5 Best Family Lawyers in Darwin

The category of family law covers legal issues related to family relationships which may involve separation, annulments, divorce, child support, spousal support, child custody and much more.

Family lawyers typically look after child custody, divorce and child support. Other lawyers may specialise in emancipation, paternity and adoption. Family lawyers often look to resolve family relationship breakdowns through out of court settlements in order to avoid the emotional and financial stress of going to court.

Family law can be extremely complex for people and will require lawyers to help arrive at a solution that works for all parties involved, including innocent children. Strong legal support will make it easier for people going through the trauma of a relationship breakdown. A good family law expert will help you understand your situation and will offer solutions that work in your best interests. This guide covers some of the best family lawyers in Darwin.

Who are the best family lawyers in Darwin?

Do you believe your firm should be on this list? Get in contact with us today and we well review your business!

Darwin Family Law

Based in Darwin in the Northern Territory, Julian Barry and Julie Franz are partners at Darwin Family Law. Barry and Franz have a combined 50 years of living in the region. Working throughout the Northern Territory with a strong presence in Darwin, Julian and Julie seek to deliver personalised service with face-to-face meetings during or after office hours.

Julie comes with over 20 years of law experience and specialises in criminal law, family law and related areas. She has been accredited as a Commonwealth approved practitioner in family dispute resolution and is acknowledged for her skills in advocacy along with having a rational approach to solving legal problems.

Julian has over 10 years of experience specialising in family law with a particular interest in areas related to property and parenting. He has represented clients in a range of forums, whether at mediations or at conciliation conferences. He has also represented clients at the Federal Circuit Court.

Both lawyers draw from their professional experience when it comes to dealing with a range of legal issues involving family relationships including divorce, separation, annulment, property disputes, child custody, child support, spouse maintenance and much more.

Taking on family law issues with compassion and understanding, both Julie and Julian try to help families resolve issues out of court as amicably as possible to avoid expensive court trials wherever possible.

The main objective is to achieve outcomes in the best interests of all parties through collaboration, mediation and communication. The lawyers believe strongly in personalised collaboration and will work with every client to fully understand their needs before proceeding with any case.

Darwin Family Law represents a range of clients, including tradespeople, politicians, miners, doctors, nurses, same sex couples and many more. The lawyers at Darwin Family Law are experienced at dealing with diversity and work hard to produce favourable results for their clients every time.

Offering different methods of communication, including Skype, phone, email and in-person meetings, both Julie and Julian have been able to represent clients throughout the Northern Territory. They have worked on cases based in places such as Alice Springs, Katherine, Gove and Tennant Creek to name a few.

Priding themselves on clear interactions and professional understanding of all kinds of issues within the family law category, Julian and Julie are dedicated to achieving results while offering cost-effective solutions in a practical manner. From negotiations to mediations and settlements, Darwin Family Law is committed to produce effective results for clients.

As part of supporting the Northern Territory community Darwin Family Law sponsors the Palmerston Power Basketball Club, the NT Goannas Rugby Union women’s team, the Darwin Cycling Club and the Australian Masters Athletics.

Ward Keller

Located in Darwin, Ward Keller is a professional law firm in the Northern Territory region that provides legal advisory services to individuals and businesses. The firm has offices in Darwin, Palmerston, Casuarina and Alice Springs with services also provided to clients in Tennant Creek, Katherine and Nhulunbuy.

For individuals, Ward Keller offers family law, employment, conveyancing, workers compensation and personal injury services. For businesses the firm offers debt collection, business and share transfers, leasing and franchising, employment and commercial litigation services.

As the oldest law firm in the region with its origins traced back to 1910, Ward Keller, as it is known today, came into existence in 1963 – spanning five decades of offering legal services. The firm consists of six partners, along with conveyancers and lawyers who operate from the four main offices.

Between them, the partners have over 50 years of service with Ward Keller with many of them focusing on specific practice areas. Ward Keller is one of six Australian law firms to be members of Lawyers Associated Worldwide, an organisation consisting of 100 law firms and 3700 lawyers from over 60 countries.

