Jay Patel

Spear’s Review

Former Hunters partner Jay Patel was poached by Lawrence Stephens in 2021 to lead its new family law department, bringing more than two decades of domestic and international casework experience.

‘I aim to use my breadth of expertise and knowledge to develop a reputable and proactive practice, keeping our clients’ best interests at its core,’ says Patel, who acts for UHNW and HNW individuals on divorce, civil partnerships, financial remedy claims, children issues, private FDRs and prenuptial agreements, where he sees a great level of success due to his practice of documenting all parts of the negotiation, to ease future disputes.

Working for clients from India and the Middle East, and with a key understanding of the various cultural and religious issues that such clients often have to tackle, he is their ‘go-to’ Asian divorce lawyer and offers mediation services in English, Urdu and Gujarati.

Adviser Profile

With more than 20 years' experience, Jay Patel has earned a reputation as a trusted legal advisor for his UHNW clients having headed or being a partner at several leading City Law firms. He acts for clients from various sectors ranging from business owners, senior managers, and sports/media personalities. 

Known for his expertise in cross-border cases involving substantial assets, Jay is regularly instructed in complex big-money cases by Indian and Middle Eastern clients getting divorced in the UK. He is the lead Solicitor in leading case of J v H [2022]EWFC 133 dealing with worldwide Freezing Orders on divorce and has recently been instructed on a big money case by a wife whose husband is based in Malaysia with estimated net asset worth of $500m. 

Jay is instructed not only for his expertise but for his tact and commitment to his clients. As one client recently commented 'not only did he have my back, but he took every step of the journey with me'. Jay is also frequently instructed in difficult Children Act cases involving relocation and parental alienation and coercive and controlling behaviour. 

Jay acted for a UHNW husband on a financial remedy claim with a net worth of £120 million including the value of his shareholding in the company that owned his oil brokerage based in London, New York, Dubai, and Singapore. He managed to negotiate an award to the wife of £25 million plus family home through skilful negotiations which involved understanding the business and the period of growth and distinguishing marital and non-marital assets subject to sharing principal and needs. 

Despite his astute commercial focus and track record of delivering excellent financial outcomes for his clients, Jay maintains that having an empathetic approach and being proactive is paramount.