Litigants in Person

This presentation features a conversation around Litigants in Person, their relationship with the courts, and how this has changed and evolved during lockdown and hybrid hearings. Speakers discuss their experiences with Litigants in Person and how they have affected their cases, as well as the different types of challenges that face Family Law Professionals when working with these co-parents.

Presenters include Elissa Da Costa-Waldman of New Court Chambers, Vanessa Friend of Hodge Jones & Allen, Melanie Bataillard-Samuel of Expatriate Law and Matthew Richardson of Coram Chambers. This presentation is hosted by James Evans of OurFamilyWizard.

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Presenters

Elissa Da Costa-Waldman

Since her call to the Bar in 1990, Elissa has become an established practitioner in her chosen field. Using a creative and innovative approach to finding solutions to client's financial matters on divorce, she is also an experienced and principled negotiator as well as an assertive and effective advocate, being National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) trained. Elissa is also an expert in cohabitation claims of both heterosexual and homosexual partners. In addition, a fearless advocate and well versed in the Civil Procedure Rules, Elissa represents many former cohabitants in court to deal with their property disputes where the parties have been unable to resolve them using other forms of dispute resolution.

Elissa also undertakes private child law matters including contact and residence disputes and relocation whether domestic or international and also undertakes work within the Court of Protection. Elissa is an experienced mediator having qualified in 2003, a qualified collaborative lawyer and, as of June 2012, she is also an accredited Family Law Arbitrator (Finance).

Vanessa Friend

Vanessa is a partner in the Family Law team of Hodge, Jones & Allen Solicitors, which she joined in April 2019 from a leading central London firm. Her practice encompasses all areas of family law, with a particular focus on the financial issues arising from relationship breakdown, pre-marital agreements and leave to remove children cases. She aims to reach a negotiated outcome where possible, but also recognises the importance of strategic litigation if the circumstances require it.

As a family law solicitor and mediator, Vanessa encourages clients to carefully consider the best approach to their matter. Her particular experience includes pre-marital agreements, Leave to remove children matters, divorce and the related financial issues, high value pensions on divorce, separation agreements and cohabitation agreements, private law children matters and Schedule 1 applications for financial provision for children of unmarried parents.

Vanessa is recommended in Legal 500 where she was described as a lawyer who “provides excellent client care and handle the intricate preparation needed.”

Melanie Bataillard-Samuel

Melanie is a Senior Associate in the London office of Expatriate Law. Since qualifying as a solicitor in 2007 Melanie has solely practised family law. Her caseload covers a wide variety of divorce matters, financial provision arising out of the breakdown of a relationship and disputes involving children. As a dual French/British national, Melanie has always specialised in advising French expatriates on family law matters in England and Wales, usually in French. Melanie also regularly advises and works alongside law firms in France. She speaks French and English fluently, and is also able to advise clients in Italian.

Melanie has training in mediation and is a Collaborative Lawyer, using these skills to negotiate the best possible outcome for her clients when this appropriate. Melanie is Co-Chair of Resolution’s Innovation Group and was elected to the Resolution National Committee in April 2018.

Matthew Richardson

Matthew’s practice spans all areas of family law, with a specialism in private client matters including financial remedies, Schedule 1, TOLATA, and children law. His particular areas of expertise include hidden assets and non-disclosure, pensions on divorce, mental health issues, ‘parental alienation’, relocation (internal and international) and complex high-conflict relationships.

Matthew is an accomplished seminar speaker and writer and he presents regularly at national-level conferences as well as in-house. Recent seminars, webinars and articles include pensions on divorce, applied psychology in a family law context, wellbeing for family lawyers and the nuances and pitfalls of parental alienation allegations. 

Matthew is an all issues family mediator trained by Resolution and is vice chair of the Young Resolution national committee and is one of Coram’s two heads of wellbeing.