When I arrived back in the UK yesterday, I was surprised and delighted to discover that the Marilyn Stowe Family Law & Divorce Blog has been shortlisted for a Blawggie. Organised by Michael at Law Actually, the Blawggies 2010 are the UK’s first publicly nominated awards for legal blogs (“blawgs”). The shortlist includes categories for Best Newcomer, Best Legal Commentary and Triumph Over Adversity.

It is great to see old favourites such as Family Lore, Pink Tape and The Magistrate’s Blog nominated. along with some newer discoveries including Travis the Trout and Pupillage And How To Get It.

This blog has been shortlisted in the Blawg of the Year category; the public voting is now in progress and you can vote for your favourites here.

What’s the best way to attend a wedding? There must be a better way if, like me, you don’t particularly enjoy getting poshed up all day, making small talk with people you barely know, sitting ramrod-straight and getting up and down throughout the ceremony. Then of course you can virtually guarantee you will have the worst table by the kitchen at the wedding breakfast and like it or not you will put your foot in it, somehow with somebody, after a few drinks.

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to attend a wedding and not go through all that rigmarole, to just relax all the way through?  Especially during the best part: when you see the bride come down the aisle to be given away by her parents, about to start a new life with her partner.

This Monday I “attended” just such a beautiful wedding and, I think, in the best possible way! Let me explain…

It was 6 pm and the sun was setting behind the pale honey walls of the Old City of Jerusalem as Mount Scopus lay in the distance. I was standing high up on the balcony of our hotel watching a wedding scene taking place on the terrace below.  I could see the hustle and bustle of lorries and cars still thronging up the hill beyond as they entered the Old City through the Jaffa Gate. Alongside the gate stands King David Tower and there were still lots of tourists walking around the old Roman walls during this cooler part of the day.  I could see churches, synagogues and mosques spread across the city on rolling hills. Somewhere in the distance out of view is the Western Wall, all that remains of the Jewish Temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD and which stood on Temple Mount, the holiest place in Judaism. The wedding below me was taking place under a canopy facing towards the Western Wall.

Continue reading »

Our offices in Yorkshire and Cheshire are busier than ever and our newest office, off High Holborn, is set to open early next year.  We are looking for senior solicitors to join our teams in all these locations and, since I know that plenty of lawyers read this blog, I thought that it would be a great place to start!

Our locations

I have written before about how blessed I feel to live in such a beautiful part of the world, and how much I enjoy beginning every week with my drive into Harrogate. The town is at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales and our Harrogate office (above) is the town’s former courthouse. It is a gorgeous old building in the town centre.

Our office in Hale, meanwhile, is the Camellia Building on Oxford Road. Stowe Family Law expanded into Cheshire after we observed that increased numbers of clients were flying into Manchester Airport and then making the trip across the Pennines so that they could see us. Our Cheshire office opened in 2008 and quickly became popular with clients from Hale, Altrincham, Manchester and beyond.

As for London: we are on track to open our Fulwood Place office in early 2011, and we are looking forward to it. Continue reading »

A client recently paid me a very kind but rather unusual compliment.

“Every time I see you”, she said, “you smile at me – and it isn’t just any old smile, but a bright, confident one.”

Apparently my smile brightens her day and does wonders for both her confidence and her hopes for her case.

How nice is that? Apparently I was a smiley baby – and I have been smiling at people ever since. I always used to smile at people when I was a runner. In Yorkshire, my fellow runners always smiled back. Mind you, in London I used to get startled looks in response – and in New York I was stared at like I was a weirdo! So no more smiles there then…

The client’s comments made my day and gave me pause for thought, especially as she went on to add that she recently stopped going to a particular dentist because although the dentist was undoubtedly competent, she never, ever smiled. My client said that she always left the dentist feeling tense and sometimes miserable, not because of the treatment but because of the unsmiling dentist’s terse manner. I know the dentist to whom she was referring and I agree that she gives the impression of being overly serious. However I am equally certain that the dentist would be shocked and horrified if she knew that people thought of her in such a way.

