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Our award winning national team of family law solicitors is one of the largest in the country and has unrivalled experience in the full range of specialisms. We have specialist accredited lawyers dealing with divorce, financial and property issues following relationship breakdown, child care proceedings, domestic abuse, parental abduction and disputes relating to children - residence and contact.
We believe in access to justice for all. We offer affordable legal services including fixed fee packages. Our charging system is transparent and we keep you informed at all times where you stand.
We know that consulting a lawyer can be stressful, daunting and expensive. We want to make that first step easier. We are able to offer an initial consultation of up to one hour followed by a comprehensive advice letter from £300. Call our family law solicitors team today on 01616 966 229.
How can our family solicitors help?
We are one of a handful of firms nationally with the strength to handle every type of family law case, from a straightforward divorce to the most complex breakdowns involving disputes with children, high value matrimonial assets and international issues.
Our children lawyers deal with some of the most challenging cases involving social services intervention to removal of children; cases which include allegations of brain injury, shaken baby syndrome, sexual abuse, Munchausen’s syndrome, fabricated illness and the murder of the parent by another.
Our divorce and finances lawyers are experienced in dealing with complex, high net worth disputes and as a full service law firm, you will benefit from having access to our highly regarded commercial solicitors. We work closely with other teams across the firm to ensure you have access to the best possible advice.
We have excellent relationships with specialist barristers, accountants, independent financial advisers, surveyors, medical specialists, counsellors, agencies supporting children and survivors of abuse. When we take on your case we step in your shoes and help you through what is probably the most distressing experience of your life; the breakdown of a relationship or the threat of the loss of your child.
Our family team includes members of the Law Society’s Children Panel Accreditation Scheme as well as a significant number of Resolution accredited specialists.
Our family law team are proud to have nine Law Society’s Children Law accredited specialists, one of the highest numbers of accredited solicitors of any family law practice in the North West of England. This accreditation recognises a particular specialism in legal issues relating to children and is a testament to a practitioner’s dedication, experience, and talent.
We also have six members of our team who are Resolution accredited specialists, three of which hold both this accreditation and The Law Society’s Children Law accreditation. Resolution’s code of practice means that its members are bound to help clients who are separating to resolve any issues they may have with as little conflict as possible.
You can be sure that when you choose Stephensons to represent you in your family law matter you will be supported by a team of experienced and dedicated professionals.
As a team or as individual lawyers, our family law specialists are active and leading members of, or approved by, key associations to enhance our ability to help you, including:
Our specialist family solicitors are held in the highest regard by the Legal 500 and the Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession.
Stephensons in Manchester is recognised for its expertise in handling a wide range of public law work related to children, including complex care proceedings. The team is also well versed in handling private children cases and financial remedy matters.
“Stephensons has highly skilled staff with considerable expertise and sensitivity in complex and difficult cases. The team are helpful, professional and go above and beyond."”
"They are dealing with life-changing work on a daily basis; it is highly sensitive and pressurised. They send detailed instructions and go the extra mile on each and every case."
"Stephensons is always my go-to as I know someone will always be able to assist me, sometimes at extremely short notice. Advocates at Stephensons are all excellent and experienced professionals."
"Stephensons have always provided exceptional service. They bring excellent knowledge and skills which has assisted greatly in achieving the right and safest outcomes."
"They are extremely well organised and do fantastic work in complex cases. They have excellent instructing experts and are capable of doing document-heavy cases easily."
The family law team at Stephensons are ranked as tier one by the Legal 500.
"Stephensons Solicitors LLP in Manchester is ‘a full-service family law team’ that represents parents, children, guardians, and local authorities across the full range of family law matters, often in cases with an international element. The group is knowledgeable on the private side of family law, including matrimonial finances and children disputes, as well as boasting experts in complex public law disputes involving injury, adoption, and abduction. The ’superb‘ Victoria Gethin leads the family department and has significant experience acting for local authorities, parents, and children in a broad range of children law cases, and she is also an expert in domestic abuse cases. Tim Galbraith specialises in complex care proceedings, private law children cases, adoption, and abduction matters, while Emma Roberts leads the divorce and finance team. The group also includes the ’well-respected‘ Jackie Price and Rachel Benett, who is an ’exceptional advocate with a great legal mind; both are children law specialists."
‘This is a full-service family law team in every sense of the word; there is comprehensive experience at every level.’
‘Stephensons has a committed and dedicated team of family lawyers who work extremely hard to achieve the best outcome for their clients." - 2025
"A ‘first choice for those seeking a family lawyer in the most difficult and sensitive of cases’, Stephensons Solicitors LLP is noted for the near unparalleled scale of its private and public family law and children mandates. Team head Victoria Gethin is revered for her ability to handle complex cases requiring liaisons with foreign bodies, applying for unique protective orders and personal data, and challenges to human rights violations. Gethin manages an ‘expanding department’ which is also geared to act on high-value matrimonial finance matters, with Emma Roberts an expert on both pre-nuptial and postnuptial agreements and cohabitation law, as well as being a port of call for unmarried couples seeking advice post-separation. Tim Galbraith continues to act on court proceedings regarding complex issues such as child relocation and non-accidental injuries, while Jackie Price is highlighted for her excellence in cases requiring psychological and medical assessments."
