Sarah Thompson > Slater and Gordon > Manchester, England > Lawyer Profile

Sarah Thompson

0161 383 3645 sarah.thompson@slatergordon.co.uk

Work Department

Family and matrimonial law.

Position

Principal lawyer, specialising in family and matrimonial law. Extensive caseload of mid-range to high-net-worth clients. Dealing almost exclusively with sorting out the finances for divorcing and unmarried couples. Recent and current cases include: advising CEO of multinational airline company in relation to jurisdictional issues, child maintenance when CMS does not have jurisdiction and overall financial settlement, advising client on application to set aside due to ex-spouse’s non-disclosure and application to vary maintenance in case where asset base in excess of £35m, advising client who has several foreign properties, a family business and complex pension issues, advising client in relation to unmarried property where ex-partner seeking to rely on purported variation of declaration of trust.

 As a former expat herself, Sarah has particular interest in acting for clients who live abroad. She currently handles a variety of such cases, and also deals with jurisdictional issues in cases where there is a dispute as to which country should deal with the divorce. In 2011, Sarah set up Slater and Gordon family mediation. She receives referrals from Manchester solicitors such as Mills & Reeve, JMW and Elizabeth Hassall Family Law as well as individuals referring themselves to mediation. As a trained collaborative lawyer, Sarah regularly conducts four way meetings on behalf of clients. Sarah is the vice chair of the Manchester DR Group.

Career

Trained at CMA Solicitors, Bolton; qualified 1998; assistant solicitor 1998-2003; trained as mediator 2002; relocated to Philadelphia, US, working for firm of attorneys 2003-05; senior associate solicitor Gorvins Solicitors 2005; trained as collaborative lawyer 2006; moved with rest of family team to Russell Jones & Walker Solicitors (RJW) in 2010 and made a partner that year; principal lawyer at Slater and Gordon 2012 (when they purchased RJW) to present. Reported in, amongst others, The Sunday Times, The Daily Mail, Manchester Evening News, EN Magazine, Lancashire Life and Cheshire Life. Appeared on BBC Breakfast News, BBC North West Tonight, BBC Radio 4 as well as several local radio stations across the country commenting on a variety of family law issues. Writes articles for Resolution’s The Review, Family Law Journal and The Law Society Gazette. In 2014, Family Law Made Simple was published, a guide for those going through divorce, Sarah was the key contributor to the book.

Memberships

Law Society; Resolution; Manchester and District Medico Legal Society; Separation Solutions (Dispute Resolution group for Greater Manchester).

Education

Bolton School Girls Division; Manchester Metropolitan University (1993 BSc Hons); Staffordshire University (1995 CPE and LPC, commendation).

Leisure

Horse riding, walking, trying to ski.