Paul Foster Partner
Paul is a partner in the firm, his father having founded it in 1976. Paul has been a family solicitor since 1979. He has extensive experience in many areas of law but has specialised in family law for more than 20 years. Paul is a member of the Solicitors Regulation Authority Children Panel enabling him to represent children and parents in care proceedings. Paul is an acknowledged specialist in public and private law proceedings relating to children and appears on a regular basis in the local courts representing children and parents in such cases.

Paul is one of the very few family lawyers in this country to have been appointed as a Higher Courts Advocate. This allows him to appear in all levels of court in this country as an advocate in civil proceedings. He also holds specialist certificates in Children’s Advocacy and Child Law issued by Resolution

Paul is a trained family mediator who has also lectured on family law to mediators and contributed to a textbook on family law for mediators.

Contact Paul Foster

John Pratley Partner
John has specialised as a family lawyer since joining the firm in 1993.

John’s particular area of expertise is dealing with financial arrangements arising from divorce and from the breakdown of unmarried relationships. He has particular experience in acting for clients with larger asset bases, and more complex financial affairs.

John is an accredited Resolution Specialist (special expertise in advanced financial provision and in pensions). He is also a member of Resolution.

John has been a partner since 1997 and works at our central Bristol office.

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Carol Chrisfield Associate
Carol qualified as a solicitor in 1997 and has worked as a specialist family lawyer since that time. She joined Foster & Partners in 2005. 

Carol specialises in resolving financial and children issues on divorce and separation, both for private paying clients and those who qualify for public funding (legal aid). She is an accredited specialist in complex financial disputes and cases involving domestic violence.

She is also a member of Resolution, whose aim is to provide a sensitive and constructive approach to resolving issues and disputes.

Carol is based at our central Bristol office.

Contact Carol Chrisfield

Fiona Sansom   Solicitor

Fiona qualified and joined the firm in December 2006. She is a member of  Resolution. She specialises in all areas of family law with particular interest in children cases including those involving social services. Fiona is based at our central Bristol office

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Clair Wygladala Fellow of Institute of Legal Executives

Clair has been a family lawyer since 2001. She became a member of the Institute of Legal Executives in 2002 and was admitted as a Fellow of the Institute in 2005.

Clair joined Foster & Partners in January 2008 having previously worked for 7 years in a local specialist family law practice. She specialises in all areas of family law but particularly  in resolving disputes about financial arrangements on divorce or the breakdown of unmarried relationships. Clair also acts in cases where social services are involved and in cases involving domestic violence and injunctions.

Clair is a member of Resolution and is based at our central Bristol office.

Contact Clair Wygladala