I have been a qualified solicitor for over twenty-five years and have specialised in civil litigation with an emphasis on family law for the last twenty-two years. I am frequently appointed to act as a curator to children in family litigations.  I appear regularly in the Sheriff Court and am frequently instructed to carry out child welfare reports in contact disputes. I also carry out curator ad litem reports in adoption cases. I am accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a family law mediator and I am a member of CALM, the association for family law mediators in Scotland. I am also a trained collaborative solicitor. I have a particular interest in alternative dispute resolution as I believe many clients now wish to resolve their issues in a non-confrontational manner and are prepared to compromise to achieve a mutually satisfactory solution to avoid the financial and emotional stress which often accompanies litigation. I consider it important that clients are offered the opportunity to exercise these options if they feel this is right for their situation.