Practice Overview

Joanne Barnett is a senior family law barrister recognised by The Legal 500 as a Tier 1 Leading Junior in Family Law. She specialises in financial remedies, complex private children cases, both in England and Wales and cross jurisdictionally. She is an advocate for non-court dispute resolution.

Joanne is known for quickly assimilating complex material, meticulous preparation, calm and practical case strategy and exceptional client care. Her advocacy is robust but measured, with a particular strength in cross-examination and in identifying a clear route through difficult factual and evidential disputes. She regularly has hearings across England and Wales.

Direct Access has formed a substantial part of Joanne’s practice from solicitor referrals and direct from the public. She is experienced in working directly with individuals where a case is suitable for Public Access, providing clear early advice, case strategy, drafting and representation. She accepts Direct Access instructions in divorce and financial remedy proceedings, private children cases and international cross jurisdictional matters in both children and finance.

Joanne has experience in high-value and complex financial remedy proceedings involving companies and business interests, overseas and hidden assets, insolvency, inheritance, interveners, add-back arguments, conduct, pre-existing agreements, variation and enforcement.

She has extensive experience of complex private children disputes, including fact-finding hearings and cases involving coercive and controlling behaviour, physical and sexual abuse allegations, parental alienation and case involving vulnerable parties.

International work is a significant feature of Joanne’s practice. She advises on internal and international relocation cases both opposing and preparing for a relocation and has experience of proposed moves involving the UAE/Dubai, USA, Brazil, Japan, Poland, Norway, New Zealand, Australia and France. She also advises British expatriates and internationally connected families living in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and elsewhere in the UAE where they require advice on English family law.

Joanne is an IFLA arbitrator under both the Children and Financial Schemes and is available to sit as a private FDR judge. She is committed to effective non-court dispute resolution and has experience of shuttle negotiation and round-table settlement meetings. Joanne is an advocate of NCDR and ENE and is a member of the NCDR team within Exchange chambers. She is client focused and seeks to identify practical settlement opportunities and reduce the financial and emotional cost of contested litigation.

Direct Access Family Barrister

Joanne accepts Direct Access instructions from members of the public where the matter is suitable. Her long-standing Direct Access practice gives her a strong understanding of what a client needs at the beginning of a family dispute: an early assessment of the issues, realistic advice about outcomes and costs, provides a clear strategy and continuity of representation where possible.

Clients may instruct Joanne directly in appropriate divorce, financial remedy cases and private children disputes both here and internationally where cross jurisdictional issues arise with assets or relocation of children. She can advise under direct access in conference remotely (if in the UK or abroad) and provides direct access representation at court hearings in England and Wales in both Children and Financial matters.

Financial Remedies & High-Value Divorce

Joanne undertakes complex divorce and financial remedy work, including high-value cases involving company and business assets valued in the tens of millions. Her experience includes overseas and hidden assets, non-disclosure, insolvency, inheritance, interveners and third-party interests, add-back arguments, conduct, pre-existing agreements, prenuptial agreements and pet nuptials, variation of periodical payments and enforcement.

She can advise at an early stage on settlement strategy and evidential issues as well as represent clients throughout contested proceedings, private FDRs, arbitration and negotiated settlement processes within NCDR.

She provides advice as to whether a client should have or sign a prenuptial agreements and  assist with formulating an agreement and if necessary on a collaborative basis. She also prepares pet nuptial agreements as part or separate to the prenuptial agreement.

Private Children & International Relocation

Joanne specialises in complex private law children cases and internal and international relocation. She advises and represents parents both seeking and opposing relocation and can provide strategic pre-proceedings advice before a proposed move. Her relocation experience includes cases involving Dubai and the wider UAE, the USA, Brazil, Japan, Poland, Norway, New Zealand and France.

Her private children practice includes complex fact-finding hearings involving allegations of physical and sexual abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour and parental alienation.

Dubai, Abu Dhabi & UAE-Based Clients

Joanne has a particular interest in English family law matters affecting British expatriates and internationally connected families living in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates.

UAE-based clients can contact Chambers about instructing Joanne directly for advice on English family law. Remote conferences allow clients in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and across the UAE to obtain specialist advice from an English family law barrister without travelling to England for an initial consultation.

For an expatriate contemplating separation or divorce, early advice about jurisdiction and the potential availability of proceedings in England and Wales may be important. Joanne can advise on English divorce and financial remedy issues, international assets and business interests, and family wealth or property situated in more than one jurisdiction. She also advises on international children matters, including proposed relocation to and from the UAE.

Private FDR, Family Arbitration & NCDR

Joanne is an IFLA Financial Arbitrator and IFLA Children Arbitrator and sits as a private FDR judge. She can therefore assist families across both financial and children disputes through non-court dispute resolution. Her wider NCDR practice within chambers NCDR team which includes shuttle negotiation and round-table settlement meetings, ENE with an emphasis on identifying practical and proportionate routes to resolution. Her breadth of children and financial expertise enables her to approach family breakdown holistically and identify practical and proportionate routes to resolution.

Client Specialism

She has extensive experience representing vulnerable parties and clients with additional communication or participation needs, including neurodivergent clients and individuals with learning disabilities. Her passion is to ensure these parties are supported within the process recognising the impact litigation can have on an individual and ensures that is provided so they feel supported.