Leading Family Lawyers For Canterbury

Ten of their senior lawyers, including all four principals, are accredited family law specialists, reflecting their experience, professional development, and expertise. They provide strategic advice and robust representation, with a clear focus on achieving the best possible resolution in a cost-effective manner. The firm prides itself on working with the best family lawyers in the country.
Instead it depends on your unique financial situation, the nature of your marriage and your ability to support yourself. To decide whether or not you canterbury solicitors will be awarded spousal maintenance, the Court will consider factors like your income, your health, your age, whether you have care of the children and more. The court that has jurisdiction to deal with divorce is the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia  (the Court). While the Court will grant your divorce order, they encourage parties to handle the other matters – such as parenting and property – privately. If you do need to go to the Court for orders, you’ll need to attempt to settle any issues through mediation first. Having a good divorce lawyer on your side will help ease you through this transition.

As a general rule, it’s best to make an appointment with us as soon as you’re aware of a family law issue. For example, if you know that you’re about to separate from your partner, you can make an appointment, even though you haven’t yet separated. Once we understand your situation and your legal needs, we’ll give you a written cost estimate, and we’ll keep you informed of your costs throughout your entire matter. Hamish McNair is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Defamation and Media Law and Litigation. Hamish, who practices law in Melbourne, Australia, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Hamish is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Separation and family breakdowns are difficult for everyone concerned. At Rafton Family Lawyers we understand the complexities of family law and the importance of having an experienced family lawyer to guide you through the process of separation and divorce. We are a committed team of family lawyers dedicated to the swift and dignified resolution of your divorce. We know that divorce can be complicated and emotional, and our Australian team of divorce lawyers are here to ensure your divorce is finalised as quickly and painlessly as possible. I can’t thank Lauren Spence enough for the outstanding support and expertise during a very difficult period of my life. Going through a child custody battle with my ex-partner was already stressful, and the thought of ending up in court was overwhelming—both emotionally and financially.
This means that approximately 13% of the people married in Canterbury felt that separation and divorce were the right solutions for them to lead better lives. Advocat has the best Family Law experts in Canterbury so let’s find the right one for you. Following a separation, Orders for spousal maintenance might be made to provide financial support to the financially weaker party in a relationship if they are not able to support themselves.

We offer fixed prices to prepare Binding Financial Agreements from $3,150 incl GST and disbursements. You will be allocated a dedicated conveyancing lawyer with direct dial number and email from start to finish. Our team regularly work with some of the best barristers and experts in the country. Skilled in cross-jurisdictional cases, financial, abduction and child relocation.
Once we understand your unique situation, we can present you with a personalised quote for our legal services. Compassionate and expert family law services covering divorce, child arrangements, financial settlements, and domestic abuse protection. Canterbury is a historic cathedral city with prestigious universities and thriving tourism sector. Our Canterbury team provides expert legal services to the education sector and local community. Our lawyers have a practical and straight forward approach to legal matters.

We considered the number of years each lawyer has been practicing, with a preference for those who have extensive experience in compensation law. The actual ground of divorce is the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage, established by the parties having lived separately and apart for a continuous period of 12 months immediately before filing the application. Prior to getting divorced it is important to be aware that time limits start to apply in relation to commencing proceedings for property and spousal maintenance after you are divorced.
Of the 6667 households in the area, 4045 households have realised that dream and own the house they live in, with 2003 owning their house outright and 2042 having a mortgage. Some own their property outright and some are still paying it off, with the median mortgage in Canterbury being $2403 per month. The one thing that owners, landlords and tenants in Canterbury would have in common is that they would have need legal services buy, sell, or invest in property Canterbury. Approximately 38% would have needed a rental agreement, approximately, 61% would have needed some conveyancing services to buy or sell their property.
However, where disputes cannot be resolved amicably, we will represent you in the Family Court to help secure a safe and stable outcome for your children. When a relationship ends, it can be an incredibly stressful and traumatic experience for both parties. No matter whose fault it is, or whether the relationship was legally formalised or not, it is still an ending.

The good part about these orders is that they allow the parents to jointly (by agreement) make arrangements outside the orders but, you then have the orders to fall back on in the absence of an agreement. It can be a difficult time when parties cannot agree or really understand what and how the pool of assets should be divided and what the court sees as reasonable or not. Things like initial contributions to a marriage erode over time and become less relevant the longer you are married. A financial agreement under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) is a binding arrangement that outlines how assets, liabilities, and financial resources will be handled in the event of separation or divorce.
We centre everything we do on the people we walk alongside, valuing their stories, creating space for their needs, and offering hope and a clear path forward. Kent Law dealt with all aspects of my mother’s estate, and subsequent sale of her house, they kept me up to date at all times. The atmosphere was very professional and at the same time very friendly and relaxed. After being granted a divorce order at the conclusion of your divorce hearing, your divorce will be legally finalised one month and one day later.

If the respondent disagrees with the divorce or any aspect of the application, they submit this response to the court. In a divorce case in the United Kingdom involving children, the welfare of the children is the paramount consideration. This means that the court will take into account the needs and best interests of the children when determining the division of property, including the family home.