Joanne McDonald

Family law is Joanne’s passion, and she is genuinely dedicated to each case she takes on. She understands that divorce or separation is a significant life event for anyone, and she recognises that every client is unique. Joanne values building a strong rapport with clients, making it a priority to understand their goals and priorities from the outset, so she can offer the best possible advice. She works closely with clients throughout the process, providing them with realistic guidance and using her experience to strive for the best possible outcome.

Joanne is highly motivated to achieve the best results for her clients, whether inside or outside of court proceedings, always maintaining a focus on cost proportionality. Clients appreciate her tenacity, calm approach, honesty, sensitivity, attention to detail, and recognition of cost efficiency, as well as her (sometimes dark) sense of humour.

Joanne has extensive experience handling complex financial remedy cases, with a value of up to approximately £12m. Her cases have involved multiple properties, business assets, and pension assets, both within England & Wales and internationally. She has worked with business owners and their spouses, as well as cases involving financial misconduct, particularly related to the gambling of family money.

Joanne is also highly experienced in dealing with complex children’s cases, many of which have involved safeguarding issues and child relocation, both within the UK and abroad. She has assisted clients where no safeguarding issues were present, but where discussions regarding child arrangements became difficult or contentious.

Joanne has advised on and drafted various agreements, including nuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, separation agreements, and declarations of trust. She has also negotiated settlements in property disputes between unmarried couples and represented clients in proceedings concerning these matters.

She has acted for clients in cases to successfully vary maintenance orders, including the cessation of a joint lives maintenance order worth £75,000 per annum, following the payment of a modest lump sum.