Sarah is a partner at Stephens Scown and she heads the Children team in our Truro office.

Sarah joined Stephens Scown in July 2002. She completed her training within the firm and qualified as a solicitor in April 2005.

Sarah specialises in issues concerning children, which include:

• Disputes regarding with whom children should live and arrangements for their care following relationship breakdown (child arrangements orders)
• International and domestic (within England and Wales) child relocation
• International child abduction
• Cases where domestic abuse has been alleged – requiring fact finding hearings and/or orders for protection
• Dealing with issues such as which school a child should be educated
• Grandparents’ rights.

Recent examples of how she has helped clients include:

• Achieving an order enabling a Mother and the children to remain in the UK following a relocation from another country
• Representing a mother in proceedings where a child was conceived abroad by a donor embryo creating an issue regarding paternity and parental responsibility
• Representing parents in cases where there have been allegations of sexual/physical/psychological/emotional abuse against themselves and/or their children
• Successfully representing a Mother in a case where there had been significant domestic abuse and numerous injunctions had to be sought to protect her, which concluded with the Father having no direct contact with the children
• Representing a Mother who was successful in terminating a Father’s parental responsibility due to his behaviour
• Applying to the Court for a child to give evidence in court proceedings where allegations of abuse were raised.

Sarah is Chair of the Cornwall Resolution Committee which promotes the resolving of disputes in a constructive and non-confrontational way.  She is sensitive to the needs and views of clients whilst ensuring matters are dealt with skilfully and cost effectively.

In her spare time, Sarah enjoys riding her horses and her mountain bike and walking on the Cornish beaches.