A full suite of family law services

Wilsons The Family Lawyers offers the full suite of services in Family Law matters. Founded in 2019 by Reagan Wilson, our boutique Family Law practise is a leader in providing clients with the clarity and certainty needed at the what can be one of the most difficult times for families.

We are recognised by Doyles Guide as a First Tier Family Law Firm within the Toowoomba, Darling Downs and Western Queensland regions, as well as Greater Brisbane.

Parenting Arrangements

We advise our clients and represent them regarding all aspects of the parenting arrangements for their children. Often, that involves negotiating or proceeding through a family dispute resolution and mediation process. As part of formalising the parenting arrangements, this extends to the preparation of Consent Orders or a Parenting Plan. On occasions, it also means seeking the assistance of the Court in the litigation pathway where parents cannot agree on the arrangements for their children. When endeavouring to resolve the parenting arrangements for their children, this can also entail various other matters, including counselling, schooling, health and medical matters and financial support arrangements.

Financial Settlement

Financial Agreements can be entered into by parties at any stage during their relationship in the hopes of reaching a financial settlement. It can be prior to living together, it can be whilst they are living together, or it can be after separation and applies to both de facto and married couples. Most people understand Financial Agreements to be in the form of a Prenuptial Agreement however we also utilise them to formalise financial arrangements on a final basis after separation, including ending spousal maintenance obligations. They are a useful tool that attracts all the benefits of an Order in terms of stamp duty exemptions, capital gains tax rollover relief and also allows us to work more pro-actively with your accountant and your financial advisor in reaching a resolution.

We take a collaborative and consultative approach to the application of our advice and work with a wide range of highly accomplished experts to ensure a broad view of the matter.

Domestic & Family Violence

Domestic & family violence is indeed a scourge on our society. As part of our practice, we act for Applicants or the Aggrieved in applications that are filed in the state Court and also Respondents to those applications. There is a significant overlap in relation to the family law jurisdiction, particularly when it relates to your parenting arrangements.

It is of vital importance that you seek advice from an expert in family law in relation to these issues. Here at Wilsons The Family Lawyers we are indeed experts in this field.

Mediation and Arbitration

In addition to providing Court representation, a significant part of our practice is seeking to resolve your matter through a dispute resolution process called mediation and arbitration. That can be done in a number of forums; by way of a round table conference, where we consult with our colleagues and meet and endeavour to reach an agreement, it can be done through the mediation process, or family dispute resolution conference, or alternatively arbitration.

Here at Wilsons The Family Lawyers we are proud to offer arbitration and mediation services, and we are a qualified arbitrator.

Collaborative Law

The practice of collaborative law is a process where we engage with other colleagues in terms of solicitors, family law experts, but also with your financial advisor and your accountants to meet and resolve the terms of your financial settlement in a somewhat ‘non-traditional’ way as to how the law is practised in the past. It involves round table conferences and the approach is to limit the amount of communication and correspondence that is actually normally undertaken in a matter and reach a sensible, focused and cost-efficient outcome.

Court Representation

We often represent our clients in Court. That is normally as a result of the parties not being able to reach an agreement through the dispute resolution pathway or, on occasions, there are urgent matters that need the Court’s assistance. We work with a handpicked team of barristers that assist our clients during that process but also regularly appearing in Court ourselves as your advocate. That can either be in the State Court in domestic violence proceedings or in the Federal jurisdiction, or the Family Court, in relation to matters concerning your children or your financial settlement.

It is important to engage with an experienced advocate and here at Wilsons The Family Lawyers we indeed have that experience.

Second Opinions

Regularly we have the opportunity to advise clients who are seeking a second opinion in relation to their family law matter to ensure justice is served. That can be either in relation to the arrangements for their children that are being proposed or, more often, in terms of the financial settlement that they are about to enter into. There can be occasions where there are concerns in relation to the advice they are being provided and they seek the advice of an expert, such as us here at Wilsons.

