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Our Mediators
All our mediators have varying backgrounds in family-centred work, but they are all either practising family lawyers in senior positions at prominent law firms in the South West, or leading academics and lecturers.
Rod Ball
Rod is a family law solicitor based in Barnstaple. His specific areas of expertise involve working with Children and Financial disputes in separation and divorce. He has been a qualified mediator for 8 years, training with FMA and is LSC recognised.
Jo Bromley
Jo is a Family Therapist, Trainee Mediator and a member of JACAT (Joint Agencies Child Abuse Team) who works directly with children, young people and their families.
Jane Chanot
Jane is a Family Solicitor, Family mediator and Accredited ADR Civil and Commercial mediator. She has specialised in family law for many years and is a partner at Hartnell Chanot & Partners. She is a member of the Law Society's Children Panel and Advanced Family Law Panel, an Accredited Resolution Family mediator, LSC recognised, a Collaborative Family Lawyer, and a member of the Reunite panel specialising in child abduction cases. Her specialisms include divorce, financial matters and children issues both public and private law including representation of children and child abduction cases.
Monica Cockett
Monica has a background in Social Policy and research and is a Research Fellow at the Department of Child Health at University of Exeter. Since 1983 she has been involved in research surrounding issues about families and children and has been a qualified mediator since 1986. Monica was one of the first to train in the South West with the FMA, and was a co-founder of the DFMA which has since expanded to become DFSL. Her particular interest is in supporting multi disciplinary training and understanding of different professional approaches to assist parents to support their children and to put their needs at the centre of any arrangements they might make. She is a founder member of the Peninsula Family Justice Council and organises their traning program, a National Trainer for Resolution, and is a member of the Family Collaborative Law Group.
Adrienne Cox
Adrienne qualified in London as a solicitor in 1991, practiced for 8 years as a solicitor in all areas of family law, and in 1999 qualified as a Mediator with Resolution. She specialises in family law and since 2002 has lectured at Exeter University, focusing on Child Law in addition to continuing her practice as a mediator. She is a recognised all issues mediator with the LSC (Legal Services Commission) and became an Accredited Resolution (formerly SFLA) mediator in 2004. In 2007 Adrienne qualified as a Professional Practice Consultant enabling her to develop her role as Supervisor to other family mediators.
Bryony Gilbert
Bryony was called to the Bar in 1987, qualified as a Mediator with FMA in 1999, and is LSC accredited. Bryony practised as a Barrister in the Midlands, and came to Devon in 1994 to lecture in litigation and family law at the Centre for Legal Practice, Exeter University. Bryony left the University in 2006 to concentrate on her work as a Mediator.
Norman Hartnell
Norman has over 30 years experience, twenty as a Family Mediator, and established Hartnell Chanot and the DFMA (now Devon Family Solutions) in 1991. Norman trained as a mediator with the FMA, is LSC recognised, has served on numerous Resolution and Court committees, is experienced in co and sole mediation and acts as a solicitor for parents, guardians and children in private and public law cases. He is the Mediation representative to the Peninsula Family Justice Council and has represented the Board of the FMA in discussions with the LSC. In 2007 he was shortlisted for Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year, and is a Collaborative Family Lawyer.
John Hind
John is an experienced family law solicitor and mediator. He has spent many years in a number of family law departments in large commercial firms specialising in the financial effects of marriage and relationship breakdown. He also spends some of his time lecturing to other solicitors in this area of law and in particular in the field of pensions and family law. He is an Accredited Specialist on the Law Society family law panel and currently chairs Devon Resolution (formerly the Solicitors Family Law Association) whose members include many highly respected Devon Family Solicitors. John is also a Family Mediator. He has been actively mediating financial and children cases for many years and is on the Resolution specialist family mediation panel as well as accredited by the Legal Services Commission. He is also an experienced Collaborative lawyer recognising that clients often wish to choose the way they resolve disputes that arise.
David Howell-Richardson
David is based in Exeter and is a partner with Stones Solicitors. He qualified in 1978 and has over 25 years experience specialising in Children Law and practice with particular reference to child protection in Public Law cases. He is a member of Resolution and is experienced in complex Private Law issues and related family matters. David is a member of the Law Society Family Panel, including representation of children. He qualified as a Mediator with FMA in 1999 and is LSC recognised.
Rebecca Procter
Rebecca is a Partner with Hooper and Wollen in Torquay and has specialised in Family Law since qualification in 1996. She trained as a family mediator in 2000 and has considerable experience now in helping couples resolve financial and children issues arising from their separation. She is on the Law Society Mediation Panel and is also an accredited specialist in Ancillary Relief and Domestic Violence. She has also trained as a Collaborative Lawyer which has enhanced her skills to look at resolving disputes outside of the court arena.
Penny Rogers
Penny qualified as a Mediator in 1999 with SFLA, and is LSC accredited. Penny practices all aspects of Family Law, and is a member of the UK College of Family Mediators, the Law Society Family Law Panel, and the Law Society Mediation Panel.
Sabina Smith
Sabina qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and is based at Crosse & Crosse in Exeter. She practices in all aspects of family law including children cases and financial and property matters on divorce or separation. She is a member of Resolution, trained as a mediator in 2003 and is LSC accredited.
Christopher Thomas
Chris is a consultant with Harold Michelmore & Co, and qualified as a Mediator in 1991 with FMA and is LSC accredited. He qualified as a solicitor in 1975 and throughout his career he has specialised in litigation, with an increasing emphasis on family work he now practises solely in that area.
Ian Walker
Ian qualified as a solicitor in 1992 and has worked in Exeter for the last 10 years. He is now an Associate with Foot Anstey Solicitors where the focus of his practice is divorce and financial relief. Ian was one of the first Solicitors in Devon to train as a Collaborative Family Lawyer with Resolution. Ian is accredited by Resolution as a specialist family solicitor and since 2002 as a mediator. Ian originally trained as a Mediator in 1996. He is also a LSC recognised mediator. Between 2003 and 2007 Ian served as a member of the Law Society Family Law Committee participating in its work in promoting good practice and in defending Legal Aid at a national level. Ian continues to be a member of the Law Society Children Panel having been a member in excess of 10 years. He is married with four children.
Stephanie Willson
Stephanie qualified in1992. She is a member of the advanced family law panel, trained in collaborative law and a qualified mediator.