"Stephensons have a team of highly experienced and talented solicitors who are considered to be the first choice for those seeking a family lawyer in the most difficult and sensitive of cases. Those instructed by them know that the case will have been well prepared with a high level of client care. They bring professionalism to all aspects of their dealing with other solicitors, their clients and when instructing counsel."
"Stephensons family law department is one of the strongest in the UK with an extensive amount of legal experience but what sets them out is the fact they all really care. They are hugely passionate about each and every care they deal with across the spectrum of work they cover. Their head of department Victoria Gethin is very highly regarded and viewed as one of the best in the business. Their attention to detail, case preparation and client care is without fault." - 2024
"Stephensons Solicitors LLP represents families in complex financial disputes, financial remedy proceedings, and parental alienation and domestic abuse matters. Victoria Gethin specialises in advising victims of domestic abuse and complex public law cases... Gwyneth John is another key contact regarding children law. Notably, Tim Galbraith and Jackie Price were both promoted to partner in April 2021, with Galbraith noted for his work on complex care proceedings, while Price covers serious non-accidental injuries and allegations of physical and sexual violence." - 2023
"Stephensons Solicitors LLP is noted for the breadth of family law matters in which it is instructed, ranging from complex care proceedings to high-value financial remedy claims. Victoria Gethin specialises in matters involving children, public and private... Gwyneth John is another key partner in the area of children law. The practice also has a strong bench of associates, with Tim Galbraith focusing on complex care proceedings and Jackie Price's broad practice covering all areas of children and matrimonial law." 2022
Stephensons Solicitors LLP has an extensive track record in representing children, parents, couples, guardians and local authorities in high-profile and complex cases. Led by the 'level-headed, knowledgeable and experienced' Victoria Gethin, the group has experience acting for clients in public and private law children proceedings, including international issues and cases involving abduction, allegations of non-accidental injury and sexual abuse, radicalisation and extremism elements, domestic violence, and drug and alcohol abuse. Other names to note are... Tim Galbraith, who is a 'calm and cerebral children specialist'. 2021
Stephensons Solicitors LLP has an ‘outstanding reputation in respect of family law’. Victoria Gethin, Head of the Department, is ‘efficient and caring’. Gwyneth John deals with all aspects of the law affecting children and is ‘extremely thoughtful and warm yet able to be assertive when needed’. Tim Galbraith is a ‘very astute lawyer with a keen eye for detail who masters complex issues with ease and presents them simply and accurately to clients and professionals alike’. Jackie Price is efficient and compassionate’. This is a team that is ‘well respected by other professionals and by the judiciary’. 2020
If you would like to speak to a member of our award winning family law team please call us on 01616 966 229 or complete our online enquiry form and a member of the team will contact you directly to discuss your situation.
Being accredited with the Children Panel of the Law Society means that a solicitor has demonstrated a high level of expertise and knowledge in the area of law concerning children and young people.
The Children Panel is a specialist accreditation scheme administered by the Law Society in England and Wales. It recognises solicitors who have undergone additional training and have gained significant experience in representing children, young people, and their families in legal proceedings.
Accredited solicitors are considered to have the expertise to provide specialist legal advice and representation for children and young people in a range of legal issues, including child protection, adoption, care proceedings, and other matters related to children's welfare.
Resolution accredited members are family law professionals who are members of Resolution, an organisation that promotes a constructive and non-confrontational approach to family law disputes. Resolution members are committed to resolving family law issues in a way that minimises conflict and supports the best interests of any children involved.
Accredited members of Resolution have undergone additional training and have demonstrated their expertise in specific areas of family law. They have also committed to adhering to Resolution's Code of Practice, which emphasises a constructive approach to resolving disputes and encourages alternatives to court proceedings.
We do not offer free advice appointments, but if you believe that you require legal advice on an issue you are experiencing it is highly likely that you would benefit from having a consultation with one of our specialist family solicitors here at Stephensons. With a consultation you will receive specific tailored advice relevant to your circumstances and you will receive a detailed letter following your appointment to refer back to as required. The fixed fee for a one hour consultation is £300.
For cases in which we cannot offer a fixed fee we require an upfront retainer fee of £1,000 and charge all work at our hourly rates of between £240 - £250 + VAT per hour depending on the experience of the solicitor who is assigned to your case. The final cost will depend on how long it takes to resolve the matter, but please be assured that we always endeavour to resolve our clients’ cases in the quickest time possible to not only keep the final bill down but also so that they can begin to move on from what we appreciate is often a stressful time.
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Family Law Awards 2023
Team of the Year - North
In 2022/23
We have helped 1,700 families
We have
6 Resolution accredited specialists
We are
Ranked Tier 1 in the Legal 500
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