Family Law Conference 2023 Speakers

Lisa Girdwood

Partner, Brodies LLP

Lisa is recognised as an expert family lawyer, based in our Glasgow and Edinburgh offices. Accredited as a specialist in child law, family law and in mediation she is passionate about achieving fair and equitable financial settlements for her clients as well as achieving positive outcomes for children.

Lisa advises in all aspects of financial provision on separation from the division of high net worth estates to cases involving complex business structures and cross border issues. She is regularly instructed in challenging child law cases including relocation, residence and contact disputes and international child abduction.

The Rt Hon Lady Wise

Keynote Speaker

The Rt Hon Lady Wise (Morag Wise KC) is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen [LLB Hons, LLD (Hon)] and of McGill University, Montreal ( LLM). She qualified as a solicitor in 1989 and worked for an Edinburgh firm between 1987 and 1992, dealing in general civil litigation. She called to the bar in 1993 and practised in civil litigation, specialising in family law. In 2005 she became Queen’s Counsel and from 2008 sat part time as a Temporary Judge while still in practice. She was appointed as a Senator of the College of Justice in 2013 and sat as a Judge of the Employment Appeal Tribunal for three years until December 2018.

Lady Wise served as one of the two Family Court judges in the Court of Session prior to her appointment to the Inner House (appellate court) in January 2022. She continues to chair the Family Law Committee of the Scottish Civil Justice Council and has been an International Hague Network Judge since 2017. Lady Wise is also President of the Scottish Tribunals with effect from 1 May 2023.

Dr Katherine Edward

Chartered and Clinical Child Psychologist

Dr Katherine Edward received her Ph.D, focusing research on sexual assault and abuse, in 1993. Following some time in academia she completed a further Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2002 specialising in work with young people and the experience of looked after children.

Following periods of work within NHS child psychology and sexual abuse services, an independent fostering agency, and private therapy setting, Dr Edward now focuses solely on provision of clinical reports to assist the court.

Working in this setting for over 18 years now Dr Edward has provided numerous reports to the Courts. She frequently gives evidence in a range of Judicial settings, and has spoken at a mixture of conferences and trainings, including contributing to the Judicial Institute training in Scotland since 2011. Her assessments and training focus on a range of issues including child development, trauma, family conflict, witness testimony/vulnerability, contact, permanence and adoption.

Lucy Greenwood

Partner - International Family Law Group

Lucy has a broad depth of experience and knowledge in resolving family law issues for a huge variety of national and international families having specialised exclusively in the field of family law for over 20 years.

Lucy’s work involves choice of forum, recognition of international divorces and marriages and all financial aspects of family breakdown whether clients are married, in civil partnerships, unmarried or de-facto married abroad.

Lucy’s cases, often involve trusts, corporate entities, and international enforcement issue. She also undertakes applications for financial relief after a foreign divorce.

Lucy drafts relationship agreements, including pre- & post-marital agreements, usually with an international dimension and often requiring input from lawyers in other jurisdictions.

Lucy writes for websites, legal journals and presents to the legal profession and lay clients in the UK & overseas.

Marie Clark

Advocate - Arnot Manderson Advocates

Over the course of Marie's 12 years as a solicitor, her civil litigation practice evolved an emphasis on family and child law. Since calling to the Bar in 1996, she has developed a practice in which these same areas predominate.

Marie has extensive experience of all aspects of litigation concerning divorce, financial provision, cohabitation, civil partnerships and every facet of child law. Her cases have encompassed complex jurisdictional issues and human rights elements, petitions for adoption, permanence orders and social work referrals.Marie has developed a further interest in social work referrals with a contentious medical component, including shake/impact injuries in infants.

In October 2010, Marie appeared alone for the curator ad litem in the UK Supreme Court in the case of Principal Reporter v K and others. In November 2014, Marie returned to the UK Supreme Court in the case of Greater Glasgow Health Board v Doogan & Wood.

Dr Ruth Friskney

Research associate - University of Glasgow

Ruth is a researcher in the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, based at the University of Glasgow. Ruth’s research considers the relationships between institutions and individuals, with a particular focus on responses to men’s violence against women and children. 

Ruth’s recent work in the area of domestic abuse and child contact includes “Improving Justice in Child Contact”, a five country European project looking at children’s participation rights in proceedings, and “Constructions of children and parents during the reform of family law in Scotland”, looking at discourses around children and domestic abuse during the parliamentary process of the now Children (Scotland) Act 2020. 

Ruth is part of team that recently published “Domestic Abuse and Child Contact: The Interface Between Criminal and Civil Proceedings”. This study comprised a survey and interviews with legal practitioners to examine child contact proceedings in the context of domestic abuse in Scotland.

https://www.ed.ac.uk/education/rke/our-research/ch...

https://www.stir.ac.uk/research/hub/contract/12436...

https://scjh.org.uk/projects/domestic-abuse-and-ch...