Christine Plews

Practice Areas

I am a highly experienced Family Lawyer and Mediator and am Accredited by the Family Mediation Council. I am qualified to see children in mediation and have considerable experience in doing so . I am trained to carry out hybrid mediation and have led complex lawyer assisted mediations involving overseas assets and seeing the children as part of the process of establishing future domicile. My experience in leading highly ranked legal teams over many years and additional qualifications in psychotherapy means that I have the skills to handle the most complex mediations in both finance and children, often where there are significant assets and/or high emotion. I hold a postgraduate certificate in psychodynamic psychotherapy from Oxford University. https://uk.linkedin.com/in/christine-plews-10a8819; https://blanchardslaw.co.uk/team/christine-plews/

Career

I have had a successful career at a top regional firm where for more than 15 years I was a Partner and Head of the Family Practice Group. For several years I was also a Board Director with responsibility for operational matters for more than 60 lawyers across Private Wealth teams. I have, for several years, been recognised as a Senior Statesperson in the Chambers Directory for the Thames Valley. I have a huge amount of experience, over 30 years , in acting for High Net worth individuals, both with business assets and in foreign jurisdictions. In 2021 I was instrumental, and a Founding Partner, in setting up a specialist mediation practice, The Mediation Space LLP (TMS), combining mediation and psychotherapeutic skills. I have presented at Conferences and written in legal journals on these topics and others. I continue to be interested in the interface between mediation and psychotherapy and use these skills in my practice. In 2024 i moved to Blanchards Law to develop my individual practice and further enhance my profile in the Thames Valley and London where I have worked for my entire career. My practice but has also been nationwide and international, reflecting the cosmopolitan and wealthy nature of the region

Professional Memberships

Resolution

FMA

FMC

Reading Family Mediation

Personal

I am a Trustee at The Mint House - Oxford Centre for Restorative Practice and deliver training for them to the children and families workforce, commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council. In addition, bespoke training is offered to organisations working with families and groups and a programme is being devised for law firms working in these areas. We work with institutions who are interested in embedding restorative practice into their organisational culture https://www.minthouseoxford.co.uk

Work Highlights

I represented the wife in DB V DLJ [2016] EWHC 324 (Fam) which concerned challenging an arbitral award and clarified the law surrounding this increasingly popular method of resolving matters outside court. I spoke at the Resolution Conference 2022on psychotherapeutic principles in the mediation room.

Industry Sector Expertise

My mediation practice is informed by an entire career working for HNW individuals navigating a divorce or separation. I can give clear guidance and information about how the courts approach matters and what their lawyers are looking for in a settlement.

Experience

I have specialised in Family law since 1990 and became a Mediator in 2012 and accredited in 2016. I have focused solely on mediation, including hybrid and child inclusive mediation since 2021.

Education

Awards