Jo Henley

Jo is a solicitor in the family team, supporting clients through periods of change in their lives. Her experience includes divorce/dissolution, complex finances, Schedule 1 proceedings, arrangements for children, child welfare and child relocation (for married and unmarried couples), domestic abuse, pre- and post-nuptial and cohabitation agreements. Jo is also a trained family mediator, mediating both finance and children cases, and has run her family mediation business since 2023.

Much of Jo’s work features international elements, and her cases have been determined through the Family and High Courts or settled through lawyer-led negotiations and alternative dispute resolution. Her focus when supporting clients is to ensure that her advice and approach is tailored to best suit their needs. Jo works with clients to achieve a favourable settlement without the need for court intervention, where possible.

When it comes to finances, Jo is known to be forensic, detail oriented and commercial. Her cases often involve complex renumeration structures, overseas corporate entities, pensions, crypto currencies, family businesses, family trusts and inherited/pre-acquired assets, and concerns about non-disclosure where asset tracing has been necessary.

Jo's experience in children cases is extensive, and she has acted as Court appointed "Parent Coordinator" in Vermont, US where she lived from 2022 - 2024. She adopts a holistic approach to children cases, involving counsellors, mediators and co-parenting experts where appropriate. She is experienced in high conflict cases including those involving allegations of domestic abuse, substance use issues and welfare concerns with local authority involvement. 

Jo has lived in the US, and has particular experience advising Mishcon clients where US jurisdictions are engaged in respect of both finance and child relocation cases.

Jo is an active member of Resolution, a community focussed on promoting constructive approaches to family issues that consider the needs of the whole family.

Key Experience

• Acted in a complex High Court financial dispute, which involved family assets held through a corporate structure of 29 companies based in the UK, BVI and Malta. Prepared successful applications including for asset preservation and joinder of third parties. Nearly 5 years after proceedings began, we negotiated a financial settlement. It was one of the largest finance cases in the department 's history, and involved organising a cross-disciplinary team of 41 people across the Firm.
• Represented a UAE father in various proceedings relating to the care and welfare of his child. Successfully defended the mother 's application for leave to remove the child from the jurisdiction, and worked to ensure the child 's privacy given the high-profile nature of the mother, securing orders in both the family and civil courts.
• Supported a US mother in divorce, financial and relocation proceedings involving domestic abuse and child welfare concerns. The father variously consented and objected to the relocation, seeking to use his consent as leverage to secure a better financial outcome. Within four months of being instructed, we successfully settled the relocation case (enabling our client to relocate with her children to the US) and resolved the finances.
• Advised US mother in financial and child arrangements proceedings, involving financial abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour. Finances were successfully settled at a Private Financial Disputes Resolution hearing, and a fact-finding hearing was ordered in the child arrangements proceedings (as proposed by our client) to hear her allegations of abuse.
• Acts for clients in enforcement and variation disputes.
• Works collaboratively with clients and lawyers drafting cohabitation and nuptial agreements involving inherited wealth, trusts, significant business assets and foreign jurisdictions.
• Mediates family issues including divorce, financial settlement, childcare arrangements, co-parenting communication and comprehensive parenting plans.
• Worked for the Judiciary in the Vermont, US as a "Parent Coordinator" for 18 months, where she was appointed by the Court in high conflict children cases to: i) interview and work with children, parents, schools and other service providers; ii) write reports to the court with recommendations for child safety and contact arrangements; and iii) provide evidence in court regarding her recommendations. Her role as a Parent Coordinator involved training in family system dynamics, child brain development, substance abuse, domestic abuse and working with families in conflict. She consistently applies her knowledge and experience of working with children and for the Judiciary, to better support her clients at Mishcon.
• Contracted as a mediator for the Agency of Education in Vermont, US to mediate between School Districts and parents/guardians of individuals with special educational needs in relation to the school's provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education.

Career History

Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Mediator, Jo Henley Mediation
Consultant solicitor, Keystone Law
University of Oxford (Lady Margaret Hall)
University of Oxford (Lady Margaret Hall), BA: English Language and Literature

Articles and Publications

• Controlling and Coercive Behaviour and the use of Scott Schedules
• An analysis of the Domestic Abuse Act
• A call for reform of inheritance law in situations involving suicide linked to domestic abuse