A family law solicitor is a lawyer who deals with all family cases including divorce and separation cases, child custody matters, protection orders against domestic violence, etc. When dealing with complex cases, it is always important to have an experienced professional such as a family law solicitor on your side.
In Australia, the main legislation which deals with matters including divorce and separation, parenting arrangements, property separation, and financial maintenance is the Family Law Act 1975.
This article aims to explain in brief the various matters that a family law solicitor deals with, and the qualities they must have. This is an important article for you if you are confused about what to do next, and find yourself in the middle of a particularly complicated case.
Types Of Matters/Cases That Family Lawyers Deal With
Family cases fall under civil cases and can include different issues. Mainly, these are domestic issues. These can include:
- Divorce/Separation
If people want to end their marriage or de facto relationship, they seek a family solicitor who can help them end their marriage either by divorce or annulment.
Under this there are various critical issues that arise like property settlement, spousal maintenance, child custody, and child support. These matters fall under the expertise of a family lawyer, and they are the ones who can help you resolve all such legal troubles.
- Name changes
Family courts can help both children and adults with name change requests. In cases where after a divorce the child is in the care of the mother, it is not uncommon for the mother to request a surname change for herself and her child.
- Sole custody and termination of parental rights
In cases where a parent has abused, harmed or neglected the child, the Family Court may decide to grant sole parental responsibility to the other parent. Family lawyers help with making such applications and requests.
- Domestic violence protection orders
A family law solicitor can help people get protection orders against domestic violence in the form of AVOs or ADVOs.
What Are Other Issues That A Family Law Solicitor Deals With?
There are a variety of matters that they are well-equipped to deal with. Primarily, the services they offer is to ensure that once a couple has divorced or separated, they are able to reach agreements such that both parties are satisfied with the outcome.
This is because if a party is dissatisfied, it can lead to unnecessary disputes. The breakdown of a relationship is emotionally draining. To face conflicts after the separation is difficult as it takes a greater mental toll on the involved parties.
The other matters that family lawyers can help with include:
- Binding financial agreements, or prenuptial agreements
- Spousal maintenance, or spousal support
- Parenting arrangements, and parenting plans
- Parental rights, and grandparents’ rights
- Mediation
- Arbitration
Qualities Of A Good Family Law Solicitor
When you seek a lawyer to help you out with your personal matters, you have to ensure that they possess certain traits. These characteristics largely depend on the expertise of the lawyer. When lawyers are dealing with family law, there are certain personality traits that you need to look for.
1. Compassion
Your lawyer must be compassionate and must have a good understanding of your emotional and mental state. This is because all family law cases are deeply personal, and the impacts of these cases are critical as it can alter someone’s life forever. For example, a divorce is a life-changing event, and having a professional who empathises with you, and helps you is very important.
2. Trustworthiness
It is the lawyer’s responsibility to understand their clients wishes. As a client, you should be able to trust that your lawyer will act on your behalf, and ensure that you reach the outcomes that you asked for.
You also should be able to trust your lawyer to give you all the information, and to keep you in the loop at all times throughout the legal process.
3. Skill set
In dealing with any case, it is imperative that you lawyer knows what the right plan of action should be. Your family law solicitor needs to have the technical knowledge of how laws work, and the practical knowledge to apply those laws to your situation, and get the best possible result.
4. Accessibility and communication
They must always be accessible to you, and communicating with them should be very easy. When you talk to them about your troubles, they should listen to you properly. They must regularly provide you with case updates, and they should review your matter thoroughly to suggest new approaches and strategies for your case.
5. Transparency
Because you are trusting the lawyer with your personal matters, it is very important that they remain transparent with you with regards to both the fees that they charge, and the way the legal processes are going to be handled.
A great family law solicitor will also provide a ‘costs agreement’ which details the estimate of legal costs right from the start.
Why JB Solicitors Is The Family Law Firm For You?
An important consideration you need to make when looking for a family law solicitor is how much experience they have. The team of exceptional lawyers at JB Solicitors have extensive knowledge of the law which they have gained over many years of practicing family law.
We offer family law services that are tailored to suit your needs and circumstances. We combine high quality expertise with individualised attention to ensure that our clients receive the best possible outcomes. For us, the importance of helping our community is unparalleled, and so we are always available for after-hours consultations as well.
Our passionate family lawyers are dedicated to helping you, and tackling all legal matters for you. At JB Solicitors, we offer fixed-fee pricing for our services. We wish to encourage transparency in all our processes. We provide a cost agreement to give you a clear sense of the legal costs right from the start.
Our lawyers are here to help you through every step of your way. We understand how stressful these matters can get and we are well-equipped to address all your legal concerns.
Contact our experienced and compassionate team of family lawyers today.
