Pictured above: Neil Bailey, Director of Fortitude Financial Planning Ltd

Neil Bailey, a director of Fortitude Financial Planning Ltd, has been accepted as an affiliate member of Resolution, an organisation of 5,700 lawyers who believe in a constructive, non-confrontational approach to family law matters.  Neil, who is based near Towcester, is the only Financial Planner in the South Midlands currently accepted as a member of Resolution, and has been proposed by an existing member.

As a pension specialist, Neil is able to assist when the financial settlement resulting from a divorce requires pension funds to be split. He says: "The need to achieve a fair settlement in a divorce case can add extra complexity to a subject which many people find confusing at the best of times. Our job is to help solicitors and their clients to get through the pensions maze, avoiding the pitfalls that await the unwary."

Neil continues: "The Financial Planning process sits well with collaborative law because the Cashflow Models that we use provide a framework which facilitates good decision making. Clients can explore the long-term effects of the various options available to them and choose the one which is most likely to provide the best outcome."

Affiliate status is open to related professionals including Financial Planners, mediators, guardians, and counselors. Affiliates are required to confirm that they support the principles of the Resolution Code of Practice, which promotes an approach to family law that is sensitive, constructive, cost-effective and most likely to result in an agreement.

Resolution supports the development of family lawyers through its national and regional training programmes, through publications and good practice guides and through its accreditation scheme. Resolution also trains and accredits mediators and is the only body providing training and support for collaborative lawyers in England and Wales.