Family Law Ryde

Separating? Needing help with your divorce?

Are you presently experiencing a family relationship breakdown or needing help making custody arrangements for your children?

You may be negotiating with your partner or spouse about how to divide your assets? Doolan Wagner Family Lawyers have been helping people from the Ryde area with their separation for more than twenty years.
Our Accredited Specialist family and divorce lawyers provide premium family law advice and can help you know where you stand and what your rights and your responsibilities are.
Separation and divorce can be really difficult. Feeling confident to take the next step can make all the difference.

Our family law experts have the experience to help you achieve the best outcome possible. We act in all family law matters:

Parenting:

  • Advising people on all issues including child support, the court’s approach and emerging legal issues such as assisted fertility.
  • Drafting court documents and parenting agreements that incorporate informal parenting plans.
  • Acting in parenting disputes which are before the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court. Sometimes these involve an Independent Children’s Lawyer or interested third parties such as grandparents and/or serious allegations of abuse and/or family violence.
  • Providing family dispute resolution and mediation services. We help couples negotiate arrangements for the care of their children in a way that promotes the best interests of the child and the “family unit”.

Financial/property settlements:

  • Requiring the legal transfer of a real estate or motor vehicle and/or effecting payment of settlement monies to a former partner/spouse (including by way of effecting a superannuation split) and/or the physical exchange of furniture or personal effects between the parties.
  • Assisting clients to unravel themselves from complicated corporate structures. Sometimes these include family trusts, family businesses and self-managed superannuation funds. This often requires clients to obtain advice and/or participation from other independent professionals e.g. accountants, expert valuers and financial planners. Securing tax-effective final settlements and protecting clients from potential risks.
  • Advising people experiencing the breakdown of a de facto relationship. This includes the division of property and/or arrangements for the care of children.
  • Assisting clients to negotiate with their former spouse or partner in relation to spouse maintenance, child support and adult child maintenance.
  • Using alternate dispute resolution processes and collaborative practice including negotiation, round table conferences, mediations and arbitration.
  • Drafting and reviewing settlement documents including Applications for Consent Orders, Consent Orders, Binding Financial Agreements and Deeds of Release.
  • Court representation in disputes which cannot be resolved using alternate dispute resolution processes and collaborative practice and preparing clients for the family law courts process including drafting and reviewing court documents such as Applications, Responses, Financial Statements, Affidavits, Subpoena, interim applications etc.
  • Providing family law advice with regard to estate and succession planning issues, including the provision of advice to protect your family’s assets against claims by third parties (including new spouses and second families) and protecting yourself against a future Succession Act claim.

Divorce Applications include those for couples who have been living separately and apart under one roof and those requiring substituted service on a spouse who is difficult to locate and/or serve.

We have been working with people from Ryde for more than two decades and have come to know that the Ryde community has undergone real change.

As a result of significant residential and corporate developments taking place in and around the Ryde area and the Macquarie Park Corridor, the majority of people in the area are now aged between 20-49 years. Ryde households are commonly made up of dual-income married couples with children. The majority of people living in Ryde are understood to be owner-occupiers of property that they have owned outright for some time or own with a secured mortgage.

Many of our clients from the Ryde area are looking for assistance with negotiating their property/financial and parenting matters with their former partners/spouses. They are also looking to obtain advice to assist them to remain living within the Ryde community or in surrounding suburbs such as Macquarie Park, Gladesville, Lane Cove, Marsfield, Epping, Rhodes, Putney, Denistone, North Ryde, Eastwood etc.

Whatever your personal circumstances are, you can trust that we will take the time to listen to your story and hear your needs because we never offer a “one size fits all” approach. We always endeavour to ensure that all advice and directions given by us are tailored to each of our client’s individual situations and their family’s specific requirements.

Our principal, Lisa Wagner is an Accredited Family Law Specialist who is recognised by the Law Society of NSW. Lisa’s years of working exclusively in the area of family and divorce law mean that no matter what your particular circumstances are, she is a leader in the family law arena and will provide you with the best family law advice, support and court representation through the separation and divorce process.

