Practice Areas
Dispute Resolution
Awards
“Winner of the Legal 500 Junior Barrister of the Year: Children and Family 2019” and “Winner of the Legal 500 Junior Barrister of the Year: Children and Family 2020”
‘Joy is a powerhouse. Her advocacy is tremendous, her preparation is meticulous, and she combines peerless judgement with an incredibly human touch. She is a go-to silk for complex children’s cases.’
Legal 500, 2025
Experience
Year of Call: 1990
Year of Silk: 2022
Education
LLB (Hons)
LLM
William Mc Nair Scholarship Grays Inn
Appointments
Recorder 2019
Profile
Joy is a leading silk who specialises in all aspects of the law relating to children . She has particular expertise in complex children matters encompassing both public and private law proceedings.
She is regularly involved in cases concerning non-accidental injury, sexual abuse, factitious disorder, physical and emotional abuse of children acting for all parties at all levels.
In addition, she is a specialist in private law matters where there are protracted and highly contentious disputes and she is particularly specialist in the international relocation and movement of children including adoption.
She has experience of appellate work in all areas.
Public Children Law
Joy is regularly involved in cases involving complex issues including conflicting medical evidence, non- accidental injury and death of children, sexual abuse, physical and emotional abuse.
The majority of her cases are running in tandem with parallel criminal proceedings involving serious criminal offences. She is regularly instructed on behalf of all parties and represents children regularly.
Private Children Law
Joy is a specialist in all private law matters that touch on the welfare of children. She has particular expertise in entrenched/high conflict issues embracing specific issues such as education, religion and medical treatment and emotional harm created by alienating behaviours.
Having appeared in RE H-N, she frequently deals with cases of domestic abuse at all levels including appellate work, fact-finding and welfare hearings. She regularly speaks on the issue of domestic abuse including at the South Africa HCCH Forum this year and as a panellist at IAFL chapters.
International Children Law
Joy’s work frequently includes an international element, and she is a specialist in the movement of children particularly international and internal relocation. She is a contributing author on the Chapter in respect of Relocation in the sixth edition of “The International Family Law Practice”.
Joy also undertakes complex international adoption work which often includes aspects of surrogacy law.
These cases often include issues of immigration and cross-jurisdictional return of children as well as placing children abroad as part of care planning.
Non-court dispute resolution
Joy sits as a Recorder and can conduct Early Neutral Evaluation.
Publications/Training
Contributing author to “The International Family Law Practice” Sixth Edition on the subject of international/ internal relocation of children.
Professional Memberships
Family Law Bar Association
Member of the FLBA Executive committee (2016- ) and Chair of the FLBA Scholarship Committee
Association of Lawyers for Children
Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)
South Eastern Circuit
Gray’s Inn
Joy previously sat as a member of the Disciplinary Tribunal
Directories
‘Joy is a powerhouse. Her advocacy is tremendous, her preparation is meticulous, and she combines peerless judgement with an incredibly human touch. She is a go-to silk for complex children’s cases.’
Legal 500, 2025
“Joy is a fearless and excellent advocate who is able to read the court extraordinarily well.”
“Joy is outstanding at cross-examination at trial. If something is not going the client’s way, she is bold and will do what it takes to turn things around during a final hearing.”
“She is direct and directs her advocacy like a bullseye and it reaches its target every time. She is a standout in this generation. I feel so privileged to know her.”
Chambers & Partners, 2025
‘Joy is a superlative advocate who can take a case by the scruff of the neck and turn it around. She is empathetic, user-friendly and the total package.’
Legal 500, 2024
“Has a very forceful style of advocacy which she uses to great effect in the most tricky of children cases.”
“She will leave no stone unturned when fighting her case, and is particularly good with vulnerable clients.”
“Joy is unparalleled in terms of her wisdom, grasp of a case and ability to deliver the right outcome no matter how complex the case is.”
“Joy Brereton is very highly rated; she provides sensible and realistic advice and, where necessary, gives the client significant reassurance about their case.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
‘Joy is a brilliant advocate who brings great clarity of thought to her work, gives clients enormous confidence and is always well prepared and meticulous in her analysis.’
Legal 500, 2023
“User-friendly and responsive, she works incredibly hard and prepares thoroughly. Her advocacy is excellent and she always pitches it correctly based on the status of the case.” “She has amazing skills in court and her client care is second to none. She demolishes the other side in cross-examination.” “A workhorse who is wonderful with clients and fierce on her feet.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
Band 1
‘ A leading advocate and hugely skilled in international relocation cases. Formidable cross-examination skills. Very much in demand. ’
Legal 500, 2022
Top Tier
Highly experienced barrister who is recognised for her work in complex children cases. She exhibits strength in international matters, and has additional expertise in disputes concerning issues of criminal offences and abuse. Her expertise spans both private and public cases.
