Step-Parent (Intrafamily) Adoption In NSW

Douglas McMillan, Partner Family Law: “PCL’s, A CBD firm. So we are dealing with corporate executives right through to mums and dads in the suburbs, and we get people from overseas. So we’re dealing with people from everywhere.

The clients that we help would range from people who are coming in to talk about getting a, a financial agreement sorted out, either at the start of the relationship or marriage or at the end, right through to people who have got really complex and difficult disputes to work through, even if it involves court proceedings.”

Clementina Maione, Partner, Family Law: “We’ve got the ability at PCL lawyers to run a matter where it’s an urgent application of any sort, and also see a client who needs to just have an initial chat.

Steven Edward Partner, Family law Specialist: “I should come and see us as soon as they have a concern about what’s happening in the relationship, or if a separation happens as soon as possible.

After that, a client coming to PCL lawyers in our family law team, they can expect to get an open set of ears to listen to them and a really clear answer to all of their questions and what’s going to happen and how we’re going to get them to resolve any issues that are in dispute.”

Douglas: “The main thing that people, uh, suffer is just not knowing and that they’re, they’re really not thinking straight, uh, at the start of it. They’re really finding it difficult to work through it. It’s important to just ease their concerns and, and just let them know they’ll get through it and we’ll just work through all the various pathways that apply to them. There’s an end to it all, but it’s a process that you’ve just gotta work through each step carefully helping them through what is probably one of the most traumatic parts of their lives.

The clarity is really important for people. And the way to do that is to, in a sense, compartmentalize some of the, some of the issues.”

Steven: “You’ve very often got clients come and see us. The big question of what’s gonna happen to the family home. And that’s not just a financial thing, but it’s, it’s, it’s an emotional thing as well.

What’s gonna happen to somebody’s business? Are they gonna be able to keep running their business? Are they gonna be able to have a home? Where are the children going to live? Can we have a situation where each parent’s got a house?”

Clementina: “My approach, usually when um, clients come to see me is we have a plan, we have a structure, and we have, I call ’em a roadmap and we set that out for them, uh, not necessarily at the initial appointment, but soon after. And I also set out if the pathway doesn’t follow, well, what kind of avenues we have to go down. Because remember, it’s the conduct of both parties that is going to get the result. It’s not just going to be one party.”

Doug: “It’s all about the clients. They make the decisions, we give advice, and they make decisions. So they’re critical throughout. It’s a team, uh, and it is a team, um, because the clients have to give us instructions about everything that they’re expecting and we need to temper what their expectations are with our advice, we’re trying to hone in on what’s important for them and to use our services as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. ’cause people want their answers and their problems solved at a reasonable price.”

Clementina: “When initially you see clients, the journey that they have in their mind is usually quick, fast, let’s get this over and done with. But the journey could be between three months to six, or it could be, um, 18 months to three years.”

Clementina: “The great thing that we’ve got, the first thing that we’ve got here is we’ve got three partners who have got a huge degree of experience.

When you’ve got colleagues that already have that high level of experience there, there wouldn’t be any matter that we wouldn’t be able to handle or we wouldn’t come, have come across between the three of us.

So already you’ve got that right next door to you, and then you’ve also got a firm that offers other services that you can knock on their door if you need their assistance with a particular matter.”

Steven: “Individually, we can solve people’s problems, but we also talk together, you know, if there’s a hard issue, we, we will magnify our levels of experience to find really good answers. You know, I’ve worked with a few law firms, but this has probably got the, the, the most firepower, if you like, of experience and knowledge base, but also the right attitude.

I don’t think there’s a, it’s a great attitude that, that we have, that we are here to solve problems, not make things worse. It’s really about helping people move through, a difficult period. But it’s not, not only to help them, but for the, the wider community around them, about their children, about their children’s children. So, you know, that’s the sense of responsibility and I, I really get a satisfaction out of being part of that.”