Rhiannon Thomas

Founder, Milkwood

Attorney, notary, conveyancer and administrator of deceased estates

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Rhiannon Thomas is an attorney, notary, conveyancer and administrator of deceased estates in practice in Cape Town. She is also a values consultant and accredited Conscious Contracts® provider and trainer. Rhiannon founded Milkwood in 2012 with a mission to bring a more expansive, personal and meaningful approach to Antenuptial Contracts, Cohabitation Agreements and Wills through inter-disciplinary collaboration. Rhiannon came to this work knowing from an early point in her career that she was different from other lawyers. Her willingness to do things differently led her to develop a compassionate and holistic approach that serves clients meaningfully.

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Bio

Show notes

Links

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Bio:

Rhiannon Thomas has two decades of legal experience. She is an attorney, notary, conveyancer and administrator of deceased estates in practice in Cape Town. She is also a values consultant and accredited Conscious Contracts® provider and trainer.

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Additionally, Rhiannon founded Milkwood in 2012. Her mission was to bring a more expansive, personal and meaningful approach to Antenuptial Contracts, Cohabitation Agreements and Wills through inter-disciplinary collaboration.

 

At Milkwood, Rhiannon collaborates with other professionals to offer a wider range of services.

 

Rhiannon says she has found her tribe in the Integrative Law movement. Her vision is to offer the best, most meaningful encounter that a person can have with the law and a lawyer; to work collaboratively with other professionals; to inspire other lawyers to reassess the way in which they practise law and serve their clients; and to take Milkwood’s methods into mainstream legal practice by providing training and workshops.

 

She works internationally and is based in Cape Town, South Africa.

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Show notes:

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• [2:25] Rhiannon relates how her decision to do things differently came from a childhood growing up in South Africa and realising that the system of apartheid was essentially a lie accepted by society. 

• [6:01] After struggling to fit in as a young law student and articled clerk, she shifted to academia and found it was yet another conformist system.

• [8:46] From attending an empathy course for health science students, Rhiannon saw that skills of compassion and empathy could be taught, and learned.  

• [11:23] When two friends with terminal illnesses separately approached Rhiannon to help draft their wills, Rhiannon realised that she wasn't equipped to have difficult conversations around dying and contacted a psychologist.

• [15:50] Out of this was borne her new approach and her consultancy, Milkwood. Rhiannon works with mental health professionals and has developed an approach to really get to know her wills clients. 

• [18:18] Rhiannon has also developed a unique way of working with couples on antenuptial contracts, which involves working with a counsellor to delve into attitudes towards money and relationships.

• [24:30] Rhiannon answers my question about what she would have thought as a demoralised law student if she could see the work she is doing now.

• [27:06] Rhiannon talks about her introduction to the integrative law movement, where she immediately felt she had found her tribe.

• [31:10] Rhiannon says she learns, grows and develops all the time, which is part of being an integrative lawyer. 

• [32:40] Rhiannon's vision is twofold - to continue to offer services to people that are based on integrative law principles and to inspire other lawyers to start changing their practice to benefit themselves and others.

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Links:

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Milkwood website: www.milkwoodlaw.co.za 

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Integrative law website

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Conscious Contracts® website

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J Kim Wright's book Lawyers as Peacemakers: Practicing Holistic, Problem-Solving Law

Linda Alvarez and her Discovering Agreement website

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J Kim Wright interview on New Earth lawyer

Amanda Lamond interview on New Earth lawyer

Patrick Andrews interview on New Earth lawyer

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