Elizabeth Thomson and Tessa Czislowski are the two experienced solicitors that make up the family law team at Ward Keller. Boasting a strong reputation in family law, the firm believes in delivering practical advice based on years of hands-on working experience, along with a clear understanding of local laws in the Territory.

As family law is a specialist field, the Darwin-based lawyers at Ward Keller are skilled at assisting clients throughout an intricate and complex process. They deliver sensible and practical advice as sensitively as possible. While focussing on out of court settlements, the lawyers can also assist clients with in-court proceedings in relation to a number of legal matters.

The lawyers at Ward Keller seek to tailor their advice to suit the individual circumstances of every client, especially with regard to the impact of the issue itself. They are focussed on helping to resolve issues as quickly and amicably as possible to avoid dragging out financially and emotionally draining issues related to the family, especially when kids are involved.

The Ward Keller legal team can assist with a number of family law matters including parenting rights, property settlements, child support agreements, divorce, separation, consent orders, financial agreements and much more.

The team at Ward Keller offers an initial consultation at a nominal cost of $110 (inclusive of GST). Further costs will be established on a per person basis depending on the situation and actions to be undertaken.

DS Family Law

Relationship breakdowns can occur at the most unexpected times. DS Family Law has a team of family lawyers who will guide people through complex relationship issues. These issues include divorce, separation, property settlements, consent orders, child custody, child support and more to ensure that proper arrangements are put in place for vulnerable members of the family.

From protecting assets to dealing with issues of surrogacy, divorce and adoption the lawyers at DS Family Law seek to assist clients at every step of the way – whether it is to strengthen family bonds or deal with broken down relationships.

Dedicated to providing compassionate understanding, these lawyers will help clients reduce their pain and stress by offering realistic solutions to ensure that they don’t set themselves up for disappointment.

With the objective of resolving complex family issues through mediation instead of in court, DS Family Law has their specialist family lawyers; Rebecca Ward, Ross Dunlop and Milos Supljeglav consulting in Darwin.

These lawyers pride themselves on their communication skills and their understanding of the complexities involved in family law. This helps to advise clients and present a range of settlement options on their clients’ behalf.

The DS Family Law team has a tremendous amount of experience when it comes to navigating through the difficult waters of legal issues related to families with the objective of supporting clients as seamlessly as possible.

Founded by partners Russ Dunlop and Milos Supljeglav in 2004, DS Family Law exclusively deals with family law and are not general lawyers dabbling in the space. With a firm understanding of the law, they are able to offer practical solutions for varied legal issues.

For clients unable to make it to one of the offices they operate out of, the lawyers can organise Skype or telephone meetings and take on cases of any size. They can also introduce clients to their network of accountants and financial planners should the need arise.

While litigation at the Darwin Family Court is often the last resort, Milos Supljeglav has vast experience representing as Counsel in different matters of family law. This means that clients don’t have to worry about the case being outsourced externally.

The costs for hiring a lawyer from DS Family Law is usually outlined at the outset with itemised accounts shared with clients at the end of every fortnight during their engagement. The firm attempts to ensure there are no surprises for the client when it comes to fees.

DS Family Law also employs the latest systems and technology to help increase communication efficiency with clients and their cases. This has significantly brought down costs in many instances.

The main objective of the firm is to minimise the emotional and financial burden on their clients while offering expertise in family law matters, whether in or out of court.

Withnalls

Withnalls is a medium sized law firm that operates out of the CBD in Darwin. Seeking to provide timely advice in a confidential manner, Withnalls prides themselves on their understanding of their clients’ needs.

Withnalls provides services in different practice areas, including family law, wills and estates, criminal law, civil law, commercial law and much more.

The firm has grown over the years, providing cost-effective solutions to clients in Darwin and surrounding areas. The firm’s expansion has been due to their commitment to offering sound legal services, along with the commitment of the team to each client on an individual basis.

