Lawrence Stephens

We are a *team of bright minds

Practice areas:
Jim Says:
I take a sensible approach to resolving the often complex emotional, financial and children issues which arise when relationships break down. I never lose sight of the fact that my clients have to live with final orders and working relationships must if possible be preserved with the other party.

Meet Jim

I joined Lawrence Stephens in June 2023 as a Senior Associate working in the Family Team.

I qualified as a solicitor in 2004, training in a leading regional firm. Since then, I have worked in Kent, Sussex and London, specialising exclusively in Family law. I have in-depth experience in a range of areas including dealing with financial settlements or children cases. For some years, I was a member of the Law Society Children’s Panel and dealt with complex cases where the children were parties to the litigation.

Before qualifying as a solicitor, I worked for 15 years in the Central Family Court based in London. I have experience in all forms of family litigation, involving a range of assets and jurisdictions.

I take a pragmatic view to cases and while I look to reach agreement where possible, I am always prepared to take a case to court if it is justified.

Outside of work, I enjoy all things Italian and Portsmouth Football club -  a truly dynamic combination.

Experience highlights 

  • Carrying out advocacy at an 8 day fact finding hearing while representing children
  • In private law proceedings, carrying out advocacy for children in a fact-finding hearing involving a father alleged to have sexually abused his children
  • Acting for a husband in a successful variation of a joint lives maintenance application; obtaining a discharge of the joint lives order
  • Acting successfully for a wife in maintenance pension suit application, and subsequent proceedings to a final hearing at which she received a substantial pension share order, maintenance order and lump sum order
  • Protecting a Police Pension while acting for a husband, by successfully offsetting claims made by his wife
  • Acting for a wife in a complex jurisdiction dispute involving the UAE in children and financial remedy claims