Caroline has been a prominent figure in the field of mediation since 2006. The Legal 500 directory hails her as one of the country’s leading mediators, emphasising her standout qualities and highly skilled approach that never fails to please clients (Legal 500 2022/3).

In her mediation work, Caroline places great importance on common sense as the guiding principle to resolve disputes, with the legal framework always in the background. Her calm and neutral approach is noted, instilling confidence in clients that she will explore all avenues to reach agreements that are lasting and workable.

Specialising primarily in family law, Caroline concentrates on financial matters and children’s issues. Her mediation fees are transparent, based on meeting times, ensuring clients have a clear estimate of costs from the outset, thereby offering competitive rates.

Caroline’s innovative approach extends to drafting outcome documents capable of becoming court orders, particularly valuable in financial cases seeking legal clarity and finality. She played a pivotal role in setting up a working group between the Law Society and Resolution, drafting structure and practice guidance for this model.

Described as robust, yet warm and friendly, Caroline creates a trustworthy forum for clients to work through their issues, consistently achieving high settlement rates. Her expertise isn’t confined to family mediation; as an accredited civil and commercial mediator, she seamlessly integrates facilitation skills into the hybrid and civil context, adapting her approach case by case.

Beyond her role as a mediator, Caroline is actively involved in shaping mediation policy and practice. In 2023, she gave evidence on behalf of the Family Mediation Council to the House of Commons Justice Select Committee, contributing to responses on the Government’s proposals for compulsory family mediation. Her subsequent involvement in the responses to the Government’s consultation on behalf of The Law Society, the Family Mediation Council, and the Family Solution’s Group showcases her commitment to the field.

Caroline’s is a member of the Family Solutions Group, set up by the President of the Family Division to look at the outside-of-court space. Her appointment to a working group of the Family Procedure Rule Committee in 2022, led the rule changes to encourage more early resolution of issues and use court as a last resort.

Caroline’s clientele spans high-net-worth individuals, complex issues such as foreign jurisdictions, inter-generational, same-sex, and surrogacy matters, as well as cases involving mental health or allegations of abuse. A pioneer of new innovations, she conducted hybrid mediations long before the recent trend, co-drafting guidelines endorsed by the Family Mediation Council.

In her role as a Director of the Family Mediation Council, Caroline provides strategic oversight of mediation policy and practice throughout England and Wales. Her active participation in the Law Society’s Family Law Committee, where she regularly drafts and comments on papers, demonstrates her commitment to advancing policies across various domains, not limited to mediation. Caroline’s dedication and impact on the field make her one of the busiest and most influential lawyer-mediators in the London area.

Further information:

• Resolution accredited specialist in finance and children disputes
• Former member of The Children Panel
• Accredited for Child Inclusive Mediation
• Certificate in Counselling, Birkbeck University
• Trained Collaborative Lawyer