Family Law

Since retiring from the Family Division bench I have returned to my pre-judicial chambers as an associate member from where I offer my services as a family dispute resolution facilitator. The work I do ranges from all-issues mediation through early neutral evaluation (including private FDRs) to acting as an arbitrator in post-separation financial disputes.

I am a very enthusiastic advocate (while always maintaining neutrality!) for arbitration as a valuable option for disputants who are unable to resolve their disputes without a third party's informed decision. This out-of-court process is far more user-friendly and speedy than in-court litigation, and offers a range of potential benefits.

My colleagues Gavin Smith and Rhys Taylor and I have established our website FamilyArbitrator.com for which in 2012 we were jointly voted Jordans Most Innovative Family Lawyer of the Year. Detailed information and documentation about the arbitration process are freely available there. I am one of the editors of At A Glance and of the software programmes @eGlance and Capitalise and a co-author of Financial Remedies Practice.

After gaining the MA Child Psychology at Nottingham University, Alastair trained as a clinical psychologist at Oxford, qualifying in 1992. Following qualification, he has held a number of posts within NHS CAMHS, working clinically with a broad range of child, adolescent and family problems. In 2010 Alastair formed Conatus Child Psychology, a specialist independent child psychology practice, based in Warwickshire. His clinical interests include attachment difficulties/relationship trauma, autism spectrum conditions, anxiety difficulties and psychological aspects of soiling and wetting problems. Alastair is particularly interested in working with ‘sub-clinical’ presentations of child mental health conditions; those children and young people whose problems have not met the criteria for formal diagnosis and yet give rise to significant concerns and impairment for the individuals concerned.