A group of family solicitors from across Cornwall have together raised £2000 to support a Cornish charity which provides counselling and other services to separating couples and families in crisis.
Lucy Theobald (Coodes), Sarah Atkinson (Stephens Scown), Crystal Pearce (Relate) and Zoe Lock (Randle Thomas)
Resolution’s 6,500 members nationally are family lawyers and other professionals committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes. Members follow a Code of Practice that promotes a non-confrontational approach to family problems encouraging solutions that consider the needs of the whole family – and in particular the best interests of children.
Relate offers a range of counselling including couples, young people, family therapy, bereavement, sexual therapy, anger management, mediation, stress, redundancy, relationship breakdown and having a baby and the effects it has on your relationship. Relate Cornwall also offers a Child Contact Centre which is a safe, friendly and neutral place where children of separated families can spend time with one or both parents, and sometimes other family members.
It might seem unlikely that divorce lawyers would support a charity that promotes counselling to assist parties in finding out of court solutions to their problems.
Cornwall Resolution chairman and family lawyer Ian Taylor explains: “Resolution members act in the best interests of their clients but also strive to reach agreements which both parties are happy with and which focus on the needs of the children. In that way we have a very similar ethos to the work Relate does and we see the great value their services and particularly the Contact Centre provides.”
Relate CEO Crystal Pearce commented: “We are very grateful for the donation from Resolution Cornwall which will enable us to continue to provide vital services to families across the County. No other charity or organisation offers what we do and our Child Contact centre which enables parents to have safe, supported contact with their children is the only such facility locally.”
Sarah Atkinson a senior associate from Stephens Scown’s family law team is on the committee of Resolution Cornwall.
For more information www.relatecornwall.org and www.resolution.org.uk
