Jim Richards

Jim Richards Director Head of Family

Services

Meet Jim

I joined Lawrence Stephens' Family team in June 2023.

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 eight-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
  • Acted on behalf of the husband in a landmark reported financial remedies case concerning the provenance of assets and the approach when pre-marital assets had been used as a matrimonial home. 
  • 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

Testimonials

One of the best solicitors for family and divorce matters. Jim Richards and his team were very helpful, supportive and continued to motivate me to fight my case and have given their level best to get what I wanted. Best service, very polite and very supportive team. Always working hard to get the best results.
– Tusalan Sivapalasingam

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