Our services

At Smart Legal Family Lawyers, our aim is to assist families with compassionate and professional solicitors to help navigate the family law process.  Our team are highly experienced and will ensure they manage your matter with your best interests in mind, always seeking a fair and equitable outcome.

No matter what your financial situation, division of assets and finances can prove to be a distressing prospect.  After building a life together, assets and liabilities and all your personal property suddenly have to be looked at and assessed and divided between the parties. 

This process can be long and daunting, but with the help of our compassionate and understanding team, we will help you determine a best course to find outcomes that everyone is happy with.

Navigating separation or divorce with children can be heartbreaking but there is nothing more important than making clear and decisive decisions about the future care of your children.

We have a caring and empathetic team who have the experience necessary to help you through the minefield of children’s matters.  We will help you to establish your child custody agreements, child support and anything else needed to ensure your children are emotionally cared for, safe and secure.

We understand the benefits of children maintaining relationships that can flourish after divorce and that is why we take steps to minimise the impact that the process can take.

Should a spouse be unable to support themselves adequately due to parenting responsibilities or even poor health, the other party may be liable to pay spousal maintenance. 

Smart Legal Family Lawyers can help determine whether you are entitled to Spousal Maintenance and how best to negotiate this in terms of long term payments or once off within your property settlement.

We can offer expert advice about your maintenance claim and provide you with the best representation with experienced lawyers should court ordered agreements be required.

If you or your partner are considering living together or getting married, a Binding Financial Agreement could be something you consider to protect the assets and finances you have built before starting your life together.  A BFA is an agreement put in place to protect yourself against a possible claim on your assets should you find yourself separating in the future.  These agreements are enforceable in the Family Court.

At Smart Legal Family Lawyers we can represent you both sides of the coin whether you are wanting to set an agreement or whether your partner is presenting you with an agreement.

We will tactfully negotiate to ensure both parties are protected and considered.

The cost of court can a huge financial burden but it can also be a costly exercise on your family’s wellbeing.  Collaborative Law can help you minimise costly delays and court fees as well as minimise the emotional toll these drawn out processes can take.

If you and your ex-partner want to avoid court proceedings, entering into a contractual agreement to resolve your disputes is a way to negotiate a deal using an interest based model.

The collaboration process can include other respective parties such as lawyers and counsellors, accountants or financial planners. Together we can discuss each party needs and help to broker a mutually acceptable agreement using a more holistic approach.

Have you been served with an AVO or DVO (Apprehended Violence Order or Domestic Violence order)?

These orders can have a significant repercussion, including forcing you  from your home and preventing you from seeing and even contacting your family or children.

This is an extremely challenging time however; the Team at Smart Legal Family Lawyers can help.  It is essential to obtain legal advice in a timely manner as it is a criminal offence to contravene any orders made by the court.

We can help advise you of your rights and potentially resolve the matter by having the orders dismissed if agreed.

If you have been served a DVO, you will be given a date and time to appear in court.  It is imperative you seek legal advice immediately and if you fail to appear in court on the designated day and time, you may have a warrant issued for your arrest. 

Contact Smart Legal Family Lawyers today.

With an experienced team, Smart legal Family Lawyers can help you with all of your legal needs. Our firm can help you with the following FIXED rate services: 

• Making a new will
• Estate planning
• Enduring Powers of Attorney
• Advanced Health Directives 

Our services include all aspects of Estate Planning and help to ensure your wishes are met should you not be able to advocate for yourself or should you pass away.

We understand that you have worked hard to provide for you and your family, which is why protecting yourself and your family should you pass is so important.

A Will is a legal document that will ensure your wishes are met and that your family will be looked after, should you pass away.

At Smart Legal, our firm is here to help our clients make the process of assessing your estate and devising your Will as straightforward as possible.
We will assist you to ensure that what you wish to occur with all of your assets, belongings and plans is documented and all instructions are clear and concise for your family in the unfortunate event of your passing.

Your will can cover things like: 

• how you want your property and assets shared
• who will take care of your children if they’re still young
• Trusts you would like to set up
• Charitable donations
• Any plans you have for your funeral

We will work with you to draft a Will that suits your needs and assist you to consider a Power of Attorney to ensure there is someone to make decisions on your behalf if you become unable to. 

Updating Your Will
Your Will is a living document that needs updating as your situation changes. We can assist you with your will being updated at any time. Some of the changes that might require an update include: 

• getting married
• getting a divorce or going through a separation
• having children or grandchildren
• having a financial change that is significant
• losing your spouse (or someone else who is named in your will) through death 

If you have had a change of circumstances or wish to alter your instructions, contact us TODAY!

Are you considering Adoption?  The laws in Australia vary from state to state so it is important to gain legal advice from an experienced lawyer for anyone considering these options.

Adoption in Australia is highly regulated with the law recognising 3 broad kinds of adoption.

• Known Child where the child is potentially adopted by family member, carer or stepparent. 
• Local Adoption where the child is adopted within Australia and not necessarily known to the parents
• Intercountry/international Adoption where the child is adopted into an Australian family from another country.

It is illegal to arrange adoptions privately with all adoptions having to be documented and recorded in a court of Law.

Smart Legal Family Lawyers are experienced in the legal proceedings of adoption and surrogacy and can advise you not only of the process but can also help you navigate the complexities of integrating a new child into your own family’s personal legal situation.

For more advise call our team at Smart Legal Family Lawyers.

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