Tanner De Witt

Family

Partner, Head of Family

Joanne is Partner and Head of the Family Practice at Tanner De Witt which was in 2020 awarded ALB Hong Kong Family and Matrimonial Law Firm of the Year. Joanne advises clients across all stages of the family lifecycle including cohabitation, paternity, adoption, prenuptial agreements, marriage, separation and divorce. Chambers Asia Pacific 2021 notes that “Joanne is excellent – she is focused on client needs and maintains a clear view of what can be achieved”.

Joanne leads a team of family lawyers experienced in family litigation with many successful court cases reported. The team advises a diverse range of clients including high net worth individuals and expatriates and most of the matters have international considerations. A large part of Joanne’s practice involves advising individuals on challenging jurisdictional issues and complex financial arrangements including property held in multiple countries and spousal and child maintenance. Joanne also advises parents on difficult children’s custodial matters which often include the relocation of children from Hong Kong and child abduction. Many of the matters involve complex legal issues which will have an effect on the rule of law. This includes cases involving the Hague Convention (Abduction) and advising clients that qualify for Legal Aid.

The family team recognises and values the wide range of dispute resolution methods available to clients in this area of law often guiding clients to a positive outcome without the need to resort to court proceedings. A HKMAAL qualified Family Mediator, Joanne frequently advises clients engaged in mediation as a means to resolving conflicts. In addition, Joanne is a Qualified Practitioner of the Hong Kong Collaborative Law Practice Group and a qualified Parenting Coordinator.

Joanne studied Law in England before being admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong in 2008. She was awarded a Master of Laws (LLM) from The University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Law in 2018. Joanne is on the firm’s Wellness Committee and sits as a Committee Member of the Hong Kong Family Law Association.

Professional memberships

Accredited Mediator of Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association Limited Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Committee Member of the Hong Kong Family Law Association Member of Resolution Member of the Hong Kong Collaborative Law Practice Group (Qualified Practitioner) Qualified Parenting Coordinator (PC) The Law Society of Hong Kong

Other memberships

Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong (FCC)