Sophie Chapman

Practice Areas

Sophie specialises in complex family cases, supporting clients to resolve their financial affairs and arrangements for their children following separation or divorce. Sophie is recognised in Chambers as combining “a number of skills that make her terrific; she is exceptionally calm under pressure and really good on the detail of a case… very pragmatic, always ten steps ahead”.

Sophie advises clients on all aspects of family law, with a particular focus on financial issues arising on divorce and the arrangements for children after parents separate.

Sophie’s financial cases frequently have an international dimension, often involving trusts, inherited wealth or family businesses with complex issues of valuation. Her clients include entrepreneurs, business owners, celebrities, City professionals, and their spouses/partners.

Sophie also has a leading practice in children cases, advising clients in respect of the arrangements for children following separation, disputes in relation to key decisions affecting children (to include parentage, the exercise of parental responsibility, schooling, change of name) and applications by one parent to relocate abroad.

Career

Sophie graduated from Cambridge University (French, German and Law). She joined Stewarts in 2017, after nine years at Withers.

Professional Memberships

Sophie is a Member of Resolution and the Association of Lawyers for Children.

Personal

Sophie is a mum to two young daughters.

Publications

Sophie is a regular contributor of articles to legal publications and the wider media. Recent articles and appearances include:

How to have a ‘good’ divorce

How to resolve disputes as to where your child will spend Christmas

Podcast: Appeals in family law

Experience

Representing the husband in highly contested financial proceedings, involving a web of off-shore trust and corporate assets, requiring asset tracing and expert tax and valuation advice

Advising the wife upon divorce following a long marriage with a diverse portfolio of marital and non-marital assets (family businesses, commercial and residential property and a collection of vintage cars)

Representing a highly vulnerable spouse following a short marriage involving physical and emotional abuse, where all the assets were held in off-shore trusts

Representing a father who successfully sought orders in relation to shared care, schooling and change of name, following a psychological report on the mother

Representing the father in the landmark international relocation case of C v D [2011] EWHC 335 (Fam)