Elizabeth Ashford

Elizabeth qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and has been involved in mediation for over 10 years, dealing with commercial contract disputes, private and commercial property, landlord and tenant matters, and insolvency. She has considerable experience of working with parties in dispute, either as a solicitor in court proceedings or as a mediator qualified in both civil, commercial, and community mediation. Elizabeth is a firm advocate of the benefits of mediation and is now a full-time mediator and co-founder of Monmouthshire Mediation Practice.

Steve Hancox

Steve is a Fellow of the CMC accredited by both CEDR and the ADR Group. He has over 30 years’ experience as a practising barrister and accredited business adviser. He is a member of the Mediation Standards Board and regularly delivers CMC-accredited training. His style is facilitative, but he believes in thorough preparation and is able and willing to ask challenging questions.

He is completely down-to-earth, endlessly patient, and willing to go the extra mile to help the parties find a solution. He specialises in family business, contentious probate, and property disputes, and has the skills and expertise to handle disputes with a high emotional content.

Alyson Houghton

Alyson practised as a commercial litigation and contracts solicitor for 20 years. She specialised in contractual disputes, insurance, negligence claims, and contract drafting, and participated in mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution throughout. Her wide experience in practice gives her a realistic understanding of the motivations behind disputes and settlement, and the benefits of mediation.

Alyson is now a full-time mediator and co-founder of Monmouthshire Mediation Practice. As a mediator, she has particular expertise in construction, development, and insurance matters, but has also mediated a number of workplace, landlord and tenant, and boundary disputes.

Claire Jackson – Family Mediator

Claire was called to the Bar in 1994 and practised from 1 Dr Johnson’s, Inner Temple. She was Principal Lecturer on the Bar Professional Training Course, leading Family Law, before moving to the countryside and setting up practice as a mediator. She is an Independent Lay Member of the Standards Committee for Powys.

Claire uses her legal and lecturing skills to explore the financial aspect of separation, while her strong commitment to helping families move to a positive future ensures that she works with compassion and optimism.

Caroline Browne

Caroline is CEDR and ADR qualified in civil and workplace mediation. Her background as a solicitor, company director, and legal tutor/trainer ensures she has a wide range of commercial awareness and experience working with clients in a variety of industries, both at national and international level.

She is aware of the importance of accurate communication and is able to facilitate open and respectful dialogue. She provides professional training to non-native English speakers and is well-equipped to support those working in a second language. She also has experience of working with neurodiverse clients.

Creative, perceptive, and approachable, Caroline combines strong analytical skills, clear communication, and attention to detail. She seeks to help parties identify innovative solutions to disputes through a measured and structured process. Caroline is a co-founder of Claremont Mediation and mediates in person and online.

Lise Seager

Lise practises as a solicitor mediator. She has been a solicitor for more than 20 years and, as both a lawyer and mediator, has dealt with a wide range of disputes and a diverse group of people. She trained as a civil and commercial mediator in 2004, and subsequently as a family mediator. She is also a trained business coach.

Her motivation to become a mediator was a fervent belief that individuals and organisations involved in disputes could resolve them much more effectively by mediation than by the court process. Her views have strengthened over the years as she continues to witness the positive benefits of mediation.