Jennifer Headon

Legal Director
  • Profile
  • Testimonials

Jennifer is a Legal Director and Team Leader of the International Family Law 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 joined Birketts in 2022, having worked for two well-regarded central London firms since qualification in 2012. She joined Birketts from a specialist ‘boutique’ family law firm where she spent seven years advising high net worth clients, including international families, high-profile clients in the public eye and modern families, in relation to a range of complex family law issues.

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.

As well as financial matters, Jennifer also has extensive experience in dealing with complex private children cases, including those with in which there have been allegations of serious domestic abuse and parental alienation and cases which have necessitated the appointment of a guardian to act for the children.

She has also represented parents in applications for permission to remove a child from the jurisdiction of England and Wales (both temporarily and permanently). Jennifer has a reported case in which she successfully represented a father in obtaining permission to take his children to Jordan (a non-Hague Convention country) for the purposes of a holiday (AB v TB (Temporary Removal to Jordan) [2014] EWHC 4663 (Fam)).

Jennifer has a growing practice of international and cross-jurisdictional matters and she regularly co-advises alongside lawyers based in other jurisdictions; particularly the USA and Canada. 

Jennifer aims to resolve issues in the most cost-effective manner possible and will always try to resolve a case at the earliest possible opportunity. However, in cases where it is simply not possible to resolve matters by agreement, Jennifer is an experienced and robust litigator.

Jennifer is a Resolution-accredited specialist in complex financial remedies and private children law. She has contributed articles to Lexis®PSL and Jordan’s Online and was shortlisted for Family Law Associate Solicitor of the Year at the Lexis Nexis Family Law Awards 2022.

“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!

Awards and Memberships

Family Law Awards 2022

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

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