Jo : women and changing relationships

Jo Edwards is a family lawyer of 30 years’ experience, specialising in divorce and separation for high-net-worth individuals (often with an international element), complex child arrangements cases and preparing relationship agreements (pre-nups and cohabitation agreements).  Lots of her practice is spent mediating couples.  She heads up a 35-strong team at Marylebone firm Forsters LLP. For the last 17 years she has sat on the board of national lawyers’ organisation Resolution and leads on campaigns for law reform; she successfully led the charge for no fault divorce, which came in in 2022, and is presently campaigning for rights for unmarried couples at the end of their relationship (a government consultation having concluded in August 2026). 

Jo is a regular voice/face in the media – she is a periodic divorce expert on ITV’s Lorraine and appears regularly on ITV News, BBC Breakfast and Radio 4’s Money Box/LBC/Times and Talk Radio and BBC Radio 5 Live, as well as having been on Woman’s Hour, Radio 4’s Law Show and a slew of local BBC Radio stations.  Although her main specialist subject is family law, she is often called on to talk about her other passion, Manchester United.  She meets regularly with Ministers of the day to discuss law reform and has given oral evidence to several parliamentary committees.  She is described by the legal directories as simply one of the leading family lawyers of her generation.

Jo will talk a bit about her career and then describe how society has changed, leading to women having different types of relationships (more cohabiting unmarried, less taboo around divorce, having more financial power, more international movement, having children later or not at all, etc...) and how that has changed the dynamics of how women should look at their financial protection.

We will be having a selection of wines and a very nice full sit down dinner in a private room at the St Jacques restaurant on St James street. Please book early to make sure you have a place (limited number of seats).