Perth family lawyer needed

[westminster]

My brother and his ex had a fairly amicable split a few years ago. They have a 7yo together.
As it was amicable they did no formal parenting agreement and they decided he would live mainly with mum ( and 2 siblings from another relationship) and he would have him at least every second weekend but with as much access as he wanted. In reality that was every second weekend and visits once or twice a week including doing weekend sport every weekend etc.
Fast forward to 3 months ago and she meets someone else but he lives 2.5hrs from Perth in the country.
She now wants to move to there and take their son which effectively takes away my brothers adhoc access etc.
He knows he can prevent her taking him and started Mediation with Relationships Australia to try and reach an agreement. He would happily have full custody.
Today he received a letter from her lawyers ( before finishing mediation ) stating that she seeks to take their son and he has 7 days to reply etc. It seems to be scare tactics but he is out of his depth and needs a lawyer.

So long story short. He needs a recommended family lawyer to get custody and sort this out.

No doubt little sis (me) will pay the bill.

How much are family lawyers?!?

Thanks!

 

[redwing]

I thought under the new system you had to go through the process with Relationships Australia or similar and show irreconcilable differences etc before you could even go to court?

A plan to free up the courts

 

[coastal]

7 days is just a scare tactic..just standard lawyer talk.

 

[westminster]

I thought under the new system you had to go through the process with Relationships Australia or similar and show irreconcilable differences etc before you could even go to court?

A plan to free up the courts

That's what we thought, so I had helped him set that up.

But today he received this letter from Slater & Gordon rolleyes on her behalf.

 

[Jen_PFR]

Myf, I'm sorry, I can't help with a family lawyer rec but I just wanted to say I'm sorry the arrangement has fallen apart. Stressful times for your brother, and you as well. Hang in there.

 

[westminster]

Myf, I'm sorry, I can't help with a family lawyer rec but I just wanted to say I'm sorry the arrangement has fallen apart. Stressful times for your brother, and you as well. Hang in there.

It is stressful.

He's kicking himself that when she needed him to have full custody a year or so ago that nothing was put in writing and that he reverted back to the old system awhile later.

Technically as there is no Parenting Agreement there doesn't seem to be anything stopping him from just presuming full custody but he was seeking to get it sorted through mediation and go forwards.

 

[Tano]

Best of luck Myf. This is really sad and unfortunate and i hope it all works out for all involved (esp the child)

 

[D.T.]

Cant recommend a lawyer sorry.

I was about the same age when my mum got married to a different guy. This meant seeing my dad a lot less which I was sad about.

What does the child want, would he like to live with his dad? Does his dad's work hours make this feasible?

 

[DaveM]

thatbum from the forums here is a perth based family lawyer

 

[westminster]

Cant recommend a lawyer sorry.

I was about the same age when my mum got married to a different guy. This meant seeing my dad a lot less which I was sad about.

What does the child want, would he like to live with his dad? Does his dad's work hours make this feasible?

He would love to live with his Dad (my brother), they are very very close. My brother is gutted that he might be going 2.5hrs away from him - no more evening visits, no doing Auskick every week, hard to go see him get certificates at school assembly etc.

But he of course also wants to live with his Mum too.

Yes his work hours make him being a single Dad possible and he has talked to his work and my family to have the support structure in place.

He can either have his son move to his house which would mean a change in schools or he can move into one of my Gwelup villas (when they are finished) which allows his son to stay at his current school. He is also then with 1km of me and our parents to help with school stuff etc.

 

[westminster]

thatbum from the forums here is a perth based family lawyer

I have a PM to him for advice. I think he only works in a certain geographical area but I'll check with him for recommendation if so.

 

[Terry_w]

thatbum from the forums here is a perth based family lawyer

Thatbum is what I was going to say.

Family lawyers cost around $350 per hour up to $500.

 

[Colin Rice]

Ask M Dixon from Devita & Dixon for a recommendation.

 

[westminster]

I'm feeling the forum love

Thatbum is going to see my brother today or tomorrow and give him some advice on what to do with the letter.

Mega kudos to Thatbum (who is sooooo not a bum!)

 

[thatbum]

I'm feeling the forum love

Thatbum is going to see my brother today or tomorrow and give him some advice on what to do with the letter.

Mega kudos to Thatbum (who is sooooo not a bum!)

Well as a publicly funded lawyer compared to my private firm counterparts, I'm pretty much a bum.

Terry is on the mark with your average family lawyer fees - $350 to $500 per hour is the norm. Ridiculous, but unfortunately the reality, especially in WA where demand high.

 

[jim1964]

No doubt little sis (me) will pay the bill.

You do know this can and will be quite expensive,and believe me i am qualified to comment.All i will say is dont back down early,harden right up.BTW orders are not worth the paper they are written on,complete waste of time and money.If one doesnt comply,its like a money merry go round.

 

[HotRod]

Might I add, that the decision needs to be in the best interests of their child, not your brother's nor his ex-wife's.

Both sides need to back down all this lawyering up and be grown ups and think about what is the best for the child. These things tend to end up becoming very petty and selfish exercises.

As hard as it would be to do, maybe your brother needs to be the better man and put their son's interests above his and his mother's.

What is the best for their son?

I guess the other kids are a consideration as well, which may complicate things.

Mediation should be the first stop and the mediator should be focusing on what is in the best interest of their son.

If it does mean a 2.5hr trip to see him, then that may be the sacrifice that your brother needs to make in the best interest of their son.

The tricky bit is to put their son's interests above their own. I think people get it confused and then just focus on their own interests assuming it is also the same as their kid's.

 

[westminster]

I hear you and I think my brother is thinking in best terms for child. His ex has admitted she is moving because she wants to be " looked after"

He is trying to be adult and arranged mediation but she is refusing.

It's tough. If she wasn't moving there would still be issues but less so.

In terms of stability, security and positive influence I think he is best with his dad. That is not family bias but truth.

 

[Deena]

Family law gets very messy. Very distressing area.

You need a family law specialist, not lawyers who are general, so to speak.

Very very expensive as already mentioned. Many years back now, but I used Anderson & Josland. You get what you pay for. You want a lawyer in cbd too, they charge travelling fees.

 

[DaveM]

Thatbum is what I was going to say.

Please dont sue me for copyright infringement