Initial Consultation
We are aware that for many people our initial consultation will be their first experience with lawyers or the law. We want you to feel comfortable knowing anything we discuss is confidential.
Some people see us because they want a better understanding of what to consider before a separation. Others have already separated and have concerns about parenting issues or need advice about property matters. Many people just don’t know where to begin.
When we book an initial conference we set aside between 1 to 2 hours to make sure that we give you as much time as you need to go through the issues which are important to you and to tailor our advice to your needs and concerns. We charge a $300 initial consultation flat fee which is not time based.
Some clients bring a list of issues or questions which they wish to discuss. Others prefer to let us guide the conversation. Either way, we will make sure we have answered all of your questions and explained the process in plain English. You are welcome to take notes or bring a support person with you.
It is not necessary to bring any documents with you to our initial consultation however, the more information that you can provide us with, the more precise we can tailor the advice. If your separation involves a property aspect then bringing the following documents to your initial conference can be very helpful but is not necessary if you don’t have easy access to them:
- Income tax returns for the past three financial years.
- Information regarding any businesses either party may have been involvement in.
- Copy of current superannuation statement.
- Current bank/credit card statements.
- Copies of any market appraisals for any real estate you may have.
- Copies of any existing Court Orders (if any).
For parenting or property matters it is always a good idea to bring copies of any existing Court Orders (if any) or copies of any letters or documents you may have already received from your ex-spouse’s solicitor.
If proceedings in the Family Law Courts have already commenced it is very helpful to bring copies of any documents you may have which have been filed in those proceedings such as Court Applications, Affidavits, Family Reports etc.