We provide reliable and practical advice on all areas of Family Law (and defacto property law) including:  Spouse Maintenance, Divorce Applications, Domestic Violence matters and Property settlements including financial Agreements (including defacto agreements).

Our team has considerable experience as advocates and routinely appear in the Family Court, Federal Magistrates Court and State Magistrates Courts in relation to all types of Family Law work. We can give you specialist advice in:

• Negotiating and drafting Financial & Superannuation Agreements
• Valuation of superannuation interests 
• Negotiating, drafting and settling Consent Orders 
• Appearing in Court on your behalf.

Before you make any decisions involving a family law matter, whether before or during or after the breakdown of a marriage, you should obtain advice from a family law specialist or experienced family lawyer with respect to your rights and responsibilities.

An improperly drafted Agreement or Court Order can have serious financial consequences possibly affecting both future property and superannuation.

Francis & Binnie Lawyers & Family Law Mediation Services (Go to our Mediation Page for more information on Mediation and to our Collaborative Law page for indepth information about the collaborative process) strive to provide alternatives to litigation. Our clients are offered both Mediation and Collaborative Law as viable and preferrable alternatives to Court based actions.

Collaborative Law and Mediation have much in common and both are proven methods of resolving issues.

How do you decide with method is best for you?

• Do you think you can work with your spouse or partner in meetings with a neutral third party (the mediator), with your lawyer in the background?  Then mediation may be the right choice for you.
• Do you want your lawyer to be present in meetings to help you negotiate an acceptable outcome?  Then the collaborative process might be the right choice for you.

Both processes involve "interest based negotiations" as opposed to the traditional "positional" adversarial method of negotiating/litigation.  However in mediation you have the assistance of a mediator who is a neutral third party.  The mediator does not give legal advice.  Your solicitor may attend mediation or may be in the background giving advice.