Bridget works in the area of family law helping people through difficult periods in their lives, by finding practical legal solutions to assist them and their families. She works as a Court appointed Lawyer for Child and also as a lawyer for adults who lack the capacity to manage their own affairs. Bridget specialises in relationship property, care of children, domestic violence and protection orders, adoption and litigation relating to deceased estates. Bridget is a qualified mediator and has been appointed by the Family Court to act as mediator when disputes arise for families in relation to care of their children. Born in the Waikato and brought up for the first ten years of her life on a farm at Te Akau, Bridget went to school in Hamilton before graduating from Auckland University with a LLB in 1989. Bridget commenced her career as a lawyer at a small legal firm in Auckland where she quickly moved into the area of family law. After a two year stint in a law firm in London in the early 1990’s, Bridget returned to Auckland and worked in Panmure followed by some time at the Mangere Community Law Centre. In 1997, she and her partner and two children moved to Whangarei and Bridget started work in a local firm. In 2002 Bridget left to set up her own practice, and then in 2008 she and Christina formed Cook Westenra Limited. Outside of work, Bridget loves to spend time with her partner and four children, friends and family, reading, swimming, and enjoying the outdoors and the beach lifestyle which Whangarei has to offer.