Joanna Farrands

Spear’s Review

Joanna Farrands is a partner and head of the family law department at Moore Barlow’s office in Surrey.

She brings nearly 20 years of experience to the role, leading a team that acts for clients – who include entrepreneurs, professionals and parents – in high-net-worth divorces; complex financial settlements, including cases involving significant or intricate business or pension assets; sensitive child arrangements; and international family disputes.

Farrands is also equipped to advise on pre- and postnuptial agreements, civil partnership dissolution and cohabitation disputes. 

As a member of Resolution who sits on the Surrey Resolution committee, she is trained in collaborative law and often takes on cases under the ‘one lawyer one couple model’.

Adviser Profile

‘We represent a large number of people who work in the city but live out here,’ says Joanna Farrands. ‘They’d rather instruct somebody away from their place of work; we like to say we have the expertise and experience of the City lawyers without the price tag.’

Farrands particularly favours the conciliatory approach to family dispute resolution and has represented both parties in a number of divorces. ‘I feel it makes such a difference to the family long term and should help preserve their relationship,’ she says. ‘Of course, not all cases will work using that method, but I am now dealing with a considerable number of financial cases – even those with international elements or complex business structures – under the one lawyer one couple model.’