Stephen Bartlet-Jones

Practice Areas

Stephen is an experienced advocate specialising in complex cases before the Family Court and Court of Protection. He is a mediator and IFLA/CIArb arbitrator.

Career

Stephen is an ingenious tactician who is logical and tenacious on his feet. He is well-known for putting clients at their ease whilst giving sensitive, pragmatic advice. He has a knack for knowing when to pick battles in his clients’ best interests.

Stephen has a wide experience, and numerous reported cases, in public and private law matters with an international element.

He also has particular expertise in care cases with voluminous medical or forensic evidence, including murder of a parent/child, NAI, FII, sexual abuse, disability/mental health and trafficking/modern slavery.

He advised Refuge on the judicial review of the pilot DV Homicide Review (the Pemberton murders) and wrote the standard prisoner production order now adopted in the High Court.

His cases have featured in BBC investigations. One was cited in Parliament when proposing the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 ss.72-4/Sched 3 (extraterritorial jurisdiction for murder etc).

Stephen lectures about and regularly acts in financial remedies, cohabitation and child maintenance cases.

An effective appellate advocate, he frequently visits the Court of Appeal and has advised on Supreme Court appeals.

He is preferred counsel for many Children’s Guardians and frequently works for the Official Solicitor. Other lawyers often turn to him when they have personal litigation.

Personal

Stephen is always delighted to work with families in the Down’s Syndrome community (to which he has a personal connection), including in SEND Tribunals.