Pope call to boycott divorce work stirs Catholic lawyers

Catholic lawyers responded this week to reports that the Pope has called on lawyers to refuse to collaborate with the 'evil' of divorce.Gillian Bishop, a partner with the Family Law Consortium in London and a member of the Solicitors Family Law Association national committee, was dubious about the reports' accuracy.

She said: 'I've practised divorce for a long time, and it can make a difference to people's lives and be a good thing; it is not always a negative thing.' She said she hoped being a Christian helped her to be compassionate with divorcing clients.Nello Pasquini, an assistant with RadcliffesLeBrasseur, said: 'The church is against divorce and that's that, so I don't think he's said something terrible, because the approach has always been clear.'