Strengths: “Hugely reassuring and sensitive to clients, she is an incisive and powerful advocate.” “Clients can rest assured that she has thoroughly prepared their cases and has completely understood them.” “Joy inspires confidence and is unbelievably committed to what she does. She is a pleasure to work with and fearless in court.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
Band 1
‘Incredibly user-friendly and accessible. She is also a powerful and persuasive presence in court on her client’s behalf.’
Legal 500, 2021
Top Tier
Highly experienced barrister who is recognised for her work in complex children cases. She exhibits strength in international matters, and has additional expertise in disputes concerning issues of criminal offences and abuse. Her expertise spans both private and public cases.
Strengths: “Joy fights for her clients and is a passionate advocate. She is an excellent strategist and has wonderful client care skills.” “Joy is able to pick up cases and grasp the detail very quickly. Excellent in court and a very strong advocate, she’s able to gauge the correct tone to take and which arguments to run.”
Chambers & Partners 2020
Band 1
‘Knows every detail of her cases and is a formidable presence in court.’
Legal 500, 2020 Family Junior of the Year
Top Tier
“She is the best children law junior in London and better than most silks. She has an extraordinary ability to win round judges with a powerful but highly intelligent advocacy style.”
Legal 500 2019 Family Junior of the Year
Highly experienced children law barrister who is recognised for her work in cases concerning the movement of children internationally. She additionally exhibits strength in matters concerning issues of criminal offences and abuse. Her expertise spans both private and public cases.
Strengths: “The modern-day equivalent of a knight in shining armour for difficult children cases, she is robust enough for the most difficult of clients and cases.” “She is a force of nature and a go-to barrister for tricky private children work.”
Chambers & Partners 2019
Band 1
‘Judges love her – she is firm and persuasive in court.’
Legal 500, 2019
Top Tier
Highly experienced children law barrister who is recognised for her work in cases concerning the movement of children internationally. She additionally exhibits strength in matters concerning issues of criminal offences and abuse. Her expertise spans both private and public cases.
Strengths: “She’s just always very available, a very persuasive advocate and very good with the clients. She has it all.”
Chambers & Partners 2018
Band 1
‘She works ridiculously hard and is meticulous on paper and clever on her feet.’
Legal 500, 2017
Highly experienced children law barrister who is recognised for her work in cases concerning the movement of children internationally. She additionally exhibits strength in matters concerning issues of criminal offences and abuse.
Strengths: “She’s marvellously authoritative, and can deal with both clients and the judge beautifully.”
Chambers & Partners 2017
Band 1
‘Her preparation is top notch.’
Legal 500, 2016
Has an enviable reputation for taking on some of the most challenging children cases. She specialises in both public and private matters, and is singled out for her resolute nature and willingness to fight.
Strengths: “Not many people are prepared to have a fight in the way she is. There’s not many who fight things they might lose. She is prepared to take sensible risks for her clients, and is a fearless advocate.”
Recent work: Joy went to the High Court in a public law children case. The grandparents of a child were accused of being complicit in the international abduction of a child by its parents. The case included an international police effort to locate the missing child.
Chambers & Partners 2016
Undertakes both private and public law children proceedings, and has a particular affinity for cases with an international angle to them, particularly those concerning international abduction, relocation and serious injury to children.
Expertise: “Very sensible, very realistic and incredibly effective as an advocate.”
Chambers & Partners 2015
‘Utterly fearless and a superb advocate’
The Legal 500 2015
Highly experienced in private and public law children work and is especially recognised for her work regarding adoption and child relocation. She also handles cases involving issues for consideration such as education and religion.
Recent work: Featured in a high-profile case involving a decision concerning the upbringing of five children from the Chassidic community. This concerned a disagreement between the parents over the education of the children which would entirely affect their whole way of life and rules for living.
Chambers & Partners 2014
Another favourite amongst solicitors as is Joy Brereton, a “tough, no-nonsense” advocate who handles all aspects of children law with a particular focus on complex private law disputes such as international relocation.
Chambers & Partners 2013
Joy Brereton draws particular praise for her work relating to child relocation. “She is very approachable, very persuasive in court and has a fantastic manner with the clients,” say those that use her.
Chambers & Partners 2012
Joy Brereton, “a gifted advocate with in-depth knowledge of all aspects of children law. Her reassuring manner always plays well with clients,” say sources.
Chambers & Partners 2011