Family matters are rarely simple and never only legal. Michael brings a calm, level head to a stressful time — one solicitor, start to finish — focused on practical resolution rather than escalation, and always honest with you about where you stand.
From separation and parenting arrangements to property settlements and binding financial agreements, Michael guides you through each step personally, with discretion and genuine care. Most of the families we act for live locally — in Castle Hill, Kellyville, Baulkham Hills, Bella Vista, Rouse Hill and the surrounding Hills District suburbs — and many arrive at the hardest moment they have faced.
Michael's approach is to steady things early: listen properly, be honest about your options, and work towards an outcome you can live with rather than a fight you cannot afford. Wherever possible, matters are resolved through negotiation, mediation or family dispute resolution, then formalised properly through consent orders — binding, without anyone setting foot in a courtroom — so you can move forward with certainty.
Two questions sit at the centre of almost every separation: what happens with the children, and what happens with the money. Each has its own law, its own process and its own time limits — and each is covered in depth on its own page below, along with financial agreements and the divorce itself, which is best treated as the last step rather than the first. Some family matters cannot wait: a child not returned after changeover, a sudden relocation, assets being moved. When something is urgent, call the same day — the options are always better early.
Parenting plans and consent orders, changing existing orders, urgent recovery orders, relocation, and grandparents' time with grandchildren — children first, agreement wherever possible.
Read more →An honest view of your realistic range, then a settlement that is fair, final and properly formalised — including superannuation, businesses and complex assets. Strict time limits apply.
Read more →Agreements before, during or after a relationship — drafted properly — plus independent advice and certificates on agreements you have been asked to sign.
Read more →What a divorce actually does, the 12-month property clock it starts, and the safe order of operations before you file.
Read more →It begins with a free 15-minute phone call. Michael listens to what has happened — the separation, the children, the property — and asks the questions that matter, so you finish the call knowing whether the firm can help and what your sensible next step is.
If we can assist, Michael arranges an initial consultation to understand your circumstances properly, then sets out your options in plain English with a written costs agreement before anything begins — so you can make decisions about your family's future with a level head and no surprises.
Michael handles your matter himself from first negotiation to final orders — always working towards sensible agreement, and standing firmly beside you if court becomes the only path left.
Usually not. Most family matters are resolved through negotiation, mediation or family dispute resolution, and any agreement can be formalised through consent orders without anyone setting foot in a courtroom. In parenting matters, a genuine attempt at family dispute resolution is generally expected before court proceedings can begin. Court remains the last resort — and if it does become necessary, Michael prepares your case thoroughly and stands beside you throughout.
There is no automatic 50/50 split in Australia. Broadly, the approach is to work out what you both own and owe, weigh up the contributions each of you made — financial and otherwise, including caring for children and the home — consider your future needs, and check the overall result is just and equitable. Every family is different, which is why honest early advice about your realistic range matters so much. How this works in practice is covered in depth on the property settlement page.
The starting point is always the best interests of the children — their safety, their relationships with the people who matter to them, and the practical realities of their care. Most parents reach arrangements by agreement, recorded in a parenting plan or made binding through consent orders. Where agreement is not possible, the court decides based on what is best for the children, not on what either parent wants.
Generally, yes. De facto couples — including same-sex couples — have substantially the same property settlement and maintenance rights as married couples, usually once the relationship has lasted two years or there is a child of the relationship. Strict time limits apply to bringing a claim after separation, so it is worth getting advice early even if you are parting on good terms — the property settlement page covers de facto entitlements in more depth.
It depends on the path. Matters resolved by agreement — the majority — are usually measured in months: reaching agreement, then having consent orders approved on the papers. Contested court proceedings are measured in many months or longer, which is one of the reasons Michael works so hard to resolve matters without them. Two things are worth knowing early: strict time limits apply to property claims after divorce or separation, and parenting matters generally require a genuine attempt at family dispute resolution before court.
It is a genuine introduction, not a sales pitch. You outline what has happened; Michael explains how the law approaches your situation, whether anything is urgent, and what your sensible next step is — including whether the firm is the right fit to assist. If we do go further, the next step is a paid initial consultation — a thorough working session on your circumstances — and no work begins until you have a written costs agreement in hand, so you always know exactly where you stand.
Nobody is automatically required to leave the home — what your options really are, in plain English.
Read article →Pets are no longer just property in a separation. What the companion-animal changes mean for you.
Read article →Children grow and circumstances change. When the law lets parenting orders change with them.
Read article →The information on this page is general in nature and is not legal advice. What is right for you depends on your circumstances. For advice about your situation, contact Michael Campbell Law.
The first conversation is a free 15-minute phone call — no cost, no obligation.