Family Law Solicitors

Stephens Scown’s award-winning team of family law solicitors are on hand to help your family through any change, challenge or crisis.

Family life can be rich and rewarding, and for most people it’s the most important thing in the world. But, as with any aspect of life, it’s not without problems and surprises. There may be times when you need expert advice and practical help to deal with the difficulties and emerge into a brighter future. Independently ranked as the best solicitors in the region for family law, including divorce and children law, our solicitors provide expert help for individuals and families throughout the South West, and across the UK.

We also have close links with professional counsellors who can provide emotional support to complement our legal advice. Many of our clients have found this invaluable in helping them focus on the decisions they need to make through the legal process.

Family law services

When navigating the complexities of family law, choosing a solicitor with deep expertise and a client-focused approach is essential. The Stephens Scown team, based in Exeter, Truro, and Taunton, are award-winning specialists, offering comprehensive services tailored to your specific needs, including:

Divorce and separation

Divorce can be one of life’s most challenging experiences, both emotionally and legally. Our solicitors are renowned for their expertise in handling divorce with sensitivity and efficiency, ensuring the process is as smooth and stress-free as possible. We offer clear, practical advice and robust representation, working hard to achieve the best possible outcomes while minimising conflict and legal costs. We offer a number of out-of-court solutions, including mediation, collaborative law, and our new Resolution Together service, which enables suitable couples to jointly consult one solicitor to guide them through the divorce process.

Finances following divorce or separation

Financial settlements are often one of the most contentious aspects of a divorce. Our family law solicitors excel in negotiating and finalising settlements that bring about the best financial solution possible. We provide unrivalled expertise in the South West, focusing on simplifying complicated situations often involving business assets, pensions, offshore investments, trusts, and inheritance.

We work closely with other financial professionals to ensure no stone is left unturned in helping clients to achieve tax-efficient settlement solutions that are comprehensive and sustainable. Whether looking to reach a settlement through negotiation, mediation, or court proceedings, our solicitors are committed to securing a resolution that protects your financial future.

Child custody

Child arrangements disputes (formerly known as child custody) are particularly sensitive, requiring a compassionate and strategic approach. Our solicitors ensure the welfare of the child is the top priority and are skilled in negotiating arrangements that are in the best interests of the child, whether through mediation, collaborative law, or court proceedings.

We understand the emotional complexities involved and strive to minimise conflict, promoting amicable solutions that support the child’s wellbeing. Our experience includes handling cases involving special needs, relocation, and international custody issues, ensuring your child’s interests are always safeguarded.

International Family Law

When family law matters cross international borders, issues become significantly more complex. Our solicitors have extensive experience in international family law, dealing with cases involving multiple jurisdictions and international treaties, often working with overseas professionals. We are adept at handling cases of international divorce, child abduction, cross-border financial disputes, and relocation. Our solicitors work closely with other international legal experts to protect your interests, ensuring that your rights are upheld across different jurisdictions. This expertise is particularly valuable for clients with international assets or those facing disputes involving foreign nationals.

Exeter Family Law Solicitors

Choosing the right family law solicitor is crucial, and Stephens Scown stands out as the best choice for family law services in Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset. The Stephens Scown Family law team has an outstanding reputation built on decades of dedicated client service and unrivalled legal advice. Our team has extensive experience and specialised knowledge, ensuring clients receive expert advice tailored to their unique situations. This expertise spans all areas of family law, including divorce and financial settlements, child custody, international family law, and prenuptial agreements.

Our personalised, client-centred approach sets us apart amongst other South West family law solicitors. We understand that every family situation is unique and requires a bespoke solution. From the initial consultation, our solicitors take time to listen, understand your needs, and develop a strategy that aligns with your goals and circumstances. This empathetic and supportive approach helps our clients feel heard and reassured during what can be a highly stressful time. The strategy and approach we take is always with our clients’ end goal in mind.

Our track record speaks volumes about our capability. We have successfully handled many high-profile and complex cases, earning a reputation for excellence in family law. Our success stories, client testimonials, and high client satisfaction rates highlight our ability to deliver favourable outcomes consistently.

The breadth of services offered ensures that all your needs are met under one roof. Whether you need assistance with a straightforward matter or a multifaceted case involving many elements of family law, our team can handle it.

