Who We Are

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.

Some of the CLW members

Matthew Johnson

Matthew qualified in 1998 and has worked for some of the region's leading firms. He specialises in private client divorce cases, financial proceedings, children matters, cohabitation, civil partnership dissolution and family law generally. Matthew is a member of Resolution for Family Lawyers and a qualified Collaborative Lawyer. This means although he is experienced in dealing with cases in the traditional litigation fashion, he is trained in and committed to trying to reach agreement wherever possible and helping parties avoid court. This can minimise cost and reduce conflict, which is particularly important where children are involved. Matthew's overall expertise has seen him interviewed on national radio and in the national press. Matthew is also well regarded in the Business Community and has held high profile positions with leading business referral organisation, Business Network International (BNI), as well as winning the BNI regional award for exceptional business and networking skills. He has been elected Director of Chapters in Cardiff and Newport.

Malcolm Stevens

Malcolm qualified in 1977 and has been Head of the Family Law Department at Hugh James for almost 12 years. He specialises in high net worth financial claims and private law children matters. The ethos of the Department is to provide support in a professional and sensitive manner and to achieve solutions by negotiation rather than litigation if at all possible. The Department has the advantage of being able to call upon expertise within the firm in the fields of tax, asset management, employment, trust and corporate law. Malcolm has been recognised in the 2012 edition of Legal 500 as having “a strong reputation, within the region and beyond, and regularly acts in multi-million pound divorce cases”. In the 2011 version he was described as having an “excellent, client-based, focused attitude, and is commercial: a very safe pair of hands”. The Department has a top tier rating. In Chambers UK 2011 Malcolm was described as having clients who have “absolute trust in him because he won’t settle for second best”.

Alun Jones

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.

Melanie Edwards

Melanie Edwards is a family lawyer with over 25 years experience in all aspects of family law and is a Partner in the firm of  JCP Solicitors. She is accredited by Resolution as a specialist family lawyer, with particular expertise in children law and in advanced financial matters arising from family breakdown. She is frequently involved in cases involving substantial assets. Melanie is based in West Wales but receives instructions from a wide geographical area. She has a constructive, pragmatic and conciliatory approach and an interest in alternatives to the Court process in trying to resolve family disputes. Melanie is a trained and practising collaborative lawyer committed to working with clients in the collaborative process in a way that achieves the best possible outcomes for families going through family breakdown, divorce or separation. Melanie is a fluent Welsh speaker.

Rachel Davies

  Rachel is a member of the Family Department at Martyn Prowel Solicitors where she specialises in financial cases and private law children matters. She has been practising exclusively in the area of family law for 20 years and is a member of the Law Society’s Advanced Family Law Panel. She qualified as a Collaborative lawyer in February 2009 and is convinced of the benefits to clients of dealing with cases in a collaborative way. She was a founder member of the local collaborative pod of solicitors and has recently been appointed Chairman.