The team at Withnalls is experienced with assisting clients on a range of issues related to family law including divorce, property settlements, child custody, child support, spousal support and more. Their lawyers constantly educate themselves in order to keep well informed of changing legislation.

The experienced family lawyers from Withnalls are able to assist clients with all aspects of family law and will provide practical advice when it comes to specific issues. The family law team is lead by Managing Partner – Vanessa Farmer – who is highly experienced at both in-court and out-of-court settlements.

With a strong focus on resolving issues out of court, the team at Withnalls works hard to help achieve optimal solutions for clients. This is especially true when it comes to complex family litigation cases that take an emotional and financial toll on clients.

The biggest focus of Withnalls is to deliver cost-effective solutions and personalised service to clients through transparent estimates. Taking on a flexible approach based on the individual needs of every client, there is no one size fits all policy with the firm.

Withnalls lawyers always look to offer practical advice to clients based on their particular situation and will recommend personalised strategies in order to bring optimal outcomes for clients. Clients who require additional support can draw from the network of Withnalls lawyers if required.

Apart from providing legal services to clients, Withnalls has been supporting the community through sponsoring programs like Camp Quality, the Children’s Special Christmas Party, Australian Hockey Championship for under 15 girls, the Heart Foundation and the Starlight Foundation.

The lawyers at Withnalls are Northern Territory Law Society members and do work for the society on a pro bono basis. They are experienced in different areas of the law and can assist clients with a range of different needs at affordable rates.

Jude Lawyers

A small boutique law firm operating out of Darwin, Jude Lawyers is committed to providing a range of legal services in different practice areas including family law, civil law, commercial law, criminal law, personal injuries compensation and migration law.

Offering legal services at cost-effective prices, the firm is well established in Darwin and the greater Northern Territory region for the professional services of its practitioners.

Over the years, the firm has grown in size and has catered to a growing demand of legal services from clients. While clients come through different ways the vast majority of them have been through referrals and recommendations.

From multi-national companies, financial lenders and government businesses to small business owners, trust companies and individuals, Jude Lawyers has represented a wide range of clients in different areas of the law.

Servicing the Darwin and larger Northern Territory region, Jude Lawyers has established itself in the family law sector – having successfully defended clients in a range of issues including divorce, separation, annulment, child custody, domestic violence, child support, spouse maintenance, property settlement and more.

Their lawyers attempt to offer a realistic picture of every client’s situation without giving them false hope, especially when it comes to complex family legalities. This allows clients to be well prepared for the outcome based on specific circumstances.

Jude Lawyers will provide advice to clients on legal obligations and rights. They can also help them with knowledge of their entitlements and their right to claim them.

They firmly advocate discussion, mediation and negotiation to settle matters where possible. Their lawyers are also experienced at court representation if the situation is necessary for clients.

Jude Lawyers offers no obligation consultations to help clients understand their situation before proceeding with any matters related to family law. These consultations are completely confidential and his approach is undertaken to better prepare clients for difficulty when dealing with complex family issues.

Offering quick telephone consultations for clients who wish to speak urgently to a lawyer; Jude Lawyers seeks to find ideal solutions through advice or representation. As specialists in family law, the lawyers work to help clients achieve their desired results as quickly and seamlessly as possible.

The team at Jude Lawyers is committed to high levels of service while being compassionate and respectful of every client’s difficult circumstances. Openness and honesty are the pillars by which their lawyers hope to ensure that clients are well aware of their circumstances.

The team at Jude Lawyers is approachable and experienced at dealing with a range of family law matters, giving clients peace of mind in difficult situations. Darwin or surrounding area locals can start with a quick telephone consultation to establish next steps with the Jude Lawyers team.

Which Darwin family law firm works for you?

If you’re in need of a professional family lawyer it’s important to find someone who will present a realistic picture of your situation, especially if you have innocent children involved. While family breakdowns can happen and can turn your life upside down it’s important to consider where you stand from a legal point of view, so you get what you are entitled to.

Professional Darwin family lawyers will assess your particular situation and will offer a firm forward plan to help you achieve the best possible outcome for you and other parties involved in the dispute.