Stephen Foster

Spear’s Review

‘It was just me and a paralegal on day one,’ recalls Stephen Foster, the much-admired head of Stewarts’ divorce and family department. In the dozen or so years since he set it up, the practice has grown into one of the strongest in London, with the depth to ‘deal with cases ranging from up-and-coming City professionals to some of the largest cases before the English Court’.

After a period in which the family law profession has been dominated by a handful of star individuals – the so-called ‘Queen Bees’ – Foster believes change is both inevitable and necessary. ‘It’s not enough to have one or two star partners. It’s not like flying a Spitfire any more; it’s like flying a Dreamliner. And that’s what we do at Stewarts – we have a constellation of talent.’  

Foster has been described by industry observers as ‘commercially brilliant and tactically astute’ and has successfully ‘led Stewarts’ phalanx of family lawyers to the top of the pack’. 

The team is in good stead, with one private client lawyer commending Stewarts as ‘the Slaughter and May of family law’.

Adviser Profile

Industry commentators have described Foster as ‘a great lateral thinker,’ ‘an intelligent and superbly talented litigator’ and ‘the go-to for complex financial proceedings’. Foster’s clients include figures from the City and entrepreneurs, and many of his cases have an international dimension including Europe, the US and the Middle East. Stephen is also very adept at dealing sensitively with all aspects of children’s matters, including international relocation. 

Foster has created ‘undoubtedly the premier family team in the country’ with ‘the best expertise, the best depth of talent and the best service available’ (Legal 500). Chambers views Stewarts’ Divorce Team as ‘without question the pre-eminent law firm in London and there is no question that if you want the very best representation, you go to Stewarts’.