New roles for Amanda Piper, Florence Goodwin, Justine Lowe and Ian Stirzaker
Posted on: 15/04/2026
Category: Firm news
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
At the beginning of April, Amanda Piper, Florence Goodwin and Justine Lowe stepped into new roles in their respective departments.
Amanda Piper
Amanda Piper became Head of Court of Protection, Probate & Trusts within our Private Client team.
Amanda joined us in June 2021 and has over 25 years of experience across various types of Private Client work. She particularly enjoys helping families in their time of need with probate, as well as guiding clients through the challenges faced when dealing with the Court of Protection. Her breadth of expertise, together with her compassionate and considerate nature, makes her the perfect fit for the role, and her progression is well-deserved.
Amanda is a member of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners and the Association of Lifetime Lawyers. Most recently, she gained her CILEx Litigation Practice Rights, which will enable her to continue providing our clients with a quality Court of Protection service.
Florence Goodwin
Florence Goodwin became Head of Wills & Powers of Attorney within our Private Client team.
Florence started with us in 2020 and has over 25 years of experience as a solicitor, having trained with a large Birmingham firm. Her expertise includes handling will trusts, letters of wishes and inheritance tax issues. Florence supports all clients including business owners and high-net-worth individuals, and is experienced in drafting wills for families with more complex needs, including those with second marriages and blended families.
Florence also runs free legal advice clinics in partnership with several local organisations, such as Worcester Cathedral and Clent Connect Community Hub, which gives more people the opportunity to access advice without needing to travel to our offices. Last year, alongside her team and other local firms, she helped to raise £3,260 for Worcester Cathedral.
Congratulations to Florence on a thoroughly well-deserved step up into her new role.
Justine Lowe
Justine Lowe became an Associate in our Family Law department.
Justine joined us in March 2021 as a Consultant Solicitor in our Company & Commercial team, before moving into Family Law in January 2025. Unusually for a family lawyer, Justine also brings many years of experience in commercial contract negotiations. This gives her a uniquely incisive approach to family matters.
With this background, Justine is passionate about supporting clients through the emotional trauma of separation with an empathetic yet practical approach. Regularly described by clients as “conscientious” and “proactive” (and by colleagues as a “great negotiator”), Justine prefers to resolve disputes amicably but is always willing to advocate firmly for her clients when needed.
Justine strongly believes in tackling family matters with a collaborative approach and recently became a Resolution Collaborative Practitioner. This training enables her to support couples in adopting a more collaborative, constructive and cost-effective approach to family law, giving them more control over the process.
Justine’s drive to build her skills and determination to achieve a fair outcome for clients shows that this new role was a natural progression for her.
Please join us in congratulating Amanda, Florence and Justine on their thoroughly well-deserved new roles.
Ian Stirzaker
With Samantha Lloyd and Guy Salter also taking on new leadership roles, the beginning of April 2026 also marked a change for Ian Stirzaker, who stepped down from his combined Managing Partner/Senior Partner role, which he has held for over two decades. Ian remains a partner at SME Solicitors and Head of the Family Law department and will support Samantha and Guy in the ongoing management of the firm.
If you have any questions or queries, please contact our team on 01905 723561 or email us at info@smesolicitors.co.uk.