Lunch and Learn about One Lawyer - Two Clients

The One Lawyer, Two Client Model in Family Law

This one-hour CPD Lunch and Learn session explores the one-lawyer two-client model in family law and its relationship with mediation and non-adversarial dispute resolution. The session will be delivered by Caitlin Jenkins, family lawyer at Mills & Reeve.

The one-lawyer two-client model offers separating couples a different way forward, where a single lawyer works with both parties to support fair, transparent and constructive outcomes. This session will look at how the model operates in practice, where it fits alongside mediation, and what it means for professionals working with separating families.

The session will cover:

• What the one-lawyer two-client model is, and how it works in real family law cases.
• How the model compares with mediation and collaborative approaches.
• When the model may be appropriate, and where its limits lie.
• Safeguarding, ethics and managing imbalance within a shared-lawyer framework.
• What mediators need to understand when clients are considering, moving into, or transitioning from this model.
• How lawyers and mediators can work together effectively to support families using non-adversarial routes.

Who should attend:

• Family mediators (legal aid and private).
• Trainee and newly accredited mediators.
• Family law professionals interested in alternative dispute resolution models.
• Anyone working with separating families who wants to understand emerging practice options beyond traditional litigation.

This Lunch and Learn offers a practical insight into an evolving model of family law practice, helping mediators understand how the one-lawyer two-client approach fits within the wider family justice landscape and how it can complement mediation in supporting families to reach durable, child-focused agreements.