We gladly provide second opinions on a confidential basis.

Child Support

In Australia, a parent’s obligations for financial support of their children, child support, are generally dealt with by the parents through an assessment undertaken by the Department of Human Services (Child support).

The assessment that is undertaken by what is commonly referred to as the child support agency is a formula-based assessment. It can be complex and not reflective of the individual circumstances of each family and how their financial affairs are structured, and what specific needs there may be for their children, including for example, private education and other health matters.

We provide advice to our clients in the context of formalising their parenting arrangements and property settlement as to the ability to enter into a Binding Child Support Agreement with the other parent to specifically address these matters. This advice often extends to ensuring that a parent’s individual circumstances are appropriately considered either by way of reviewing the assessment by the child support agency or formalising those arrangements into a binding agreement. In specific circumstances, it can also extend to an application to the Court, and we advise and represent clients in that process.

De Facto & Same-Sex Relationships

Family law in Australia encompasses all relationships whether it be de facto couples, married couples, or those in same-sex relationships. We provide advice to clients in all of those relationships in relation to their parenting issues and also their financial settlement.

Advising Third Parties & Grandparents

Part of our family law practice is also providing experiential advice to third parties, including grandparents and other close family relatives. This can extend to parties wanting to intervene in proceedings where they may have a financial interest in the outcome, or indeed on the parenting aspect of our practice, grandparents seeking to spend time with their grandchildren.

It is important to obtain expert advice in relation to those often complex issues that arise where you are seeking to intervene in a Court process.

Prenuptial & Financial Agreements

A common enquiry we have in family law is if a Prenuptial Agreement or a Financial Agreement is indeed binding. The short answer is yes. If they are properly drafted and the parties are advised appropriately, then a Prenuptial Agreement is the best form of protection a party can have in terms of them protecting their assets, either leading into a relationship or even during the relationship itself. Financial Agreements also extend to formalising an arrangement for the terms of a financial settlement after separation.

It is important to seek advice from an expert in family law in relation to these agreements.

Spousal Maintenance

As part of our advice to clients with respect to their financial settlement, we often discuss with them the issue of spousal maintenance. Spousal maintenance is different from child support. It is a duty of one spouse to maintain another. It is important when considering the terms of your financial settlement that spousal maintenance is also properly considered and given regard to in the formalisation of your arrangements.

Here at Wilsons The Family Lawyers, we ensure that you are fully informed as to where you sit with spousal maintenance, whether there be an obligation to pay spousal maintenance or indeed if you are seeking spousal maintenance.

Relocation Matters

Part of the work we do in parenting cases can also involve parents that are seeking to relocate with their children and other relocation matters. This may be either interstate, it can be within the state or it can be, on occasions, overseas. We have extensive experience in relocation matters and how to assist you and guide you through that in terms of whether you seek to relocate or whether it is a concern for you that the other parent might be relocating.

It is important to get experienced legal advice regarding these often complex and difficult matters.

Surrogacy and Adoption

As part of our family law parenting practice, we also provide advice to clients who are exploring options in terms of surrogacy and adoption. This is a complex area of law and indeed, in terms of surrogacy arrangements, evolving at a rapid rate.

Please contact us if you have any enquiries in relation to either surrogacy or adoption as part of our parenting practice.

Separation and Divorce

With separation and divorce, there are a number of time frames that need to be considered. In Australia, you cannot apply for a divorce until you have been separated on a final basis for more than twelve months. The majority of our clients have their arrangements, in terms of their children or their financial settlement, formalised within that time frame. They do not have to wait twelve months to indeed have those arrangements settled. For de facto couples or those in same-sex relationships that have not married, there is a two-year time frame that applies in terms of, from the date they separate until such time as they can seek the assistance of the Court.

It is important to seek legal advice around those time frames and indeed, for a divorce, what steps can be taken to apply.

Testimonials

What our clients have to say

Get in touch