
Separation is a very difficult time for lots of families, with many feeling overwhelmed by chaos, uncertainty and powerlessness. Obtaining information and support from the right person at the right time, is crucial to navigating through this obstacle course in a way that focuses on dignity and integrity, maintains important relationships, and minimises the emotional and financial costs.
An experienced family lawyer is a wonderful resource, by providing information, legal advice, and guidance, along the right pathway to suit the unique needs of each family. Contact your family lawyer to discuss the benefits that are the right fit for you.
At Creative Family Law Solutions these include:
- Deep listening. Working in this space, family lawyers learn to listen deeply to their clients, and to ask open questions to encourage them to tell their story. This opportunity allows for putting together all parts of the story so that it becomes coherent and integrated. This is not only very useful for any professional working with the family, but allows for the development of a narrative that provides meaning for the experience of the family member, and the foundation for healing and moving on.
- Empathy. It is fundamental to establishing a good working relationship that clients feel respected and treated with dignity. A family lawyer who is experienced in this space will provide a safe and structured environment for the sharing of personal and sensitive information in a way that promotes good communication and earns trust and confidence.
- Understanding. An experienced family lawyer has worked with many families in the past, and they will be very well equipped to promote the understanding of goals that need to be achieved, and the factors that are important to each family in achieving these outcomes. They appreciate the steps often required to move through separation and beyond, and they can assist the client to tease these out and start to get clarity of where they might need to get to.
- Problem solving. Some of the greatest skills of a lawyer are clear thinking and problem solving. These are crucial in breaking a difficult situation down into manageable parts, and promoting the development of an action plan responsive to the unique needs of each family.
- Responsive, positive and constructive communication. A family lawyer can provide a sounding board for the exploration of ideas, plans and options for understanding the past, obtaining clarity regarding current interests, and the development of future needs. All very important to being able to move forward.
- Referrals. Most family lawyers have a group of other professionals they work closely with, and collaborate together for the benefit of each family on a holistic basis. This might include financial coaches, accountants, financial planners, mortgage brokers, counsellors, psychologists, parenting educators and coaches, communication coaches, family report writers, general medical practitioners, mental health practitioners, maternal and child health professionals, drug and alcohol counsellors, family violence workers, teachers, social workers and many others.
- Collaboration. Family Lawyers are very good at working collaboratively as a team with the client and other relevant professionals, family members and other supporters for the benefit of the family.
- Legal knowledge. Family Lawyers have specialised knowledge about family law, and they are able to inform you as to your legal rights and entitlements, as well as the range of different pathways, and together they will help you determine the best way forward for you and your family. They can give you information including the likely approach of the court, that will enable you to make the best decision for your family, and to respond appropriately to changes as they take place.
- Negotiation. Family Lawyers will work together with you to create an action plan that is realistic, pragmatic, and sensitive to the individual needs of each situation. Their collaborative approach is responsive, affirming and empowering. They will support you to negotiate directly, or they will negotiate on your behalf, depending on your preferred approach.
- Agreements. A family lawyer will capture relevant agreements, and formalise these in a way that reflects your situation. This might be confirmation in a written letter or email, a detailed Parenting Plan or Heads of Agreement, or Consent Orders or a Binding Financial Agreement. All documents will be in simple and clear English to avoid understandings and confusion in the future. The will also assist with implementation or review down the track.
We practice all these skills at Creative Family Law Solutions, and we encourage you to contact us to explore what this might mean for you and your family situation.