Our strong team of family lawyers have developed a wealth of knowledge and expertise in all areas of family law. Their solid experience gained helping people from all walks of life means that we can guarantee that our family lawyers are best placed to assist you to deal with the often difficult and confronting circumstances that can follow separation and divorce.

Doolan Wagner Family Lawyers are committed to providing the highest quality legal advice to all clients. We pride ourselves on providing sensitive and personal service and support. We appreciate how challenging the separation and divorce process can be and recognise that your children and your financial security are two of the most important things to you.

Obtaining timely expert family law assistance and advice from a specialist family lawyer, either as you contemplate separation or divorce or promptly following your separation can be critical.

This is because whilst family, friends and other professionals can provide support through the separation process, only a highly experienced family lawyer can give you proper family law advice and assistance in relation to your rights and your responsibilities and help you develop a proper legal strategy.

By getting family law assistance and advice early you can take the next steps on your post-separation journey with certainty. You will be able to confidently approach the family law processes and/or negotiations with your former partner or spouse. Starting to resolve your matter from this position will see you better placed to negotiate with your former spouse or partner. And those negotiations are more likely to secure the most favourable outcome that will work for you and your family.

It may surprise you, but keeping things out of the court arena, wherever possible, is one of our biggest aims.

We know that matters listed before the Courts are delayed. For this reason, we will do whatever we can to keep your relationship breakdown as amicable as possible. We can advise you on how best to approach each set of circumstances as they arise. We also won’t contribute negatively to what is already a difficult time for you. We are professionals who will do our best to settle your matter using collaborative practice and avoid the court process wherever possible.

Despite this, as highly experienced family lawyers, we understand that sometimes some families/couples require the assistance of the Family Court to resolve their matter. If you need to approach the Court or are involved in family law proceedings then you can be assured that our experienced family lawyers are very capable of providing you with strong court representation and are best placed to assist you in respect of arranging the preparation and filing of court documents and evidence for such proceedings and/or preparing you for attending Court.

Our Services:

  • Drafting all types of Family Law Agreements
  •  Financial/Property Settlements including drafting settlement documents
  •  Children/Parenting matters
  •  Spouse Maintenance
  •  De facto Relationships
  •  Divorce
  •  AVO/Domestic Violence
  •  Court representation in the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court
  •  A full range of Family Dispute Resolution and mediation services. We can also provide s.60I certificates when required.
  •  Using collaborative processes to achieve optimal outcomes for our clients.  See more information about how we use these processes here.

Doolan Wagner Family Lawyers is conveniently located in St Leonards, in close walking distance to the St Leonards train station.  St Leonards train station has regular train services running directly to/from North Ryde, Macquarie Park and Epping via Chatswood.

Our team of highly regarded family lawyers and registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners at Doolan Wagner Family Lawyers can help you with all your family law needs. So call us on 94370010 or enquiries@familylawyersdw.com.au

These posts are only intended as an overview or comment on current issues that may interest you and are not legal advice. If there are any matters that you would like us to advise you on, then please contact us.

Divorce Lawyers Ryde FAQ’s

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Call us on (02) 9437 0010

Is the process of a property settlement the same for married and de facto relationships?

The same general principles apply regardless of whether you were married or were in a de facto relationship.

What if my former partner has not been involved with our children and has not been in touch with them for some time. Do I still need their consent for making decisions about their care?

Generally yes. Unless there are Court Orders in place, then you would need your former partner’s consent in making any long term decision for the children’s wellbeing and care.

Is child support and spousal maintenance different?

Child support is a payment made for financial support to children. Spousal maintenance is a payment made by one spouse to another to provide for their financial needs

What are the disadvantages of going to Court?

The biggest disadvantages in a matter is time and the costs involved. Court is not inexpensive and unfortunately there are significant delays in the Court system.

Should we mediate?

Mediation usually costs much less for you than litigation with the result that more of your property is available for you and your children.

What type of Orders can the Court make to protect me and my children if there is family violence present

The Court can make an Order restraining a person from contacting or approaching a person or attending certain premises and also prevent them from committing an act of abuse, causing fear or damaging property.

Can I still be separated under one roof?

Separation can be under one roof, provided that you live separate lives. For example, sleeping in separate beds and not attending social functions together.