Joanne Thomas

Recent Work

• Advising a wife following the breakdown of her marriage, where the financial assets were worth circa £5 million and included complex international business issues as well as inherited wealth.  There were also issues regarding the date of separation (which was crucial in determining which assets fell into the matrimonial pot), the husband’s non-disclosure of assets, and a dispute as to the true value of his business interests.  Joanne successfully overcame the various issues, was able to ascertain a true picture of the husband’s wealth, and obtained a favourable settlement for her client.

• Advising a wife in a HNW financial matter involving a French property, and multiple UK jointly owned properties she had received as lifetime inheritances during the course of the marriage.

• Representing the husband in contested financial court proceedings which included a dispute as to the ownership and value of a property in Ukraine, as well as a dispute as to the ownership of a UK based property, requiring the intervention of a 3rd party and a contested hearing to determine these issues.

• Representing a husband in financial court proceedings following their divorce that took place circa 12 years prior to the division of the marital assets.  The matter involved careful scrutiny of how and when assets were acquired by each of the parties was required to ascertain whether or not they fell into the matrimonial pot.  It also involved consideration of the extent to which the ex-wife’s health and the needs of the husband’s child with severe special educational needs, should be taken into consideration when dividing the marital assets.

• Representing the father in heavily contested and protracted private children proceedings involving allegations of domestic violence including rape and coercive and controlling behaviour.

• Representing the mother in long-running, acrimonious children proceedings which included allegations of organising the attempted murder of the father.

• Achieved financial settlement through advising and representing a husband through the Court process in relation to financial matters arising from the breakdown of his marriage where the only asset was an inheritance received by the wife shortly before the parties separated.

• Advising the wife-to-be on a HNW pre-nuptial agreement involving planned future lifetime inheritances, offshore assets and family trusts in advance of her marriage to a high-profile person in the US film industry.
• Advising the husband-to-be on a pre-nuptial agreement to protect pre-acquired wealth exceeding £17m