Michelle Director of Quahe Woo & Palmer LLC FAMILY & MATRIMONIAL PRACTICE ADVISER OF THE YEAR WOODWORTH Michelle, can you briefly overview your journey into family and matrimonial law? I am privileged to practice in an area which is dynamic; each case being unique, turning on its own facts. How has your experience at QWP shaped your approach to cases? It is important to us to achieve sustainable outcomes for families postdivorce. This translates into taking a less adversarial approach and preserving relationships to the extent that families, especially parents, can continue to collaborate in the interests of their children. How has the landscape of family law evolved over the years, and where do you see it heading in the coming years? It is heartening that decoupling spouses are more aware and keen on exploring alternate dispute resolution options such as negotiation and mediation. Stakeholders have been instrumental in encouraging and supporting these options. In addition to practising as counsel in these matters, I am seeing more matters coming up for mediation, where I sit either as a sole or co-mediator. Given the emotional nature of family law cases, how do you balance legal guidance with emotional support for your clients? Our clients’ interests and well-being is of utmost importance. It will be very challenging to manage a practice in family law if one lacks empathy. People experience life and are impacted in different ways. Having soft skills, refraining from being judgmental and aloof are key. Can you walk us through your typical process when taking on a new matrimonial case at QWP? We work in teams to better support our clients. I am especially fortunate to have a stellar team, who are principled and industry experts. CONTACT T: +65 6622 0372 E: m.woodworth@qwp.sg W: www.qwp.sg Lawyer Monthly Legal Awards 2023 106 SINGAPORE
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