Jennifer Headon
- Profile
- Testimonials
Jennifer is the Head of the International Family Law Team (Legal Director) and leads the firm’s Modern Family Team. She is described in the Legal 500 [UK 2024] directory as ‘being the right level of fierce and tenacious with the opposition, whilst having complete empathy and endless reassurance for the client’ and as having ‘niche expertise in international family law’. Jennifer specialises in international and cross-jurisdictional matters, and she regularly co-advises alongside lawyers based in other jurisdictions, particularly the US and Canada. She is also often instructed by lawyers from other jurisdictions to give an opinion on English family law.
Jennifer has experience of dealing with complex financial remedy proceedings arising from divorce and civil partnership dissolution, including those with family businesses, tax issues, trusts (including offshore trusts), significant pensions and offshore companies. Jennifer also has experience of advising upon and drafting nuptial agreements (pre- and post-nuptial agreements) for HNW and UHNW clients, as well as advising upon cohabitation agreements and using various forms of alternate dispute resolution, including arbitration.
Uniquely, she continues to advise both in respect of financial matters but also in relation to complex private children matters. Her practice encompasses all elements of international child arrangements; including relocation applications, mirror orders and more general child arrangements for parents who live in different jurisdictions.
She has a growing practice advising upon legal issues affecting modern families, such as international private adoption, international surrogacy arrangements, declarations of parentage and donor/fertility law.
She has contributed articles to Lexis®PSL, Yahoo! News, Good to Know and Jordan’s Online (as it then was).
“Jennifer Headon joined in July 2022 and further strengthens the team’s offering with her experience in handling complex financial remedy work and private children law matters, and niche expertise in international family law.” Legal 500 [UK 2024]
‘‘I’ve worked with Jennifer Headon, and am impressed by her absolute commitment to clients. She masters being the right level of fierce and tenacious with the opposition, whilst having complete empathy and endless reassurance for the client. In short, she’s great.” Legal 500 [UK 2024]
“Jennifer is a very thorough and competent professional solicitor who always had my best interests in mind.”
“I was always kept fully informed by her, I was incredibly confident that I was in very good hands at all times and I respected her honesty. She never missed a scheduled call and she always replied to my emails within an incredibly quick timeframe.”
“What I especially liked about Jennifer was her ability to remain calm in crisis situations. When I felt at breaking point, she’d take control and help me through to the other side.“
“I would recommend Jennifer to friends and colleagues, without a doubt.”
“I met so many solicitors at the start of my divorce process however, I had several issues with them which made me feel stressed and uncomfortable. When I met Jennifer, I instantly felt comfortable with her professionalism, knowledge and advice. Through my divorce process Jennifer has taken the pressure away from me, given me her honest opinion and reassured me. It is a stressful process and I couldn’t have asked for anyone else. She is tough when she needs to be but also a genuinely a lovely person and helps me understand the legal terminology and all the different processes/paths.”
“The outcome of legal proceedings is uncertain, but Jennifer is leaving no stone unturned in an effort to advocate on my behalf and present my case… Jennifer is a compassionate, relentless, forensic lawyer. Whatever the outcome of this… she has my admiration and infinite gratitude. Jennifer is in my humble opinion a superb lawyer and is a tremendous asset to Birketts. I imagine you already know that though!“
“I know it’s been a long haul…but I’m more than happy with our outcome, and the fact that we can remain amicable is the most importantly thing for me, with regard to the children. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me – you’ve honestly been amazing and have offered me such sound advice the whole way through. I really appreciate it…Anyone who has you as their solicitor will have made a very wise choice. Thanks for much again, from the bottom of my heart. I could not have navigated this without you.”
Awards and Memberships
Sectors
Insights
Jennifer has been supporting me with separation and child/financial arrangements over the last 18 months and she has been a tremendous support. She is extremely responsive and takes the time to explain all elements of the law and the implications for my case, Jennifer also couples this with her understanding of the emotional side that comes with cases like this…I cannot recommend Jennifer…enough.
Family Client