“I’m approachable, flexible and a massive believer in the power of a phone call.”

Joanne Bowmer

Partner

Cumbria

EXPERTISE.

Joanne Bowmer is a Partner at Carbon Law Partners with over 20 years’ experience in residential conveyancing. She advises on sales, purchases, remortgages, new builds and transfers of equity, acting for clients across England and Wales.

Alongside her wider residential property practice, Joanne has developed a recognised specialism in acting for serving members of the Armed Forces, veterans, reservists and military families, supporting clients through the unique legal and practical challenges that military life can bring.

Joanne advises on all aspects of residential property law, including:

Sales and purchases
Remortgages
New build conveyancing
Transfers of equity
Complex and unregistered title matters
Armed Forces and military family conveyancing

She has particular expertise in unregistered property, a niche area requiring careful analysis of historic paper title deeds – a skill Joanne has developed over many years and one that is increasingly rare in modern conveyancing practice.

ARMED FORCES CONVEYANCING

Joanne is a specialist Armed Forces conveyancing lawyer, advising serving personnel, veterans, reservists and military families on residential property transactions across England and Wales.

She has a genuine understanding of the demands of military life – including frequent relocations, overseas postings, deployments and tight or changing timescales. Joanne’s connection to the Armed Forces community is personal as well as professional; she is married to an ex‑soldier and has close family members currently serving, giving her first‑hand insight into the pressures her clients face.

Joanne regularly supports Armed Forces clients who are:

Posted overseas or deployed
Working to strict or fast‑moving deadlines
Relocating frequently with their families
Purchasing property using the Forces Help to Buy scheme

She is a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, reflecting her ongoing commitment to ensuring members of the Armed Forces community are treated fairly and with respect.

As part of this commitment, Joanne offers:

A 15% discount on legal fees for serving personnel, veterans, reservists and military families
Coverage of the additional legal fees associated with Forces Help to Buy conveyancing

Clients benefit from a single, named lawyer throughout their transaction, flexible appointment times (including out‑of‑hours where needed), and clear, jargon‑free advice. Joanne works with smaller caseloads and offers remote and digital communication, allowing transactions to progress smoothly wherever clients are based – in the UK or overseas

APPROACH

Joanne’s approach is practical, personal and highly responsive. She believes that good conveyancing is about more than completing a transaction – it’s about understanding the client’s circumstances and removing stress from what can be a significant life event.

Unlike high‑volume conveyancing firms, Joanne works with smaller caseloads, allowing her to dedicate time and attention to each matter. Clients value her clear explanations, fixed fees and accessibility throughout the process.

As Joanne puts it:

“You buy the property with your heart – I’m here to make sure you also buy it with your head.”

TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR CAREER TO DATE / IN LAW?

I started as an office junior in a Newcastle Upon Tyne Law Firm after leaving school. From there I undertook part time study to gain my legal qualifications and worked my way up through roles including legal secretary and Head of Conveyancing before becoming a Partner.

Starting at the bottom of the chain (property pun intended) enabled me to have a full grounding and understanding of all parts of the conveyancing process, this full end‑to‑end understanding allows me to be fully self-sufficient in my way of working.

AND YOUR CLIENTS?

Most of my clients are long standing clients that have followed me through my career. I love nothing more than working with first time buyers on one of the most dauting experience of their lives. Hearing the little squeal of delight when we get keys handed over will never get old. After 20 years of making those calls, I still feel as excited as my clients.

WHAT DREW YOU TOWARDS RESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCING LAW?

I very soon realised that when most people buy a property, they are already emotionally invested before the legal process has even started. Most have planned where their sofa is going, the wall colours and who will have what room etc. You need someone to be able to look at the property without the emotional attachment and make sure you are buying something that is 100% right for you. Sometimes that’s a hard conversation to have but having that person in your corner is exactly what you need. You buy the property with your heart, I’m here to make sure you also buy it with your head.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BEING A LAWYER?

Although a row of terraced houses or a brand-new estate may all look the same, no two property transactions are ever the same. Houses are like people, we are all slightly different, every seller or purchaser has their own set of circumstances, every person or property has its own set of quirks and sometimes hurdles.

AND WHEN YOU ARE NOT WORKING?

I am a massive gardening nerd! As a family we grow about 70% of the fruit & veg we consume. It’s a real passion. If you are buying a property with a garden and need some advice on what to plant and where, I’m here not just to talk about the bricks and mortar but the soil and greens.

WHAT DO YOUR CLIENTS LIKE ABOUT YOU AND THE WAY YOU WORK?

Northern folks are well known for being friendly and approachable and I am the embodiment of the North in a person. During the transaction, you may speak to me more than any other member of your family. We will build a friendship through that. Once the property has completed, I’m always a phone call away. I’ve never forgotten a client. I even had one reach out to me a year ago asking for some advice on a property I bought for them some 10 years ago and I still remembered they had a green front door at the time we completed.

HOW DO YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR YOUR CLIENTS?

Having a husband who works shifts and antisocial hours when we were house buying was a nightmare. I am 100% against only being available during 9-5. I’m approachable, flexible in my working hours and a massive believer in the power of a phone call. You won’t get bogged down with legal jargon, everything we do will be understandable and you won’t ever be left wondering what is going on.

TELL US A LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF?

My parents are well known historians in the North of England, and I spent my childhood playing and sleeping in most of the UK’s castles & stately homes. I also used to fire actual cannons in battle re-enactments from the age of 11 and assumed everyone’s parents had gunpowder licenses and 2000yr old arrow heads laying around!