In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer Podcast, host David Opie is joined by Peter Burgess, Founding Partner at Burgess Mee Family Law, and Hannah Budd, Partner at the Rosefield Divorce Consultancy, to explore a new collaboration designed to reshape how family law professionals support clients in crisis.

The conversation centres on “Within the Window,” a trauma-informed framework developed to help clients navigate separation and divorce with greater emotional safety and clarity. Drawing on clinical insights and frontline experience, Peter and Hannah explain how trauma responses—such as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn—can profoundly affect decision-making, communication, and courtroom behaviour. Rather than treating these reactions as obstacles, their approach integrates them into strategy, preparation, and client care.

By delivering in-house training and empowering the firm's lawyers, Burgess Mee have embedded trauma-awareness into their practice, providing tools for the team to help clients like breathing exercises and grounding techniques tailored for key moments in proceedings. The collaboration also bridges the gap between legal and therapeutic support, ensuring clients receive consistent, coordinated guidance—especially when preparing for high-stakes events like hearings or fact-finding sessions.

Importantly, the episode doesn’t shy away from the realities of high-conflict cases. While non-court dispute resolution is ideal, Peter and Hannah emphasise that some clients—due to personality disorders, abuse histories, or complex dynamics—require a more robust, trauma-informed legal pathway.

This episode offers a fresh lens on how empathy, strategy, and collaboration can coexist—delivering better outcomes for clients and a more humane experience for all involved.

The Today's Family Lawyer podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider and at www.todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk.

Subscribe to Today's Family Lawyer to receive our FREE weekly newsletter, out every Thursday and listen in to the podcast to hear all the latest news and views from across the family law sector. Thank you to our Podcast Sponsors; LexTox, Northgene™ and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

The Today's Family Lawyer Podcast welcomes Annmarie Carvalho, director of The Carvalho Consultancy (TCC), to discuss her work at the intersection of law and therapy and the launch of her new book, 'Saying Sane in Family Law', available now through Bath Publishing.

A former family solicitor and mediator with over a decade of experience in a central London firm, Annmarie retrained as a therapist after recognising the psychological complexities inherent in family law. Her motto, 'Because we’ve walked in your shoes,' reflects the lived experience of her TCC team, many of whom are former lawyers themselves. The discussion explores strategies for family lawyers navigating emotionally charged cases, working with vulnerable clients, mental health disorders, suicidality, and resistance. These offerings are grounded in therapeutic principles but tailored for the legal context, equipping lawyers with practical tools to manage the emotional weight of their work.

Annmarie advocates for integrating relational and psychological training into legal education from the outset, arguing that lawyers should be seen more like GPs than surgeons—providing holistic support rather than just technical expertise. She also emphasises the importance of reflective practice and therapeutic supervision to prevent burnout and improve client outcomes.

Her book is the culmination of much of this work, discussing how family lawyers are increasingly expected to manage emotional aspects of cases, despite traditional training focusing solely on legal processes. Her training helps lawyers understand how to communicate effectively with distressed clients, avoid causing harm, and maintain professional boundaries—especially with “boundary bashers” who challenge time and emotional limits. The book is divided into two parts: the first addresses working with complex client issues (e.g., addiction, neurodiversity, trauma), while the second focuses on self-care and resilience strategies for professionals.

A series of upcoming workshops are now available to book on, with early bird prices until the end of September 2025. Delegates who sign up will receive a free copy of the book.

The Today's Family Lawyer podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider and at www.todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk.

Subscribe to Today's Family Lawyer to receive our FREE weekly newsletter, out every Thursday and listen in to the podcast to hear all the latest news and views from across the family law sector. Thank you to our Podcast Sponsors; LexTox, Northgene™ and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

In this episode of the Today’s Family Lawyer podcast, host David Opie discusses the increasing number of disputes between separating partners when it comes to pets, and a new working group looking at amending legislation to bring it more in line with the challenges family professionals face on this emotive topic.

Barrister Sarah Lucy Cooper, Diane Matthews, a senior associate at MSB Solicitors in Liverpool, and Karis Nafte, a certified dog behaviour consultant and accredited family mediator all join this discussion on the growing recognition of pets as family members in separation and divorce proceedings.

As pet ownership continues to rise, so too does the emotional complexity of deciding who keeps the dog, cat, or other companion animal when relationships break down. There is both an emotional and legal element to the conversation, highlighting how courts in England and Wales currently treat pets as property—often overlooking the welfare of the animal or the emotional bonds involved.

There is precedent abroad where other jurisdictions have enacted legislation which recognises the emotional and well-being role our pets play and a new working group, launched this year, it looking at how UK legislation could amended.

The discussion explores how this tricky topic can be navigated under current legislation, exploring how collaborative approaches—combining legal expertise with behavioural insight—can lead to more humane, balanced outcomes. From shared care agreements to pet parenting plans, the episode showcases practical tools that help families navigate separation without turning pets into pawns.

How can we evolve traditional legal frameworks to tackle a topic that’s often overlooked but deeply felt.

The Today's Family Lawyer podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider and at www.todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk.

Subscribe to Today's Family Lawyer to receive our FREE weekly newsletter, out every Thursday and listen in to the podcast to hear all the latest news and views from across the family law sector. Thank you to our Podcast Sponsors; LexTox, Northgene™ and VacantC Legal Recruitment.