Frequently Asked Questions
My practice, as is customary in the profession, is to provide services based on an hourly fee, which we will discuss at your first appointment or will be addressed with my Legal Assistant in your first contact with my office.
Our firm will also request a retainer to be held in trust and to be applied against fees and disbursements. Invoices will be provided on a periodic basis to keep your file current.
It is not possible to provide an unequivocal cost figure as each client’s circumstances are different and the time involved necessarily varies. When possible, I try to provide an expected range of costs, and some matters such as an uncontested divorce can be provided at a fixed amount.
Again, each client’s circumstances are different and the time to resolution depends on the issues and facts involved, the process used and to some extent, the cooperation of your spouse and their counsel.
However, I am conscious of the fact that a separation is often the most difficult time in a person’s life and that it is in their best interest that a resolution be achieved in a timely way. This general principal can be applied to all of the work towards making the process and experience as efficient as possible for you.
We will usually request you to complete and provide us with a Questionnaire form found here which details your circumstances. The information provided by you would be further canvassed in our first meeting together.
It is important that both parties provide complete financial disclosure of income, debt and assets as well as reasonable parenting arrangements, when applicable, to formulate a parenting plan. Invariable, further information and documents may become necessary and important as the process unfolds towards resolution.
I have worked in family law in Victoria since 1979 and know almost all local practitioners working in the field. I maintain good, cordial and positive relationships with them all, directed towards the best resolutions achievable for my clients.
You are welcome to contact me or my Legal Assistant at any time with questions relating to your file. If it is not possible to address the matter immediately, my practice is to respond within one business day at the latest.