Based in Exeter, Truro, and Taunton, Stephens Scown has a strong local presence across the South West and a deep understanding of the regional legal landscape. This local expertise can be invaluable, as family law will often involve local courts, local authorities, and local community resources. Our established connections and reputation in Exeter, Truro, and Taunton mean that we can navigate local nuances effectively and efficiently. We also deal with high-profile cases out of the area, including proceedings in the London Courts and those involving complicated international family law issues.

Professional advice and friendly guidance

Navigating family law can be an emotional and complex journey. At Stephens Scown, our solicitors understand the importance of having a trusted advisor to guide you through the process. Our specialist team provides professional advice,  helping you traverse every stage of the legal journey with considered and friendly support. We recognise that no two families are alike, and neither are their legal needs. For this reason, we are dedicated to ensuring that our service is personalised from the initial consultation through to the conclusion of your case. We listen to your concerns, understand your objectives, and develop and fulfil a strategy that aligns with your goals.

Family law encompasses a wide range of issues, including divorce, child custody, financial settlements, prenuptial agreements, and more. We undertake complex legal work in less common areas, such as surrogacy and international disputes over divorce jurisdiction. Our commitment to delivering a top-level service means that the skillset of our team encompasses many less common family law disciplines with recognised specialists in these areas. Whatever the area of family law that you require a specialist solicitor to support you with, our team can deliver an unrivalled quality of advice and representation.

Our team of experienced solicitors is adept at navigating the legal frameworks and processes to bring about the best outcome for you. Our solution-focused approach means we can identify and suggest creative ways to cut across issues where appropriate to head off lengthy or costly delays. Our team’s sophisticated knowledge-sharing programme ensures we stay abreast of the latest developments and trends in family law to ensure our approach is always on point.

We believe that effective communication between client and solicitor is key to empowering our clients through the process. Our solicitors are approachable, empathetic, and committed to being the most trusted advisors. We aim to create a safe and supportive environment where you feel comfortable sharing your story and confident in the advice that we provide.

We understand that family law issues often come with emotional stress and uncertainty. We provide practical advice catered to your situation drawing on the legal aspects and the emotional impact of your situation. By offering friendly and expert guidance, our solicitors help you to focus on what truly matters.

Our Experience & Expertise

Our solicitors’ collective experience provides unrivalled legal advice that has been recognised by the leading independent legal guides Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 for over 20 years. Our family law solicitors rank as the best in Devon and Cornwall.

Legal 500 (2025): “The individuals really care about the work that they undertake and results from their clients. They put real time and effort into achieving the best outcome possible, while giving realistic advice when prospects are difficult. One gets the sense that they are really invested in the outcome of proceedings for clients and this shows up the quality of work done.” 

Chambers and Partners (2024) – Strengths: Sources report: “They are exceptional. Stephens Scown has talent at all levels. The partners, trainees and newly qualified lawyers are all impressive. They provide a Rolls-Royce service.”

Chambers and Partners (2024) – What the team is known for: “stalwart South West firm with leading family practices in both Devon and Cornwall. The team covers public and private children matters, wealth protection and financial remedies involving trusts and pensions. It is well known for its ability to represent clients in alternative dispute resolution proceedings, including mediation and collaborative law matters. The team has notable experience in handling highly sensitive cases concerning alleged domestic abuse, particularly on behalf of children.”

Frequently asked questions:

What does a family law solicitor do?

The job of a family law solicitor is to advise you on how best to resolve your family issue and to represent you in that process.

What family law services do Stephens Scown offer?

The family law solicitors at Stephens Scown are independently recognised for the advice and representation they provide in relation to divorce, finance and children issues. We adopt a very modern approach to bring about as cost effective an outcome to your family law problem in a dignified and holistic way.

What is mediation in family law?

Mediation is a one of several ways that you and your spouse, former spouse or parent of your child can come together to try and agree a constructive a sensible way through your legal issue.

How to choose a family law solicitor?

You should always ensure that your family law solicitor is someone you can trust and have confidence in, both to navigate issues that are important and personal to you, but also to take clear, consistent and dignified approach that does justice to your situation and reflects how you would like it handled.

We can support you with purpose and impact:

Our Family teams ensure conflicts are dealt with proportionately. They all follow the Resolution Code of practice, which involves us acting in a constructive and non-confrontational way so that we do not worsen family disputes and are mindful of relationships between parents in separated families and the need to put children first in decision-making.

To find out more about what we do as a firm to support individuals and organisations with their purpose and impact click here.