Whitley WI (From Warrington Guardian)

Whitley WI

10:08am Thursday 17th May 2012 in WI and Clubs

Whitley WI by Anne Lucas THIS month we saw into the lives of the many clients of a family lawyer through her talk ‘Sex Lies and the Nine to Five Day in the Life of a Family Lawyer’. Liz Botrill told of how she became a civil lawyer when she had been on track to study medicine. It was an interesting route which took her to a practice where she discovered that corporate law was not her forte that one company acquisition amounting to many millions was much the same as another for even more, so she embarked on a career in family law where she is today and still ‘gets a buzz’ from it.

Liz told of (no names) wives who were seeking divorce from an unfaithful husband who had found, mostly in their offices, more attractive, younger women and how it was rather more rare for it to be the other way around! We learned of the difficult circumstances, both financial and emotional, in which wives and children found themselves after a break- up. Liz illustrated these with anecdotes about such circumstances and how quite often it was a judge’s decision regarding the access to children, although sometimes the visiting rights were amicably agreed between both parties.

She had also dealt with transvestite cases where a married male had decided that he was a woman and this had caused the irrevocable path to divorce. Here there were traumas such as the case of a teenager who wanted to see her transvestite father, despite advice from the mother, and when she did it caused subsequent heartache as what she had meant was she just wanted to see what he looked like. As a result the young person needed therapy for a long time.

It was explained to us that there is no such thing as a ‘common-law’ husband or wife and that rights were not necessarily equal in such circumstances.

Liz has found that Facebook is responsible for many marriage break-ups, something never heard of 20 years ago when she first practised law.

The talk was ended with the lawyer’s code ‘to never tell them what to do’.

Announcements include events such as weekly walks in Whitley organised by Pat Sharpe, a group Jubilee lunch at Antrobus, the monthly ramble and book club. Many of our members are participating in an evening meal at the Antrobus Arms on 8th May. We look forward to hearing details of the August outing shortly. We will not be holding a meeting on 7th June; however, we look forward to a joint meeting with Dutton WI at Preston Brook Village hall on June 12.

Visitors are always welcome to our monthly Thursday meetings and so too are telephone enquiries to Paula on 01925 730564 or Mary on 01925 263466. Paula can also be emailed on paula.pr@btinternet.com and the website is www.whitleywi.org.uk.