My day tends to start around 6am, when my energetic husband gets up to go swimming or for a run. I tend to get up around the same time, get ready for work and plan my day ahead, checking my diary and emails before I set out. I live in the centre of Chester near the river, so my daily commute to the office on White Friars is easy.

No two days are the same, but they generally consist of a variety of meetings with clients, fellow lawyers or court hearings. Today, my first appointment is a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM). Before an application can be made to court regarding children or financial matters, couples are required to attend a MIAM to see if matters can be can be resolved without going to court. When I work with any divorcing or separating couples looking to go through mediation, my first job is to meet each individual involved to see if they are suitable candidates. Today I have a meeting with the wife and I will be screening her and carrying out safeguarding checks as I have to be sure that the mediation process will for work for them.

My next meeting is for a client who is going through a collaborative divorce. The meeting is with my client’s husband and his lawyer.

We will have a four-way meeting in the same room and try and reach agreement regarding who will file their divorce petition and how they are going to divide their assets. The couple have been married for over 40 years and cases like these are particularly sad as they’ve been together for such a long time. This is one in a series of meetings I’ll have with this couple and the other lawyer.

As a rule I eat lunch in the office. Occasionally I’ll have working lunches with clients or other lawyers but usually a soup or a sandwich from Philpotts is my daily treat.

After lunch my next job is to draft a petition for a lady who doesn’t want a divorce but her husband who works away a lot is insistent. The rest of my day will be spent preparing for a court case I am attending the next morning.

After work today I am attending Fat Lawyers Fit Camp where a group of solicitors are put through our paces by Carly from Chester Boot Camp. A fun way to finish the day!

Dress:

Smart office dress is the general rule, but for mediation and collaborative meetings I like to dress less formally as I feel it helps put clients at ease. When I’m in court I tend to wear dark suits; we don’t need to wear gowns for family cases.

What is the favourite part of your job?

Meeting people and helping to resolve problems. It’s rewarding to see my clients come through the other end of often very sad situations. It’s great to meet them a year later to see that they’re happy and have moved on with their lives.

What is the least favourite part of your job?

Divorcing can be a stressful and distressing time so obviously it can be an emotional rollercoaster for my clients. No-one likes to see people upset so that can be hard to deal with.

What would be your dream job if you weren’t working doing what you do now?

I often thought about becoming a PE teacher, working with children. But I went to school near the College of Law, my son’s father is a judge and I have lots of friends in the legal profession so I was destined to become a lawyer.

How do you relax when you’re not working?

I enjoy walking, reading and cooking. In December I went on a course to make Christmas wreaths, which I really enjoyed, and I’ve also just returned from a skiing trip. I’m a novice so I’m a nervous skier but it’s great to learn something new.

What is your favourite film?

Love Actually.

What is your favourite book?

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

What is your favourite song?

You Send Me by Sam Cooke.

If a film was made of your life, who would play you?

Dame Judi Dench.

Have you had your 15 minutes of fame yet?

I have been lucky enough to visit Buckingham Palace twice, the most recent in the presence of Prince Charles, for charitable work and fund raising efforts for The Red Cross.

Fact File:

●Name: Denise Woodward

●Job: Divorce lawyer

●Born: Birkenhead

●Lives: Chester

●Education: Christleton High School. Left school at 15, at 16 becoming an office junior at a law firm. Trained as a legal executive. Studied at College of Law, Christleton before qualifying as a solicitor at 40

●Family: Married with a son, Will, and two step children, Gill and James

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