Expertise

Collaborative Law

COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE LAWYER IN WOLLONGONG

experienced collaborative divorce lawyer

Extensive Experience

Kells specialises in all areas of family law including collaborative divorce, separation, child custody, property and financial agreements and settlements.

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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.

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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.

Family Law & Children

Area of Expertise

How Can Our Collaborative Lawyers Help?

If you want to resolve your family law issues in a respectful and dignified manner, where you retain control of your decisions, then it may be right for you. We can use our experience to assess whether Collaborative Law is indeed the appropriate way forward for you.

The collaborative lawyers at Kells have years of experience in handling a wide range of family law issues and are specially trained to deal with the Collaborative Law process. We can help you navigate the process, from initial meetings with both parties right through to the completion of negotiations — all of this in a safe and supportive environment that encourages honest communication, creative problem-solving, and positive agreements between the two parties.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is Collaborative Law?

    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.

  • Is anyone else involved in the Collaborative Law process?

    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.

  • What are the advantages of using Collaborative Law?

    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.

  • What are the disadvantages of using Collaborative Law?

    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.

  • What if my partner and I are in conflict?

    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.

  • Should I consider Collaborative Law?

    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.

  • What does Collaborative Law involve?

    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.

  • What do the Collaborative Law meetings involve?

    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.

  • Is there anything I should be aware of about the Collaborative Law process?

    It is crucial to the process that clients must use specially trained collaborative lawyers who understand what is involved in the collaborative law process.


    At Kells, our collaborative lawyers in Wollongong are trained in this process and meet regularly with other local lawyers to ensure that this service is professionally applied to our clients.

Get The Right Legal Advice for Your Case

Call our family lawyers today to discuss your matter.

Family Law & Children

Area of Expertise