“Joanna Toloczko is widely respected for her ability to combine legal expertise, commercial judgement and genuine empathy in guiding families through some of life’s most challenging transitions. With more than three decades of specialist family law experience, she is recognised for delivering clear, practical advice across complex financial disputes, children matters and international family cases, while maintaining a strong commitment to constructive resolution. As both a family lawyer and accredited mediator, Joanna brings a balanced and thoughtful perspective that helps clients achieve lasting outcomes with confidence and dignity.”

Fantastic Lawyers® Editorial 2026

Joanna Toloczko is a Partner and Head of Family Law at Orwins. With over 30 years of specialist family law experience, she has built an outstanding reputation for helping individuals and families resolve complex personal and financial disputes with sensitivity, intelligence and commercial judgement.

Having practised at leading firms across London and the South East, including a Top 100 City firm, Joanna advises clients on all aspects of family law, from divorce and separation through to children matters, financial settlements and international family disputes.

What Joanna Toloczko does

Joanna advises clients across the full spectrum of family law, including:

• Divorce and dissolution of civil partnerships
• Financial settlements following separation
• Complex business, trust and pension disputes
• Property and asset division
• Child arrangements and parental responsibility
• Domestic and international relocation cases
• International family law disputes
• Domestic abuse matters
• Family mediation
• Arbitration and private dispute resolution

Her financial remedy work frequently involves substantial wealth, business interests, property portfolios, trusts and pensions, often with an international dimension.

In relation to children, Joanna advises on where children should live, the time they spend with each parent, schooling decisions, religious upbringing, name disputes, relocation applications and complex cross-border family matters.

Why she stands out

Joanna is widely recognised for her ability to bring structure, reassurance and practical solutions to emotionally challenging situations.

Clients value her calm and methodical approach, particularly during periods of uncertainty and stress. She works collaboratively with clients to help them understand their options, make informed decisions and move forward with confidence.

As both a family lawyer and accredited family mediator, Joanna is uniquely positioned to guide clients towards constructive solutions while avoiding unnecessary conflict wherever possible.

Legal 500 has praised Joanna for her:

“Client service, technical knowledge and commercial acumen.”

Her combination of legal expertise, empathy and strategic thinking allows her to deliver solutions that are both legally robust and tailored to each client’s personal circumstances.

Champion of non-court dispute resolution

Joanna is a strong advocate of resolving family disputes outside the courtroom whenever possible.

She regularly assists clients through:

• Family mediation
• Private Financial Dispute Resolution hearings (Private FDRs)
• Family arbitration
• Negotiated settlements
• Collaborative approaches to dispute resolution

As an accredited family mediator and member of the Family Mediation Council, Joanna works impartially with separating couples to help them reach fair and sustainable agreements without the time, cost and stress of litigation.

Many of her mediation instructions come from referrals by other family law professionals, reflecting the confidence that fellow practitioners place in her expertise and judgement.

Notable experience

Joanna has handled a wide range of significant and complex family law matters throughout her career.

Her experience includes:

• Representing a wife in High Court financial remedy proceedings involving a substantial personal injury trust.
• Representing a father in complex Children Act proceedings involving three young children, successfully securing an order that the children should live with him before obtaining assistance from the High Court Tipstaff following their abduction.
• Acting in financial proceedings involving multiple interrelated companies, LLPs and extensive residential and commercial property holdings.
• Mediating a settlement for a couple with assets of approximately £10 million, reaching agreement after only three mediation sessions.
• Representing a husband in a cross-border divorce involving parallel proceedings in England and Austria.

Professional memberships and credentials

Joanna is committed to maintaining the highest professional standards and is actively involved in the family law community.

• Member of Resolution
• Member of the Law Society Family Law Panel
• Accredited Family Mediator
• Member of the Family Mediation Council
• Head of Family Law at Orwins

Her approach reflects Resolution’s principles of constructive, non-confrontational family law practice, while remaining firm and determined when clients’ interests require robust representation.