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Desire to help took Marilyn into family law

Monday 1 February 2016

WEB Marily Stowe, Jackie Chalmers and Helen Clapham

Marilyn Stowe (OG72) entertained her audience at the OGC London branch meeting by sharing how her time at Leeds Girls’ High School in the 1960s prepared her for life as a respected family lawyer.

She was inspired to enter the industry, she said, through a love of caring for others, something which was noticed early in her school career.

Marilyn was speaking at the autumn meeting of the OGC London branch, held at the Institute of Education.

She told her audience: “I recently came across a school report saying ‘Marilyn enjoys social work’. I really did. I did a lot of social work while I was at school and continued with that ethos. I enjoyed meeting and talking to people, but most of all – which might sound odd for a lawyer – I genuinely liked helping people.”

While sitting in on her first divorce case, Marilyn’s colleague told a client she would have to stay married for three years for legal reasons.

She said: “I could tell the client wanted out. As she was leaving, I offered her a cup of tea and when we sat down the story of her suffering came out. It was at that point I realised maybe I had a forte, that I could do something here.”

The lawyer also recalled another report from Leeds Girls’ High School which noted that she had ‘quite a good grasp of her academic subjects but lacks determination’. She told the audience: “I just thought at the time – well life can prove people wrong!”

This tenacity has taken her far. Marilyn, who began her working life in a converted cobblers shop in Halton, Leeds, now has nine offices across the UK, four of which are in Yorkshire.

The lawyer has taken her Yorkshire roots and applied them to her work ethos. She said: “We have what I call a ‘Bettys approach’. Anyone can go into Bettys in Harrogate and feel comfortable. I copied that to such an extent that their carpet can now be found in our offices.”

She is also the author of three books on divorce and has a regular segment on ITV’s This Morning, where she gives advice to viewers.

Marilyn’s talk also looked at how marriage and relationships have changed since she began practising law in 1980, as well as where she thinks change still needs to be made.

She explained: “During my career, society has changed more dramatically than it ever has in the past. We are much more diverse and tolerant now, but I’m far from convinced the law has changed at the same pace as society. It’s behind the times, and we need to do something about this.”

Marilyn is pictured (left) with Jackie Chalmers, chair of the OGC London branch, and Helen Clapham, director of external relations at The Grammar School at Leeds.

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