Meet the committee member
How long have you been involved with Resolution?
14 years – since 2012
What committees do you sit on?
I was invited to join the Leicestershire Resolution Committee. I am the RLC representative for Leicestershire, and I have just this month been elected to the National Committee!
How have you benefitted from being a member of Resolution?
I always appreciated the resources that Resolution produced, but it wasn’t until I joined my first pod meeting having trained as a Collaborative lawyer that I truly appreciated the benefits in terms of achieving better outcomes for families. Joining the pod also helped me develop relationships with other family lawyers – more so than chatting at court before or after hearings. With better relationships comes better wellbeing, and coupled with a sense of belonging to a community that provides a solid basis for a career in family law.
Why did you choose family practice?
It’s not original but I’m interested in people and helping them. As a friend outside of the law once said, “You really make a difference to people’s lives”. It’s the knowledge that what we do makes a difference to our clients, but also those “clients” that aren’t in the room: the children.
What are the most rewarding aspects of your job?
Taking a client through an emotional separation and seeing them thrive after. It is particularly rewarding when our paths cross years after the case has finished and they share how their lives have progressed. It can lift spirits for months after hearing such stories. One or two clients message me via LinkedIn, which is always nice.
As a mediator I helped a family facing a three-day fact-find hearing achieve a sound parenting agreement. The mediation, over many hours, involved co-mediating with a Child Inclusive Mediator, resulting in a positive outcome for the family and child.
As a Collaborative lawyer I’ve been thanked several times by my client’s former partner for the way the process was conducted.
What’s the one government policy you would like to see changed or introduced?
At this moment it must be reform of our cohabitation law. I’ve seen too many unmarried mothers face years of uncertainty on separating, believing they were entitled to “half” when the home and all the assets were in the name of the father of their children. Graeme Fraser and Resolution are doing tremendous work on this.
How do you keep a good work/life balance and look after your wellbeing?
I have three children who inspire me by simply living their lives and by being able to see how they develop. My 20-year-old daughter asked me to run a half marathon with her, which I have previously done on my own and which I needed encouragement to register for. My ideal start to the day is walking around the garden on a midsummer morning seeing what’s coming up next and then walking to the office.
What piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in family practice?
Ensure that you know the law but immerse yourself in all aspects of family practice. Find your tribe, which for me was joining a collaborative pod which led to attending my first DR conference in Nottingham. That was a very rewarding day in many ways for me. Join Yres, I encourage the younger solicitors in the firm to do so.
Undertake reflective practice so that you can understand yourself, those you represent and your colleagues. Without this, young solicitors practising family law may not appreciate the more nuanced burdens of family practise.
If you were not a family solicitor, what would you be doing?
Something outside and in nature. Perhaps running a niche plant nursery.
What are you most proud of in your career?
James Belderbos with chair, Melanie Bataillard-Samuel on election to national committee
Founding my own firm has been particularly rewarding as it has enabled me to establish a family law practice which I feel reflects the needs of the people we serve. It’s demanding, which makes it all the more rewarding.
What can’t you live without?
Apart from my family, the outdoors – whether that is spending time in our own garden or visiting National Parks. As a child I loved the Lake District, Northumbia (especially the coast) and the Cheviots. Now the Peak District is more convenient with all the other demands on family life. This may be simple, but the outdoors recharge the soul.