I was thinking about this yesterday as I was having a mug of coffee, relaxing after cycling a record (for me) 30 km on the Wattbike and throwing 16 kg kettlebells some 120 times!  I was reading about the presenter Selina Scott’s latest complaint against the BBC, whom she accuses of “blatant and sometimes malign ageism and sexism. I don’t agree. Continue reading »

It is often said that the world is now a smaller place, and recent events have had me thinking about this throwaway phrase. In 2010, are we really more of a “global community” than ever before?

Yesterday, almost every male in our office was joyfully whistling “Viva Espana” as he passed by the office of Frank Arndt, our German partner.  James Thornton, who shares a room with Frank, had earlier been on Radio York delightedly trumpeting the Spanish victory against Germany in the World Cup.

Andrew Williams, our Chief Executive, is doubly delighted because he has drawn Spain in the firm’s sweepstake. Jo Childs, Frank’s secretary, has drawn Holland – and with Spain and Holland preparing to play in the World Cup final, the two of them are now at loggerheads. Andrew’s offer to share the winnings has been firmly rejected. It’s war!

I drew Italy. On the day of the fateful game against Slovakia I kept getting gleeful texts from my son Ben.

The first read, No chance.

The second: Definitely no chance.

Finally: You’ve lost.

Yes, I am sorry to say that Italy let me down and I have lost my £1 stake. But right now, having obtained his first class honours degree in law, Ben can do no wrong. (As if he ever could!) How fortunate we are to have our families and friends, with whom we can laugh.

This week I have also been reading of another woman’s son: a brave, desperate man who loves his mother so dearly that he has risked terrible danger by turning to our “global community” for assistance. Reading of the disgusting and cruel behaviour that his family has endured, and continues to endure, tears my heart to pieces.

His name is Sajad Ghadarzade, he is 22-years-old and his family lives in Iran. He has been appealing to international human rights groups after his mother, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, was charged with adultery and sentenced to death by stoning. Continue reading »

On 15 October 2009 The Times published an article with the headline, Why is it so difficult for law students to get a first? The feature, by Rebecca Attwood, suggested that students reading other subjects are more likely to achieve the highest degree.

That piece was quietly read, noted and bookmarked by one Ben Stowe, known to readers of this blog as my son. Eight months later and just as quietly, without fuss, he sent it to me on my Blackberry to read today.

Ben is also the person whose washing regularly causes hassle for me, arriving as it does in at least three full bags on Saturday mornings, when I’m puffing away on my Wattbike trying to keep fit. But with perhaps more than a little help from my husband, we have managed fine…

When Ben was a little boy, the first hurdle for me (not him) was getting him into the “right” school. We chose it with care; noting how all our friends were competing to get their children into the same place, we put Ben’s name down for Leeds Grammar School when he was all of two weeks old. When I look back I must admit that I entered into the “competitive mummy” thing wholeheartedly. I would notice how every other child was quick to walk, quick to talk and so on. I would also notice, through gritted teeth, how every other mummy used to pretend she wasn’t thrilled to bits with her high achieving toddler when I could see very well that she was.  Ben had other ideas. He wasn’t the slightest bit bothered to compete.  Instead he was a quiet, self-assured boy, who took his time and was disinclined to pit himself against the other children. No matter how much I pushed him to be more assertive as he got older, he just used to mutter, “Mum, you’re embarrassing me!” That was it. He knew me and I knew him. Neither of us changed. Continue reading »

Earlier this week I had a slightly surreal experience. I found myself in the Crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral, standing between the magnificent marble tombs of the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson. I also spotted the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of the “new” St Paul’s after the “old” St Paul’s was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

This is arguably the most famous and iconic building in London. It stands on Ludgate Hill and is visible for miles from every direction. In order to enter the Crypt, I had to walk up the magnificent white steps and down the main aisle. I remember watching the young Lady Diana Spencer doing exactly the same, in 1981 when she married the Prince of Wales. How did she cope?

