Written by Julia Day
Many of us love our furry friends. Pets often become a central part of families. You may shower your pets with love, expensive food and even the occasional manicure!!
One thing you may not have thought about is what would happen to your pet if you separated from your partner.
Jo with her dogs
UNE Law alumna Joanna Birtles, who has been practising in Family Law since 2012, takes a particular interest in Pet Custody cases. Joanna notes: ‘in Family Law cases, pets (usually dogs, cats and horses) are treated as property- same as a washing machine!’ Joanna takes the view that parties to a Family Law dispute should ‘focus on the best interests of the pet. Considerations such as who walked, fed and spent quality time with the pet should be considered.’
Joanna has recently started working for boutique Victorian based firm – Umbrella Family Law. Joanna is based in Melbourne but is currently working hard to establish the business in Tamworth, NSW. Umbrella Family Law has innovative attitudes towards Family Law cases. Instead of focusing on adversarial processes, which often have devastating impacts on relationships, they focus on a collaborative system. That is a holistic approach to Family Law where clients are given access to a variety of support services- such as counselling support. In fact, the mental health of parties is seen as being one of the top priorities within this approach. Parties are encouraged to focus on their key goals, whilst avoiding issues that are of less importance.
Jo at Albies
Joanna lived at Albies for the first part of her law degree. She then returned to online study, whilst working in Tamworth. When Joanna was studying law her ‘favourite subjects were Contract Law (with Dr Aileen Kennedy) and International Law and Human Rights (with Professor Jurgen Brohmer and Associate Professor Ottavio Quirico).
When I asked Joanna, what were the best aspects of working in Family Law, she notes ‘the fact I help someone through one of the most difficult times of their lives is very satisfying.’ In terms of the most challenging aspects, Joanna notes ‘I often see people at their worst. Parties are usually emotional and unable to make clear and rational decisions. Some lawyers are also overly adversarial and argumentative, which can make Family Law combative in nature.’ 
As I am sure you can imagine, Joanna is a pet lover herself. She has three dogs- Tex (German Shepherd), Mihka (Chow Chow) and Hondo (Pomeranian). Joanna notes ‘I work hard to keep the dogs in the lifestyle they have become accustomed to. We do everything together- the dog park, the beach, the cafe- they even sleep on my bed!’
Thank you, Joanna, for sharing your story with us!
