Families and therefore family law, are inherently personal matters. Just as no two families are the same, no two family law matters are the same. In the middle of the spectrum are clients who need some assistance to finalise an agreement, but who are still focused on working cooperatively. We assist these clients through mediation, facilitation, collaborative law and a number of other processes.
There are also clients who are in either urgent or extremely serious situations and who require the intervention of the Court to resolve a dispute. The intervention of the Court may be required to finalise the matter, or may only be required to resolve one specific issue before an agreement can be worked out.
One thing that we commonly hear from clients or family members of clients is “but, my friend at work didn’t have to go to Court” or “my brother didn’t spend this much on legal fees” or “my neighbours children spend every second weekend with their dad”.
While I don’t doubt that these co-workers, family members or neighbours have the best of intentions in sharing their experience and offering words of wisdom, it is impossible to compare one situation to another when it comes to family law.
As your lawyers, we work extremely hard to get you the best and most appropriate outcomes. We love to hear what your goals are (they might well be “I don’t want to go to Court”) and tailor our services to meet those needs.
If you’ve been told something by a friend that differs from something we have told you, let us know, we will happily talk with you and advise you about the best course of action in your particular case. We see each client and each family as unique and will make sure that the service we provide you with is suitable, timely and effective.
If you are having a family law problem please come and talk to us about how we can assist you.
Victoria Blakeley is a Family Lawyer at Farrar Gesini Dunn, Canberra Office.