divorce cheshire

We opened our family law office in Cheshire just over a year ago. How time flies! Our Hale team is now eight-strong. We field divorce enquiries from across the North West region and take on new family law cases in Cheshire, Manchester and beyond.  Despite the challenging financial climate, our newest office has been busy from the word go.

Stowe Family Law celebrated the office’s first anniversary with a birthday drinks event, which was attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Trafford, along with local business leaders.

It is an exciting time for our firm, with plenty of dynamic developments in the pipeline, and I am confident that our Hale office will continue to achieve fabulous results for our North West clients.

Despite those assurances that I would make a full recovery, I had to have keyhole surgery on my leg last week. I can’t pretend the day of the surgery was pleasant; it wasn’t, it was all like a bad dream.

When clients are anxious about court appearances, I always advise them how best to cope. On this occasion I administered the same advice to myself: the day will pass faster and better than you think; then begins the period of recovery. As my doctor told me, I have had an operation on the most important weight-bearing joint in my body. It will take time to recover; I must be patient.

Just as a patient isn’t “cured” in the operating theatre, a divorce doesn’t “end” in the courtroom. A client must never think that an appearance in court or a day of settlement will provide immediate closure. A subsequent period of recuperation and rest is essential: it allows the client’s mind to settle and readjust. Often for example, when the immediate trauma of the divorce is over, clients can suffer from panic attacks and other stress-related conditions. These are normal and are part of a healing process that, in my experience, typically lasts for 12 months after the case is resolved. I advise my clients that they should not expect a quick fix. It won’t happen. I have found that when clients know that those up and down days will continue for some time, they find it easier to deal with their experiences and emotions. For many of them, the healing process is all about the conquering of the unknown.

A couple of days before I went into hospital, a member of our admin team came in my office, to discuss a client who was fretting about the divorce and financial process. Our client wanted to know what the courtroom would look like, how she should dress and how she should speak in court. What exactly was going to happen to her? What form would the hearing take? Would she have to sit like a criminal in the dock? Continue reading »

Yorkshire Post

By Lizzie Murphy, Yorkshire Post.

WHEN it comes to family law there are few more formidable opponents than Marilyn Stowe.

She says she can tell when someone is having an affair just by looking at them, knows if someone is lying from their handwriting, and will persevere to the end in order to win a case.

To read the rest of the interview, click here.