I turned right and went down the marble stairs into the crypt, followed the noise and eventually passed the tombs of the great men (and their banners) to join the Summer Party hosted by the Barristers’ Chambers of 1 Kings Bench Walk. Hosted in this striking venue and with excellent food and company, this must count as one of the legal parties of the season. As there was a long drive back up to Yorkshire I could only stay for a couple of hours, but there were many family lawyers there and it was good to see them. Many thanks to my hosts for a wonderful event.

Image credit: edvardo.

Divorce lawyers are used to changing sides. During a typical day, I might see a wife whose husband has left her for another woman. Afterwards I might advise a husband who has left his own wife for another woman. Then I might see a woman who is leaving her husband for another man. Finally, a husband whose wife has left him. I advise them all; it is second nature to me now. Overall I believe that such experiences give me a balanced view. I can give good, objective advice because my recommendations are based on knowledge that comes with having acted for different people caught up in different situations.

Sometimes the media also become involved in my cases. I know and have worked with a number of journalists, and I admire them greatly – but sometimes I find that others accept a “good story” in good faith, regardless of its veracity. After all, it is easy to simply reproduce a press release.

Not so long ago I read a story about one of my own clients. The story had cascaded across the media and I knew for certain that it painted a picture of my client and a particular situation that was, frankly, erroneous. My client declined to respond and faced this unwanted media attention with great courage and dignity.

At Stowe Family Law we regard client confidentiality as paramount; elsewhere, however, the circulation of press releases by or on behalf of clients going through divorce appears to be growing. In my experience, the courts are becoming wise to this and pay little attention to it. In my client’s case, that certainly happened. Continue reading »

Stowe Family Law held its fifth annual outing at York Racecourse this weekend. We sponsored the main race of the meeting: the Stowe Family Law LLP Grand Cup. On the hottest day of the year (and according to BBC News, the hottest spot in the entire country), York was definitely the place to be!

The racing was terrific and more than 30,000 racegoers – a record turnout – attended the meeting.

I am pictured here with our guest Camilla Stowell, a senior client partner at Coutts London and Frank Arndt, who heads Stowe Family Law’s International Family Law Department in the paddock, watching the horses parading before our feature race.

Camilla is an expert on horses as well as banking. I followed her to the bookies on the course because, as she said, “the banker never loses!” Camilla went for an outsider and she was right. “Age of Reason”, ridden by Frankie Dettori, was the crowd’s favourite – but “Tactic”, ridden by Jimmy Quinn, was the winner.

Wandering through the crowds to one of the oldest and tiniest boxes on the course to watch the race, I noticed how the racegoers were all dressed up to the nines – and clutching the York race card, featuring Stowe Family Law on the front and back cover. I remarked to Camilla how strange it felt, seeing my photo there.

“Come on – you love it!” she laughed. Continue reading »

As you may recall from previous posts, Stowe Family Law is set to open a London office. It is very exciting and I wanted to update you on our progress.

Our new offices are at 8 Fulwood Place, opposite Chancery Lane in the heart of legal London. Fulwood Place is a courtyard in which there are other solicitors’ offices and barristers’ chambers. It is just two minutes, if that, from the Principal Registry, which is the hub of family law in London.

Currently the office is in a gutted and unusable condition. It is pictured here – for posterity!  In this picture (above) I am climbing down a ladder from the flat roof.

Soon we hope to have a beautiful, glass-topped office, built on that roof, with a view over Grays Inn Gardens. It won’t be large – I think that “bijou” is the official term used by estate agents - but I think it will be very stylish and we hope to welcome clients there as soon as we can. The remainder of the building is to be laid out with fee earner floors, admin floors and a fully dedicated conference suite for client meetings.

A number of people have been working hard on this, including Andrew Williams and Paul Read from Stowe Family Law. Jonny Nagler of Intelligent Work Space is managing the entire project on our behalf.

At the time of writing, the building plans remain subject to the consent of the planning department at Camden Council. Fingers, toes and everything else you can think of are crossed! I will let you know what happens…