In the Spotlight: Meet Nicola Scriven, Family Law Solicitor
Meeting the people behind Stephen Rimmer LLP
Welcome to In the Spotlight, a new monthly series from Stephen Rimmer LLP. Each month we will sit down with one of our solicitors to find out what drew them to the law, what a typical day looks like and what they get up to when they are not at their desk. The aim is to help you get to know the team you will be working with in a little more detail, beyond the job title on our website.
First up is Nicola Scriven, a Solicitor in our Family Law team in Eastbourne. Nicola joined us in August 2026 after six years as a family paralegal at another Eastbourne firm, and qualified as a solicitor earlier this year. She advises on all aspects of family law, with a particular interest in the financial side of divorce and separation and is a firm believer in resolving matters out of court wherever that is possible.
Nicola is East Sussex born and bred, an aviation enthusiast who learned to fly a glider before she passed her driving test and, as you will discover, the owner of an ambitious bucket list. Here she talks about what drew her to family law, what people get wrong about it and her first impressions of life at Stephen Rimmer.
Background and motivation
What drew you to family law, and what has kept you interested in it?
“Being able to help people during some of the most difficult and emotional times of their lives. That is what drew me to family law in the first place, and it is what has kept me interested ever since.
Every day is a learning day when it comes to family law. No two cases are the same, and no two families are the same, so it never becomes routine.”
Connection to East Sussex
What is your connection to the area, and what do you enjoy most about working at Stephen Rimmer?
“I have always lived in East Sussex, so the opportunity to work at a local firm and help local people made the move even more appealing to me.
Stephen Rimmer is a well-established firm with a long-standing reputation for serving the local community, and I am proud to be part of that.”
Work and expertise
What do people often misunderstand about your work until they see it up close?
“The challenges that come with dealing with such an emotive area of law, when the law itself can often be quite black and white.
People come to us at a deeply personal and difficult point in their lives, and the legal answer is not always the one they were hoping for. A big part of the job is helping someone understand where they stand and then finding the best way forward from there.”
What is the most rewarding part of your day-to-day job?
“Being able to help people when they are at their most vulnerable. Knowing that you have made a difficult time a little easier for someone is what makes the job worthwhile.”
What do clients appreciate most about working with you?
“I think it is my ability to empathise with my clients while also giving them clear and pragmatic advice. People need to feel heard, but they also need to know what their options are and what I would recommend. Getting that balance right matters to me.”
Life at Stephen Rimmer
Since joining in August, what are your first impressions of the firm, and has anything surprised you?
“How big the firm is! From the outside you do not necessarily appreciate quite how many people there are across the different teams and offices, so that was a surprise.”
Our values are respect, openness, teamwork and innovation. Which one do you see come through most in day-to-day life here?
“Teamwork. Everyone has been incredibly helpful and welcoming since I joined, and there is always someone willing to share their knowledge or lend a hand.”
Just for fun
What are you passionate about outside work?
“I am a big aviation enthusiast. I love flying and gliding and anything to do with aeroplanes!”
Favourite local lunch spot?
“It has to be either the Thai Marina or Pomodoro Mozzarella.”
What are three things on your bucket list outside of work?
“Obtain my Private Pilot’s Licence, fly in a Spitfire and travel to the Maldives.”
Thank you to Nicola for kicking off the series.