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I am a specialist family law solicitor typically dealing with clients who seek advice on divorce. I also deal with the financial consequences of a relationship breakdown and/or private children law issues. I was shortlisted in 2018 at the Yorkshire Legal Awards as a Rising Star within the profession.
My clients know from the outset that I am committed to resolving the issues they face and I will always work hard to bring about a positive outcome. My advice is always specific to the context, tactical and grounded in reality. I have advised heterosexual and same-sex clients from across England and internationally on these matters.
I have particular experience in dealing with medium to high-net-worth individuals. I regularly advise clients with complex financial portfolios, inclusive of family trusts and issues around inheritance. I also advise individuals with modest assets where sensible, robust advice is needed.
In respect of children law I advise on domestic and international issues. I have considerable experience of advising on future child arrangements upon relationship breakdown and/or during difficult periods when parents cannot agree a way forward. I have dealt with a variety of complex children law issues and have a particular interest in relocation of children, child abduction, cases involving serious allegations of harm by a parent and/or matters of parental alienation.
I hold a Master’s of Law LL.M degree in International Human Rights Law & Practice which is invaluable when dealing with complex family issues which have an international element or potentially engage human rights issues.
I am also heavily involved in modern family law issues and law reform, particularly LGBT+ family law. I have advised clients on issues related to civil partnerships and same-sex divorcing couples. I have also been extensively published in leading law journals and featured in the national press, radio and lectured on these issues.
Before practice I graduated with a First-Class Honours in Law from the University of York. In 2012 I was a Seoul National University Scholar and spent two months in Seoul, South Korea, at the world leading international institute. In 2013-2015 I was a 50th Anniversary Bridge Fund Scholar of Law whilst obtaining my LL.M.
I thrive under pressure and wanted to be at the forefront of the profession to be able to influence law reform.
Being a family lawyer is an absolute privilege. I advocate for my clients on a daily basis during one of the most distressing moments in their life.
My intervention is often pivotal and will impact on a client’s future success and happiness. The reward is being the person trusted to drive home the plan of action.
On a serious note I continue to be engaged in academic legal issues. I have been published in a range of leading legal journals and commented on law reform issues in the national press and radio. I am regularly invited to lecture on family law and human rights. I currently sit as an undergraduate admissions interview tutor at a leading Russell Group university.
On a lighter note I enjoy a good glass of wine with friends at the weekend. I run most evenings and play golf in the summer.
"Scott goes to the next level when it comes to giving a service to his clients. Scott’s positive attitude and genuine caring nature have really helped me out. There were difficult times when he needed to tell me things straight that I didn’t necessarily want to hear but this was always done in a highly professional way. His knowledge of family law is more befitting of someone who has been in the industry for over 20 years and I would highly recommend his services for anybody wanting to achieve the best possible outcome for themselves in a divorce, especially where there are children involved." - Client
"[Scott was] amazing throughout my case… answered every question I threw at him and managed to put my mind at ease during what was a very difficult period … and never made me feel as though it was just another case." - Client
"Scott is a pleasure to work with and an excellent family lawyer. He possesses an essential and effective toolkit, combining brilliant client care, diligence and commitment to a case with realistic and practical advice. He goes above and beyond in the work that he does and I would not hesitate to recommend him." Julia F Townend, Barrister at 4 Papers Buildings, Temple, London
"Scott is a real star… It is a pleasure to work with him as he is insightful and mature beyond his years and always provides very sensible and realistic advice to clients. Scott’s hard working and efficient nature ensures that total trust can be placed in him to get the job done and to go the extra mile in doing so in order to ensure a first-class service. He is charming, extremely well prepared, knowledgeable, and has a keen eye for detail." Julia Nelson, Barrister at Park Lane Plowden Chambers, Leeds and Newcastle
"Scott is an expert in international children’s cases, especially child abduction. I have worked with him on a number of international cases this year. He is intelligent, great with clients and really understands the strategic points." Michael Edwards, Barrister at 4 Paper Buildings, Temple, London
“I am absolutely delighted and humbled to have been selected for the Law Society’s LGBT+ national committee. During my four-year tenure I hope to make a positive impact on the working lives of LGBT+ solicitors in England and Wales. “I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and working with my fellow committee members on how best we can create a more inclusive environment for all LGBT+ solicitors over the next few years.”
“This case comes down to how serious the government is about respecting transgender parents’ ability to exercise their fundamental rights without discrimination, and about transgender parents being able to exercise their full right to private and family life. “It should be the case that a parent who has legally changed their gender is then able to achieve the full range of benefits associated with that. We cannot endorse a cherry-picking policy, in this case for transgender parents and the birth certificate. The Gender Recognition Act 2004 rightly allows individuals a legal route to acquire gender, but we must not then fall short of allowing people to affirm their rights. “The case this week is a pioneering litigation, but it is part of a wider and deeper effort to push for law reform on a variety of fronts for transgender people. If the parent loses this case, they will then have to wait for an appeal. This will not help parents in this difficult position now who will rightly feel that they have a lack of autonomy and an inability to define their relationship with their child – something non-transgender parents will never face. “On the whole and as in many areas of family law, the legislation has a very long way to go before it becomes compatible with today’s modern society. There is always improvement to be made in the law for transgender people, a group already so marginalised in society, so they can feel their voices are heard. It would be a travesty if we continued to ignore them.”
“With this judgment the Supreme Court has recognised that every couple deserves equality. A lack of provision in the Civil Partnership Act 2004 for heterosexual couples to enter into a civil partnership has now been deemed unlawful and in breach of human rights law. The Supreme Court has acknowledged that the Civil Partnership Act needs to be reformed as the current law is in contravention of Article 14 of the European Convention, discrimination, when read in conjunction with the right to privacy and a family life, Article 8. The Secretary of State has said consistently that they need to monitor and evaluate the future uptake of civil partnerships by same-sex couples now that there is same-sex marriage, and has taken a ‘wait and see’ approach. The UK Supreme Court has confirmed today that same approach is in contravention of our human rights law. In the judgment the court is clear that the government created this discriminatory difference in treatment and now seeks further time to monitor and evaluate what to do next. The court was clear that the government’s position is not legitimate and the court cannot allow the government a further period of time and to endorse a toleration of discrimination. The declaration of incompatibility will now go back to government to consider. The impact of the declaration is that section 1 and 3 of the Civil Partnership Act is now said to be unlawful and in need of reform. We sincerely hope this result puts further pressure on the secretary of state to reform the law and introduce heterosexual civil partnerships, so that both same-sex and opposite-sex couples feel included in every aspect of family life.”
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