. You will be fully supported throughout by your own Collaborative Family Lawyer who is specially trained by Resolution in the skills required to work in the Collaborative way.
 
 

Do you want to settle your financial and children issues with your former spouse or partner in an amicable way?

Do you want to have some control over your settlement?

Do you want to maintain a relationship with your former spouse or partner and continue to work together for the benefit of the children?

Do you want to minimise the impact of your separation or divorce upon your children?

What is Collaborative Law? Click here to find out
 
SPEED NETWORKING EVENT
which took place in
20th October 2011
see pictures etc.

December 2009 - Beth Woodward and Andrea Thompson are delegates to national conference of collaborative lawyers.

April 2009 - PRE NUPS, CO HABS and COLLABORATIVE FAMILY LAW
Instinctively people feel going to a lawyer is the last thing they want to do when starting out together. They fear their relationship may never get off the ground, if lawyers get involved. It really is quite astonishing ...... read more

Times Article - Oct 22, 2008
Madonna and Guy Ritchie could be the first high-profile couple to divorce collaborative-style. click here for more.....

Divorce is a stressful experience that can all too often leave people with bitter feelings towards their former loved one.

But now one Biggleswade solicitor is introducing a new way of thinking that aims to make divorce proceedings an altogether more friendly affair.

Andrea Thompson of Woodfines in Biggleswade has recently completed training in collaborative Law, which sees each half of a couple and their solicitors sit down together to hash out a settlement without resorting to a court appearance.

Andrea who has worked in family law since 1988, explained:

Lawyer’s new Way of thinking
“I am also a family Mediator where I see the couple jointly in meetings and try to resolve issues. Collaborative Law is one step further from Mediation.”

“In Collaborative Law the clients would each have their own Lawyers who would be able to advise them.”

“They will enter into a written agreement where they will decide they’re going to deal with their issues in a collaborative way and not take court proceedings.”

She added, “Not everybody can deal with it in this way because a lot of people are very angry then they separate or divorce. It’s really to support the family-even though it’s a broken family it doesn’t have to be that broken. You focus on what’s going to benefit each other and the family."

“They’re not coming out of the process thinking they’ve been on opposite sides and one person has won and one has lost."

“They’re all winning because they’re working towards a solution that’s going to be best for them all.”

Andrea is currently the only Lawyer in Biggleswade who has completed the training to allow her to work in Collaborative Law, but is working in the Bedfordshire area to form a ‘pod’ that will see them able to help couples deal with their divorce without the need to go to court.