Joe Vaitilingam
Partner
“A fantastic divorce lawyer”
“Extremely intelligent, very tactical”
Over more than 25 years working as a family lawyer, Joe has gained a reputation as an astute and intelligent negotiator and a highly effective and skilful litigator. He has immense experience in all fields of family law, and has built up a diverse practice advising clients from all walks of life.
He has particular expertise negotiating and litigating complex financial disputes and working on cases concerning children. He is an expert on the relationship between trusts and family law and the preparation of pre-nuptial agreements. He has wide ranging experience dealing with multi-jurisdictional cases, where families, assets and pre-existing legal agreements can all be based in different countries.
He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, a member of Resolution and a collaborative lawyer and mediator.
Before co-founding the firm with Anne Kay, he was a partner at Hughes Fowler Carruthers. He qualified as a solicitor at Bates, Wells and Braithwaite in 1996, after studying Politics and Economics at Oxford.
Highlights
- Joe achieved a swift and favourable financial settlement for the wife of a leading London lawyer following a series of roundtable meetings with the husband and his lawyers.
- Joe obtained one of the largest known financial awards for housing and maintenance for a child of unmarried parents, advising a mother who sought financial support for her child from the father who lives in the USA .
- Joe secured an urgent interim Hemain injunction in the High Court in highly contested proceedings which prevented the husband pursuing litigation in Russia.
- Joe acted for the successful husband in the reported case of M v W [2014] EWHC 925. The wife had applied to the English court for further financial provision from her former husband after they had divorced in New Zealand. Joe successfully applied to the court for the dismissal of the wife’s claim.
Professional Testimonials
Every year Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners compile independent recommendations based on client and peer reviews for all practising lawyers. Since 2015, Joe has been ranked as a leading individual by Chambers & Partners. These are some of his reviews:
- One of a kind. He’s good humoured, brilliantly strategic and can dig any client out of any hole, however big. He will stop at nothing to get the best result for his clients. Legal 500 2023
- Quality through and through. A fantastic divorce lawyer... he has an answer for everything and it is always the right answer. Legal 500 2022
- An excellent lawyer, pragmatic in how he approaches cases and very emotionally intelligent. He understands the different dynamics behind the money and negotiation. Chambers 2021
- One of the best lawyers around. He's just fabulous. He has the nicest possible manner with clients, he's really intelligent and he knows the law inside out. Chambers HNW 2022
- Simply the best there is. Cool, calm and totally understated but with the ideal combination of a steely interior and friendly exterior. He understands clients, the law and tactics and so is an all-rounder. Legal 500 2020
- A very highly regarded practitioner… straightforward and sensible and praised for his ability to “fight like a lion for his clients". Chambers 2016
Client Testimonials
Testimonials
