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Children Issues

Whether you are married or not, if you have concerns about the arrangements for your children our family lawyers can offer you the advice you need. This could relate to how often either you or your spouse see the children, or with whom your children should be residing. We make every effort to resolve matters by agreement. However, where this is not possible we are able to guide you through the Court process to try and achieve the best result possible.

Extended Families


We have experience in acting not only for parents but also for other family members including grandparents and children.

We represent clients both in resolving issues within their family (private children matters) or where a local authority is involved with a family and legal proceedings are necessary (public children matters).

Our family solicitors can also advise you in relation to some other considerations that might be of concern, such as where your child should go to school, which country they should live in, whose surname they should have, or whether they should undergo a medical procedure.

We are extremely experienced in advising parties in relation to children proceedings. Our family lawyers in Exeter, St Austell and Truro are on the Law Society's Children Panel and are accredited Resolution Specialists.

Chambersband1
Mark

Mark Smith

Partner

01392 210700

Mark joined the firm in 1998 and is a partner in the Family Team in Exeter. Mark deals with all aspects of family work, including adoption and civil partnerships. Mark has considerable experience in both private and public law children matters including international relocation cases and is a member of the Law Society's Childrens Panel.

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Jo

Jo Stone

Partner

01872 265100

Jo is a partner in charge of the Truro Family Team and deals with a range of family matters, disputes concerning children, injunction work and representing unmarried couples on separation.

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Bill

Bill Wilkins

Partner

01392 210700

Bill is a partner in the Family Team and joined Stephens Scown in 1993.

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Michael

Michael Lowry

Partner

01726 74433

Michael is a partner and Team Leader for the Cornwall Family Team. He is a specialist family lawyer and qualified and practised in London before moving to Cornwall.

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Peter

Peter Marshall

Partner

01726 74433

Peter is a partner in the Cornwall Family Team and heads up the St Austell office having joined the firm in 1994. He deals with all aspects of family and children work.

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Andrew

Andrew Lobb

Associate

01726 74433

Andrew has a background acting for both private clients and the County Council. He specialises in all aspects of family and particularly child care work acting for children and family members as well as carrying out his own advocacy in both magistrates and county courts.

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Chris

Chris Morse

Legal Executive

01392 210700

Chris joined the firm at the beginning of 2008 having moved to Exeter. Having qualified as a Legal Executive specialising in family law in 2009, he works alongside Bill Wilkins in dealing with all aspects of family law.

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Ed

Ed Bidder

Paralegal

01392 210700

Ed joined Stephens Scown in 2006 from Exeter County Court, having developed four years' experience in the family department and customer service manager roles.

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Fiona

Fiona Cavell

Associate

01726 74433

Fiona is an Associate and well established member of the Family Team, having joined in 1991.

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Kris

Kris Seed

Associate

01872 265100

Kris deals with all areas of family law and has a wealth of experience dealing with financial disputes within divorce and contested proceedings regarding children.

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Sarah

Sarah Bell

Solicitor

01872 265100

Having trained with Stephens Scown, Sarah qualified as a solicitor specialising in family law in April 2004.

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Sarah

Sarah Walls

Solicitor

01392 210700

Sarah is a Solicitor in the Exeter Family Team working in all areas of Family Law.

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Contact

At a time when I felt vulnerable you gave me the support and confidence to tackle my problems head on. Thank you!

Happy Client

April 2011

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