Dianne Burke
Status Partner and Chair of Hartlaw
Department Family Law
Specialities Family Law
Dianne has specialised in Family Law since her qualification as a solicitor in 1999. She has a passion to help families through separation and divorce, and to provide pro-active advice about co-habitation and child arrangements.
The financial issues associated with divorce are complex and of great concern to many clients Dianne sees. Her strength is in sorting through these and to ‘reality check’ arrangements to see how that will work for you in the future. This can include looking at finances with family businesses, trusts, multiple properties and pensions. Dianne has a special interest in farming cases and is experienced in complex divorce litigation involving farming partnerships and agricultural land.
Dianne is an experienced and accredited family mediator. Family mediation offers separating couples a more dignified and cost- effective option, resolving matters out of court. The process starts with a Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMS) and Dianne is one of only a handful of Accredited Mediators to be able to conduct these meetings. She has also trained as a Child Consultant and she offers this bespoke service to allow the children to have a voice in the mediation process to great benefit.
Dianne can provide Professional Practice Consultancy for mediators and provides PPC supervision to a number of mediators across the North.
Dianne trained as a collaborative lawyer in 2007 works well with other collaborative lawyers to achieve a fair settlement for your separation or divorce without the need for litigation. The ‘collab’ process works by bringing all the parties together so you can discuss your finances, parenting and communication with the support of your legal team on hand for advice.
Now a senior partner and head of the Family Law team, Dianne also takes an active role in promoting collaborative Family Law and Mediation in the local area, through her membership of peer groups across Yorkshire. Dianne has recently completed Only Mums and Dads Neurodiversity training.
What’s important to her: “I believe that it is important to fully understand my clients’ objectives from the outset. I work hard to develop relationships with my clients helping them to find the right outcome for their family.”
Recommendation: “I approached Hartlaw after representing myself through divorce and financial issues. As an emergency issue arose, I was forced to instruct a solicitor and so contacted Dianne. With only 5 days to act on my behalf, Hartlaw stepped up and dealt with my case in a way that I can only describe as excellent.” A Happy Client of Hartlaw LLP
On a personal note: Dianne is originally from Manchester and after enjoying some time in London and the South East she moved to York with her husband. Mum of teenage boys, she is no stranger to the joys of parenting and all that children and young people bring. Dianne enjoys open water swimming, meditation, cooking and listens to far too many podcasts.
