Family Law Collaborative Divorce Blog : Bath Divorce Solicitors : Sharp Family Law : UK Collaborative Law & Family Mediation : Bristol, Swindon & Southern England

Having practiced as a solicitor in the specialised field of Family Law and Divorce Court litigation for over 25 years (including 15 years as a Partner in a top UK 100 Law Firm) in Bath, Bristol, Swindon and London, Richard Sharp is devoted to helping separating and divorcing clients who want to avoid the trauma of prolonged arguments to reach solutions that work for them and their families.

Having trained and practiced in Collaborative Practice and Mediation in the UK and the USA, Richard Sharp has the expertise and experience to support and provide advice and assistance to separating and divorcing clients. He is a leading figure in the development of Collaborative Practice and of the Collaborative Community in the UK. He co-founded Collaborative Family Lawyers (CFL) to represent Collaborative Practitioners throughout "Wessex" and the South/South West of England.

Richard Sharp conducted the first Intercontinental and inter-jurisdictional Collaborative Practice case with a Californian Attorney and has handled a number of cases across England. He speaks and presents on Collaborative Practice in the UK, Europe, North America and Australia, is the author of articles on the subject and has appeared on both Regional radio and television. 



Richard is a member of the Law Society, the Lawyers Christian Fellowship, Resolution, and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP). In his spare time Richard enjoys watching his beloved Bath Rugby, playing golf and being a taxi service for his teenage children.

As a family law specialist, Clare Webb has all too often seen the negative impact that family law disputes have on individuals and their children. She has dedicated her practice to helping families find constructive, rather than destructive, ways of resolving their issues. Reflecting the values of the firm, Clare assists clients in seeking non-adversarial solutions. By focusing on solutions, she helps clients avoid the emotional & financial cost of prolonged conflict.

Clare understands the story of each family and relationship breakdown is unique, and provides individually-tailored services. She offers reassuring support at every stage to help clients feel confident about the divorce process. An attentive listener, Clare assists clients in identifying what is most important to them in the long term. She works to encourage and facilitate communication in order to reach an agreement that meets the best interests of the entire family.

Where it is not possible to reach agreement by non-adversarial means then Clare will advise and support a client in seeking the guidance and determination of the court

Clare recognizes that divorce is one of the most difficult and emotional times of a client’s life. Her objective is to help clients emerge from divorce with a settlement that provides for their future, while preserving their dignity and respect.

Clare is a member of Resolution and a committee member of Young Bath Resolution. She is also an active member of Bath Business Women’s Association. Away from her practice, Clare is an avid sports fan. She runs in charity events and is a keen skier and snowboarder.

Sharp Family Law was founded in 2008 to provide a family law service that helps separating and divorcing clients to reach solutions that work for them and their families.

The Firm assists clients to reach an optimal resolution by:

• Helping clients to find creative solutions to issues and concerns verses Court imposed decisions;
• Providing clients with the legal information, advice, support and service to help them identify what is most important; and
• Working in collaboration with a Team of Experts that includes Financial Planners, Child Specialists, Divorce Coaches, Counsellors and Therapists, to address the financial and emotional aspects of a separation and divorce.

The end of a personal relationship can be the beginning of traumatic and unfamiliar emotional feelings, financial changes and legal processes. For many, it is a very difficult time in their lives and managing money and emotions can be hard.

Richard Sharp offers an approach that brings clients the best resources to address the emotional, financial and legal aspects of a separation and divorce.

He works with a Team of Experts including Financial Planners, Child Specialists, Divorce Coaches, Counsellors and Therapists, to help you successfully adjust to and understand the realities of your new situation, reach agreeable financial and family solutions, preserve relationships and move on with your life.

As a Chartered Financial Planner and Resolution accredited IFA Divorce Specialist, Miles Hendy can help you through your divorce without you destroying your finances. He applies his expertise to help you split your assets in a way that maximizes your wealth and avoids expensive pitfalls.

Miles has experience as a Financial Neutral in collaborative divorces where he applies his technical knowledge and attention to detail, to recognize opportunities for creating wealth. In addition to helping you make the most out of your assets, Miles works hard to explain the essential points in a simple way.

Chris Mills is a psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer who specialises in working with couples. Approaching the subject from their different professional perspectives, he and Richard have found much in common in their views of how divorce and separation are best managed for the benefit of the family involved. Chris sees resolution of the emotional differences, through sensitively mediated dialogue, as the core prerequisite of sound, sustainable legal and financial agreements.

Chris and Richard are committed to ongoing peer support, deepening and strengthening their own working relationship in order to give their shared clients a seamless, personal and fully integrated service in which emotion, vision and action are given equal value. To see more of the full range of Chris’s work, you can visit his website.

Angela Markham has over 30 years' experience of working with people. She began in social work with children and families, then trained as a Family Therapist, registering in 1993, and has developed a well-renowned private practice since that time, working with individuals, couples and families. She also works part-time in the NHS.

Angela believes divorce is not a single event, but a cycle of stressful changes, conflict and loss, whether divorce is wished-for or not. Working with people who are at some point in the divorce process, Angela thinks it is not helpful to judge or blame, but to identify ways to survive in the least damaging way. In a family with children, this includes thinking about what the children are really feeling and thinking, what help and reassurance they need, and what arrangements are best for them. Angela aims to help you find your strength and resilience, so that you can move on with a sense of achievement, and with hope.

Sometimes people who are already divorced, realise that they are struggling with something linked with that, especially if they have children. It can help to come and explore what's going on, and to find a way through.