Jo O'Sullivan
Solicitor neutral, accredited mediator,
collaborative lawyer
I am passionate about providing my clients with a 'good' divorce. Contested proceedings should be reserved for the those taking an unreasonable stance or those defending themselves from that stance. Most people can come to tailor made settlements using collaborative practice, mediation or the solicitor neutral processes.
I set up O'Sullivan Family Law primarily as an alternative (or appropriate) dispute resolution practice committed to finding solutions to issues that face separating couples. If there are children then they come first. When we do that the solutions are there for us to find.
Day 1 - Rebecca Hawkins, Jo O'Sullivan & Tracy Ann Moore-Grant | Panel
Building Bridges, Not Barriers: Family Law Solutions Through Resolution
With contribution from Crystal S. Wright - Founder and Managing Attorney, Crystal Wright Law | Guardian ad Litem
Who it will interest
Family lawyers, mediators, collaborative professionals, judges, CAFCASS professionals and anyone working with process design and resolution routes
What this session is about
This practical panel explores resolution focused approaches in family law and where the system can actively reduce adversarial escalation.
Bringing together diverse professional perspectives, the conversation centres on real world decision points, process choices and professional behaviours that either build bridges or inadvertently harden conflict.
Crystal S. Wright, founder and managing attorney of Crystal Wright Law and Guardian ad Litem, contributes insight drawn from high stakes family transitions and her work with business owners, executives and affluent families navigating emotionally intricate separation. As a member of the Amicable Divorce Network, her practice prioritises discretion, privacy and structured resolution routes that keep families out of court wherever possible.
Together, the panel will examine how professional leadership, process design and interdisciplinary collaboration shape whether families experience escalation or constructive movement forward.
Key themes
Resolution focused pathways and professional responsibility
Process choices that reduce escalation
Maintaining fairness alongside child safety
Interdisciplinary working and effective handovers
What clients need to remain on a constructive track
What delegates will gain
A clearer view of what resolution in practice looks like across disciplines
Insight into how professional choices shape conflict trajectories
Practical ideas to strengthen collaboration and reduce relitigation
A bridge into Day Two’s applied skills and child voice work
How it connects to other sessions
This session acts as the applied professional bridge between psychological understanding and practical tools. It connects strongly to Day Two’s skills-based frameworks, especially Megan Hunter’s BIFF® and Bill Eddy’s mediation method, grounding theory in real world professional decision making.