Extensive Experience
Kells specialises in all areas of family law including collaborative divorce, separation, child custody and property settlements.
Dedicated Team
Conveniently located in Wollongong and across the Illawarra region, our team offers the highest level of service, while remaining affordable and easy to talk to.
Trusted Family Lawyers
Nothing is more important to our team than upholding your rights and best interests throughout your legal process.
Here to Help
Are you someone who wants to settle a financial or parenting dispute with your partner without involving the court? At Kells, our collaborative law solicitors in Wollongong and the Illawarra can help you achieve outcomes that are respectful, amicable, and favourable for both parties. We do this while keeping our costs affordable and remaining easy to talk to.
How Can Our Collaborative Lawyers in Sydney Help?
If you want to resolve your family law matters in a respectful and dignified manner, where you retain control over the decisions that affect your future, collaborative law may be the right choice for you. Our experienced team will assess whether this approach is suitable for your situation and guide you through every step of the process.
With years of experience handling a wide range of family law issues, the collaborative lawyers at Kells are specially trained to facilitate the collaborative law process. We’ll support you through initial discussions, help with negotiations, and ensure the entire process takes place in a safe, constructive environment that encourages honest communication, creative problem-solving, and mutually beneficial agreements.
Get The Right Legal Advice for Your Case
Call our family lawyers today to discuss your matter.
Frequently Asked Questions
In collaborative law, the clients and their lawyers agree to co-operate and work together to create fair outcomes for their financial or parenting disputes without involving the court. This process is not suitable if the client’s case is already in court. At Kells, our experienced family lawyers are well-versed in matters related to collaborative law.
Clients involved in a collaborative law case can choose to involve other professionals such as child psychologists, counsellors, accountants and financial planners who bring their expertise and guidance to the case. The lawyers focus on helping the clients negotiate and achieve a settlement of their dispute that is fair and takes into account what the clients wish to concentrate on.
Collaborative law allows the client to retain control of the decision-making process after a separation. A judge does not decide their case. What is important to clients and their family is the focus of the collaborative law case.
If clients cannot reach an agreement and a court case is required, clients must appoint new lawyers as the collaborative lawyers will not be able to continue to act for them.
The collaborative law process is focused on minimising the conflict in a separation by working towards an arrangement that suits the clients. The aim is to achieve a better working relationship between the couple after separation, particularly if there are children involved and future communication is required between the couple.
Collaborative law allows clients to deal with their separation issues in a way that suits their family and circumstances. The process is aimed at avoiding a court case and reducing emotional and financial stress.
The client and their former partner must each retain a lawyer trained in collaborative law to advise in their case.
The clients and their lawyers must each sign a participation agreement/contract setting out the rules and terms for the collaborative process. Importantly, if either party commences court proceedings, each client will need to retain new lawyers in the court case. At all times, the collaborative law process is about keeping the clients out of court, and this is achieved by arranging “face-to-face” meetings.
The lawyers and the clients all take part in the negotiations at meetings, at a venue of their choice, not at court. By being involved in all of the meetings, the clients keep control of the negotiations and communications, not the lawyers. Once an agreement is reached, the lawyers document the settlement agreement, which can then be filed with the court for orders to be made. That agreement then becomes binding on the clients.
Area of Expertise
Child Custody and Parenting Agreements
Collaborative Law
Divorce
De Facto Relationship
Family Violence and AVOs
Property Settlements
Same Sex Relationship
Separation
Varying/Enforcing Final Orders
Dangers of Using ChatGPT in Family Law Matters
Speak to a Family Lawyer
Whether you’re navigating separation, parenting arrangements, or property division, our team is here to help you move forward with confidence and care.