TV divorce lawyer: take up ballroom dancing and save marriage

Vanessa Lloyd Platt, a £325-an-hour divorce lawyer, could be about to put herself out of business.

She is recommending her clients try ballroom dancing lessons, at less than a sixth of the cost, before pressing ahead with painful and expensive marriage break-ups.

Ms Lloyd Platt should know. She has not only gone through an acrimonious divorce - which included being arrested on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice - but has also taken up ballroom dancing, claiming it has changed her life.

Now she is starring in a documentary, London Tango, which premieres at the Notting Hill Film Festival next month. Ms Lloyd Platt, from Barnet, is shown learning the foxtrot and waltz at the London-based dance class Simply Dancing. The film also features Strictly Come Dancing stalwart Ian Waite.

While it was being made, her second marriage to accountant Daniel Lloyd Platt was crumbling in the face of bitter accusations.

She was arrested last year for attempting to pervert the course of justice. Miss Lloyd Platt, who was never charged, refuses to discuss the case. She has previously denied the claim - published in newspapers - that she had accused her ex-husband of trying to poison her.

"I have suddenly found myself through dance in the midst of all this furore," explained Ms Lloyd Platt, 54, a regular on the GMTV sofa offering marriage advice. "This film is about what dance can do to totally change your life. If people going through divorce or relationship breakdown learned to dance, I believe this country could completely turn around. I have actually said to my clients if there is any possibility of a resolution with your partner, why don't you attempt to resurrect the relationship by dancing.

"I have saved two marriages by sending the couples to dance lessons. Many marriages break down because couples have forgotten what they had at the beginning. If you resurrect that sense of fun you can save relationships.

"Dancing is a lot cheaper than coming to me. Dance lessons are about £50 an hour; my fee is £285 plus VAT."

Ms Lloyd Platt, whose clients have included Anne Diamond and Les Dennis, has a new partner, entrepreneur Stewart Moss, 58.

"Stewart appears in the film dancing with me. We need to take more lessons together. Our goal is to go to Argentina and learn the tango out there."