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Family law in Penrith, when you’re ready.
Phone, video or in person on Station Street.
- ChildrenWhere they live, and time with each of you
- Money and propertyThe house, super, savings and debts
- The divorce itselfEnding the marriage, and when to apply
- Not sure yet? Start here
Office hours Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm. First appointment $440 including GST.
Your first appointment
One hour with a solicitor about your questions and your options. You don’t need to have decided anything first.
pricing
$440including GST, for the hour
- How long
- 60 minutes
- Who you see
- A solicitor: Joanne Merrin or Tom Ababio
- How
- By phone, by video, or in person at 88 Station Street
- Before it
- A quick check that we haven’t acted for the other person. We only need names for that.
- After it
- If you’d like us to act for you, a written scope and estimate before any more work is done.
Court fees are separate
They’re set by the court, paid to the court, and they change from time to time. We’ll tell you the current fee before anything is filed. There’s a court fee when you file:
- A divorce application, with a reduced fee for eligible people
- An application for consent orders
- An application for parenting or property orders
We work on private fees. If cost is what’s stopping you, Legal Aid NSW or a community legal centre may be able to help, and we’ll tell you how to reach them.
Children
Where the children live, how they spend time with each of you, and who makes the big decisions about school and health. We act for one parent, and we’ll tell you plainly when the children’s interests point somewhere else.
- No presumption of equal shared parental responsibilityDecisions turn on what’s best for the child, and the law has never required equal time.
- Family dispute resolution usually comes firstBefore applying for parenting orders, you generally must try it. There are exceptions, including family violence, child abuse and urgency.
- A parenting plan isn’t legally enforceableConsent orders are.
We help with
- Parenting arrangements
- Parenting plans and consent orders
- Getting ready for mediation
- Court, if it comes to that
- Urgent parenting advice
Money and property
Not just the house. Savings, super, the car, the business and the debts are all part of it. A rough list of what you know is enough for a first appointment.
- A divorce doesn’t decide propertyIt’s a separate question, and you don’t have to wait for a divorce to sort it out.
- There are time limitsProperty applications are generally due within 12 months of a divorce becoming final, or 2 years after a de facto relationship ends.
We help with
- Property and super settlements
- Consent orders
- Financial agreements
- Spousal maintenance
- De facto separations, including same-sex couples
The divorce itself
The application that formally ends a marriage. It’s often the simplest of the three, and the one people search for first.
- You must be separated for 12 monthsYou can be separated under one roof, still living in the same home.
- It doesn’t decide children or propertyThose are dealt with separately.
- There’s a court filing feeIt’s set by the court, not by us, and it changes. There’s a reduced fee for eligible people, and we’ll tell you the current amount.
We help with
- Preparing your divorce application
- Checking one you’ve started yourself
Not sure yet?
You can get advice before you’ve decided anything, and before you’ve told anyone. Plenty of first appointments start with “I don’t know if I should be here.” That’s what the hour is for. This is what happens, in order.
You get in touch
Call, or send a safe enquiry. Tell us when it’s safe to contact you and how.
We check we can act
Leah asks for names only, to make sure we haven’t acted for the other person. Then she books your appointment.
Your first appointment
An hour with Joanne or Tom about your questions and your options.
A written scope, if you go ahead
What we’d do, what it’s likely to cost and what isn’t included. Nothing more happens until you agree, and court only if it’s needed.
Who you’ll speak to
Joanne Merrin
Principal Solicitor
Joanne runs the firm and sees most first appointments herself. Her work is mainly parenting arrangements, property settlements and financial agreements.
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Tom Ababio
Solicitor
Tom works on property and super settlements, de facto separations and divorce applications. He sees first appointments too, often by video.
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Leah Nguyen
Client Services
Leah answers the phone, runs the conflict check and arranges appointments. She isn’t a lawyer, so she won’t give legal advice, but she’ll get you to someone who can.
Your safety
If you’re worried about someone seeing this
Leave this site, top right on every screen, swaps this page for the weather, and so does pressing Esc twice. It can’t remove your browsing history. Our emails and texts never say what your appointment is about.
Contact on your terms
Tell us how and when it’s safe to reach you first. Leah will get back to you in office hours to check we can act, then book a time.
Thank you.
Leah will be in touch in office hours, only the way you’ve asked:
This is a demonstration. Nothing was sent.
Finding us
- Address
- Level 1, 88 Station Street
Penrith NSW 2750 - Phone
- (02) 5550 0461
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Outside these hours by arrangement
Or by video, from wherever you can talk
The same hour as in person. We send the link the way you’ve asked.