Legal 500 Recognises Machins Expertise Across the Firm
Machins Solicitors continues to set the standard for legal excellence, securing its place as a leading firm in family law for the seventh year running in The Legal 500 2026 rankings.
Joe Colley
Family, Children & Separation
Senior Associate Solicitor, Private Family Law Team
Contact Information
Testimonials
I just wanted to thank you and the team for all your hard work on my case and for just generally being great all round. You have been exactly the person we needed during a very difficult time.
Joe Colley is a stand-out associate. He works tirelessly and diligently for his clients. He has a thoughtful and measured approach and his cases are meticulously prepared. He quickly gains the trust of his clients and offers robust, pragmatic and strategic advice to cut through the issues and ensure his clients achieve the best possible outcome.
Legal 500 2025
Joe Colley and his team at Machins gave me help, advice and guidance. Joe was a huge support to me during an extremely difficult and emotional period in my life.
He showed me empathy and reassurance throughout whilst remaining professional. Without Joe's support and legal advice I would have been lost.
Client Feedback Form - August 2025
I just want to thank you and the whole team at Machins for your tireless efforts with my case. Your support and advice have been so helpful and I genuinely don’t know how I would have got to this stage alone. It has genuinely meant the absolute world to me to see my baby girl again and especially before Christmas.
I would like to say a huge thank you to you. You showed such care and compassion whilst being very professional too. I felt very comfortable talking to you despite some of it being very personal and difficult to discuss. I would definitely recommend you.
Everything was excellent and I couldn't have asked for better support.
I wanted to say what an absolute pleasure Joe is. He has taken such good care of me and I so appreciate his professionalism, knowledge and advice.
Joe is an absolute star
About Joe
Joe joined Machins as a Paralegal and completed his training contract with the firm. He was promoted to Associate in November 2023 and Senior Associate in November 2025.
Joe has experience in corporate and family law, including work alongside a leading London family law team. He provides practical, strategic and compassionate advice focused on the best possible outcomes.
Joe conducts most of his own advocacy in the court, regularly appearing in financial remedy, private children and domestic abuse proceedings. Clients and judges have praised his clear, measured and effective approach. He supports partners on complex high-net-worth cases and uses non-court dispute resolution to secure pragmatic, cost-effective outcomes. His calm, strategic approach helps clients avoid unnecessary conflict, delay and expense. Client’s trust him from day one.
He has worked with leading King’s Counsel on complex, high-value litigation, including a multi-million-pound financial cases, and has successfully defended appeals and obtained wasted costs orders.
Joe supervises and mentors junior colleagues and, as Machins’ Training Principal, he leads trainee recruitment and the mentoring programme. He also supports strategic and operational initiatives through the firm’s Associate programme.
Joe supports access to justice as a Legal Adviser to the University of Hertfordshire Law Clinic and through the Hertfordshire Children Law Duty Scheme. He is also a Board Member and Legal Adviser to the Tring Contact Centre.
Memberships and accolades
- Member, Resolution
- Resolution accredited specialist family lawyer in both Complex Financial Remedy cases (low to medium net worth) and Private Law Children cases
- ‘Key Lawyer’, Legal 500 (2025 and 2026)
Specialist practice areas
- Divorce and separation
- Civil partnerships
- Prenuptial arrangements
- Cohabitation disputes
- Children matters
- Same-sex couples
- Private Children Act cases including internal and external relocation, child arrangements and Prohibited steps
- Domestic abuse
- Financial remedy proceedings
Latest news by Joe Colley
Wife Ordered to Pay £275,000 for Litigation Misconduct
A £275,000 costs order shows how seriously the court treats litigation misconduct in divorce finances.
Custody Myths: Why “Custody” No Longer Exists in Family Law
The concept of “custody” no longer exists in family law. Learn how child arrangements after divorce are determined today, focusing on shared parental responsibility and the child’s best interests. We address common misconceptions and clarify what modern family law means for parents.
Cohabiting couples face long wait for legal protection, MPs warn
A cross-party group of MPs has warned that cohabiting couples may have to wait for several years before legal reforms are implemented to better protect their rights. The MPs have urged the government to reconsider its timetable and speed things up. Unlike married couples, cohabitants have very few legal protections if their relationship breaks down.
New move to help separating couples prioritise their children
A new course and set of resources to help separating couples prioritise their children’s needs has been launched by Cafcass on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. Cafcass is the organisation that protects the rights of children in family disputes and court proceedings. It says that when couples separate, the risk of a deterioration in