Victoria Sterritt

Spear’s Review

Victoria Sterritt has moved firms – from Seddons to Davidson McDonnell – and is now a legal director in the latter’s private client team. She advises a wide range of HNW clients on issues relating to the legal implications of relationship breakdown, with a particular focus on the financial aspects of separation and divorce.

Notable cases include successfully appealing (on behalf of a father) periodical payments that had been ordered under the mother’s Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 application, successfully defending (on behalf of a father) a mother’s application to relocate a young child outside of the UK, and representing a wife in a financial remedies application that involved assets in the UK and Australia with a disputed reacquired and inherited element.

Davidson McDonnell is based in Belfast, with a client base in Northern Ireland, and England and Wales. Along with a number of her colleagues, Sterritt is dual qualified in both jurisdictions, and she continues to service a large family law client base in London.

Adviser Profile 

Victoria heads up the Private Client Team at Davidson McDonnell and is dual qualified to practice in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. Victoria was a partner in a London law firm before returning to Northern Ireland and joining Davidson McDonnell as a Legal Director in 2023. Victoria practices exclusively in family law in both jurisdictions, advising on high-value financial matters on divorce and separation as well as complex children matters. Victoria has extensive experience of dealing with the intricate financial aspects of divorce proceedings, especially those involving corporate and commercial structures, inherited wealth, family businesses and trust arrangements. Victoria regularly works alongside tax experts, accountants and specialist financial advisors. Victoria also advises on wealth protection in the form of both pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. 

Victoria regularly advises on matters with an international dimension and works with advisors across several jurisdictions and disciplines in relation to financial assets in foreign jurisdictions and the international relocation of children. Victoria also works closely with a number of child and adult therapists and mental health specialists and is a strong advocate of using a multi-disciplinary team to reduce the impact that family breakdown and proceedings can have on individuals and their families. Victoria is a member of Resolution and promotes a constructive approach to family issues and resolutions out of Court where appropriate. Victoria has a keen interest in the role mediation can play for families and has undertaken extensive family mediation training.