Matrimonial Finance

Stephen has conducted substantial asset financial remedy cases since the 1980s covering all aspects, including multi-disciplinary matters, offshore trusts, worldwide freezing orders, ante and post-nuptial settlements, advising on and drafting pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, complex corporate interests and financial misconduct cases.

He is regularly instructed in cases concerning post-separation windfall/business success, inherited wealth, family businesses, third-party interests and farming partnership cases.

In court he has a reputation for being tenacious and practical. Often instructed at an early stage, Stephen enjoys building strong professional relationships and is happy to advise by email or telephone as well as in conference.

Cohabitation/TOLATA/Schedule 1 cases

Stephen is also frequently instructed in cohabitant/trusts of land/inheritance disputes.

Recent Cases include: undue influence, a cohabitant dispute that ended in a trial in the Chancery Division involving a review of the case law on this difficult topic, promissory estoppel and constructive trust cases, acting for high net worth fathers in Schedule 1 Children Act cases.

Mediation and Arbitration

As a Mediator:

Trained as a mediator at Regent’s College School of Psychotherapy in London to whom he is accredited (1999). A panel member of the Association of Northern Mediators (2000-present) and a past member of its Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury Special Interest Groups. Has acted as sole mediator in successfully resolving over 100 cases over the last 20 years involving a wide range of situations and types of dispute: from the purely non-financial to multi-million pound disputes.

As an Arbitrator:

Qualified as an arbitrator with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb) specialising in financial disputes arising in the domestic context, i.e. matrimonial finance, cohabitant and inheritance disputes.

Clinical and Professional Negligence

Clinical Negligence caseload in recent years includes claims of alleged failure to diagnose (or culpably late diagnosis of): birth asphyxia, sepsis, intracranial haemorrhage and stroke, cervical, prostate, skin, breast and gastro-intestinal tumours, cauda equina, compartment syndrome, gallstones, skull fractures in abused infant and somatoform disorders and bipolar disorder.

Recent Cases include:

• Breach of Article 6 HRA rights (to a fair trial) within public law child care proceedings
• Local Authority missing signs of abuse in a baby subsequently suffering catastrophic injuries at the hands of a family friend.
• Spinal manipulation by chiropractor leading to embolic stroke (vertebrobasilar artery dissection).
• Damages for the cost of disability adapted accommodation following abandonment of the Roberts v Johnston formula.
• Sufficiency of informed consent to disc replacement surgery in athlete.
• Out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest.
• Cauda Equina Syndrome Incomplete: failure to treat in A&E.
• Cauda Equina in primary care/physiotherapist/osteopath (failure to diagnose)
• Sepsis, skin cancer, lung cancer (all mis-diagnosed)

Professional Negligence Bar Association

Institute of Family Law Arbitrators

Forum of Family Arbitrators.

Association of Northern Mediators

Regent’s College School of Psychotherapy

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb)