stevensdrake Solicitors is proud to welcome Kristy Underwood to its Family Law team, marking an exciting milestone for the firm. With a distinguished career spanning family law and mediation, Kristy’s arrival makes stevensdrake the first law firm in Crawley to offer the innovative neutral lawyer service. Kristy also offers a full mediation service covering family mediation, workplace mediation and civil & commercial mediation.
About Kristy Underwood
Kristy Underwood is has a breadth of experience that ensures a well-rounded, client-focused approach. She is a traditional family lawyer with extensive expertise in handling complex family matters and is also trained as a Resolution Together neutral lawyer, allowing her to advise both couples in a separation. Kristy is a qualified family mediator, accredited civil and commercial mediator, and accredited workplace mediator, demonstrating her ability to resolve disputes across a variety of contexts. This diverse skill set ensures she can provide tailored, empathetic support to clients in challenging situations. Kristy is also able to offer a streamlined and cost-effective service by dealing with most of her own advocacy under the traditional family lawyer approach.
Kristy has been practising since 1993 and holds Family Law Accreditation through The Law Society, is the only Chartered Legal Executive holding Litigator & Advocate status through the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives in both litigation and family proceedings giving her independent practice rights and extended rights of audience in the county and family courts. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, reflecting her strategic management and leadership. Her specialism relates to business interests and cases involving pensions. To learn more about Kristy’s work and qualifications, visit her profile on the stevensdrake website.
Bringing Resolution Together to Crawley
Kristy’s expertise introduces the Resolution Together model to the region, offering separating couples a modern and collaborative approach to resolving issues such as finances, property, and child arrangements.
The Resolution Together model allows couples to work with a single neutral lawyer, fostering cooperation and minimising conflict. stevensdrake is now able to offer this service alongside its traditional divorce and separation services, working closely with clients to find the approach which suits them best.
Kristy commented:
"I’m passionate about making family law more accessible and compassionate. The Resolution Together approach empowers couples to navigate separation collaboratively, saving time, reducing costs, while dealing with matters on an amicable basis. I’m thrilled to join stevensdrake and lead the way in offering this service to our community."
Why Resolution Together?
Cost-Effective: Couples share one lawyer, significantly reducing legal fees.
Reduced Conflict: A focus on collaboration and mutual respect lowers emotional strain.
Efficient: Streamlined processes and joint meetings lead to quicker resolutions.
Flexible: Couples retain control, with the option to transition to individual representation if necessary.
A Leader in Innovative Family Law Services
stevensdrake’s Head of Family Law, Kamal Vasdev, praised Kristy’s arrival and the new service:
"Resolution Together can be transformative option for separating couples, and Kristy’s experience makes her the ideal advocate for this model. Her dedication to innovative, client-centred solutions aligns perfectly with our vision for family law in Crawley and beyond."
To explore more about the Resolution Together model see here
For more information about the Resolution Together or family law and mediation services Kristy provides, please contact Kristy at kristy.underwood@stevensdrake.com
Kristy joined stevensdrake in 2024. She has been advising clients and representing them in court since 1993.
Having worked in solicitors’ firms for over 30 years, she is experienced in all areas of family law and has a particular interest in family businesses, pensions and family matters relating to Armed Forces’ personnel, Teachers’ and Police officers. She holds Family Law Accreditation through The Law Society which is a recognised quality standard for family law practitioners.
She was admitted as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2003, as a Chartered Legal Executive Advocate in 2008 which gave her extended rights of audience in the family courts. In 2021 she was admitted as the only Chartered Legal Executive Litigator & Advocate in both family and litigation matters, which is particularly useful with separating couples who are unmarried.
Kristy deals with financial and children matters arising out of separation, divorce and civil partnerships. She is committed to resolving matters as amicably as possible and is also a qualified family mediator (working towards accreditation), an accredited civil & commercial mediator and an accredited workplace mediator utilising her knowledge of the full range of contentious matters. Mediation is a non advice based service.
Kristy is also a Resolution Together Neutral Lawyer where she is able to advise both parties in a separation at the same time, which can result in significant time and costs being saved through using one Lawyer rather than two. Having been a full member of Resolution for over 25 years, Kristy seeks to give realistic advice to her clients. She also sits on Resolution’s Standards and Training & Learning Committees.
Kristy holds Family Law Accreditation through The Law Society and is also a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
stevensdrake © 2019 All Rights Reserved. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority Number 525527. *stevensdrake* and *stevensdrake solicitors* are trading names of stevensdrake limited (registered in England and Wales under number 7159192). A list of the directors is displayed at the above address. stevensdrake are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for debt collection and insurance mediation. It is registered the FCA under registration number 702596.
