Collaborative Law Wales is an organisation of specialist family lawyers who share a commitment to resolving the issues following relationship breakdown in a constructive and amicable way. We are all members of Resolution and all trained Collaborative lawyers. Some of us are also trained mediators, arbitrators or accredited as specialist by The Law Society and/or Resolution.
Choosing a lawyer that is right for you is one of, if not the most important decision you can make. Take time to explore our members’ profiles and individual firm websites. Please do also feel free to call us for an informal chat to see whether the Collaborative process is right for you.
Christine has thirty four years’ experience in Family Law and qualified as a Mediator with the Solicitors Family Law Association (Resolution) in 1996. Her keen interest in working with separating couples and individuals to find solutions together led her to train as a Collaborative Lawyer in 2006. Aware of the emotional and financial consequences for the family going through a family breakdown she recognises the importance of finding the right process for clients. Christine is an accredited specialist of Resolution and a practitioner member of the Law Society Mediation Panel.
Sandra is the Head of the Matrimonial and Family Department at Quality Solicitors J A Hughes. Sandra specialises in all aspects of Family law, including divorce, children and financial matters, including both private and legal aid work. Sandra also advises in care cases. Sandra meets with clients in any of the 3 offices in Cardiff, Barry and Penarth.
Memberships: Sandra is a member of the Law Society Advanced Family Panel and trained Collaborative lawyer.
Career: Sandra qualified in 1987 having partially served her articles with J A Hughes. She was made Partner in 1992 and became head of the Family and Matrimonial department the same year.
Education: Sandra enrolled at Cardiff University to study Law. On graduation from Cardiff University Sandra moved on to Lancaster Gate, London to study for her Law Society Finals and obtain her status as a legal professional. Sandra graduated from her finals and quickly obtained her first legal role.
Personal: Sandra is married with one child and living near Cardiff.
Leisure: Sandra spends her spare time enjoying time with her family, gardening and reading.
Katie McColgan is the Head of the Family Team at Berry Smith solicitors. As a highly experienced family solicitor and Accredited Member of Resolution (a professional body of family lawyers committed to a non-confrontational approach to family disputes), she has always sought to achieve the best long term solution for her clients through professionalism, negotiation, mediation and collaboration.
Believing that separating couples and particularly, their children, do best when they are able to continue working with each other, she became the first solicitor to train as a family mediator in Wales in 1992 and she continues to sit as the Chair of Family Mediators (South Wales) Limited to date. With the development of Collaborative Law, she was again among the first to train and operate in this newer area of family law.
Listed as a first tier firm for family work in the Legal 500 and noted for her work with high value financial disputes, she is accredited by Resolution for her work with emergency remedies, child disputes and domestic violence.
For many years Katie ran a question and answer column for a local newspaper, then for a local magazine, Kids come First.
She is also the former Welsh representative in the National Interdisciplinary Forum in London.
In her spare time, Katie currently works on a voluntary basis with various youth groups in the South Wales area.
Max Davies is a family law barrister who practices from 30 Park Place Chambers in Cardiff. He is a collaboratively trained lawyer and is able to act either as a jointly instructed expert or by way of sole instruction where both clients would benefit from the use of Counsel. Called to the Bar in 2005, having had a brief previous career spent mostly at the Daily Telegraph, Max quickly specialised in Family Law and in particular in Matrimonial Finance and property disputes between cohabitees. He has lectured at for Resolution, the Confederation of South Wales Law Societies, the Solicitors Group and at in-house chambers events on numerous subjects within this field. He is a keen advocate of the Collaborative Law alternative to the court process and is committed to resolving marital breakdown with a future focussed approach.
Alun trained as a Collaborative Lawyer in June 2009 and has since then maintained and developed an increasing Collaborative work load. Alun maintains a refreshing and progressive attitude to the complex area of Family Law and is wholly focussed and committed to the resolution of the conflicts and disputes that arise when couples separate.
Alun qualified as a solicitor in London in 1994 and remained working there and practicing exclusively in the specialised area of Matrimonial and Family Law until 2004 when he returned to his native South Wales.
In 2005 Alun set up his own Family Law practice, Alun Jones Family Law, providing specialist and discreet advice, representation and support on all aspects of relationship breakdown. As a Solicitor/Mediator/Collaborative Lawyer Alun maintains a conciliatory but firm approach that guides clients to a satisfactory and amicable outcome thereby ensuring the best interests of the children are preserved.
With over 20 years of legal professional experience and as a member of Resolution since 1999 Alun has extensive experience in dealing with all aspects of family law, particularly finances, dealing regularly with complex issues and representing high net worth individuals.
Alun’s practice continues to grow by making the best use of technology to assist in providing clients with the best possible service and advice. Alun is Treasurer of the Collaborative Law in Wales POD. Alun is also a strong advocate of the benefits of the Collaborative Law process to both clients and lawyers alike.
