My experience as a Family Lawyer since 1986, including since 1997 as a Family Court Counsel, provides me with a very strong understanding of the law, including complex financial disputes, as well as an appreciation of the unique nuances associated with the family law jurisdiction.
I have been actively practicing as a qualified mediator since the early 2000’s. Through my 20 years plus experience as a mediator, primarily working in family law disputes, I have adopted an effective approach to mediation with, upon the consent of the parties, a direct position expressing a likely court outcome if the matter does not resolve at mediation. This has ultimately achieved a very high success rate.
I have degrees in Law and Economics, both obtained from the University of Sydney in 1986. In 1996 I obtained a Master of Law at the University of New South Wales, majoring in Family Law and Human Rights related subjects.
Career Milestones
Since 1997
From 1998 to 2003
I was the National Editor of the CCH De Facto Relationships Service.
From January 2002 to April 2005
I held a position as an Arbitrator of the N.S.W. Workers Compensation Legislative Scheme.
In 2004
I was appointed a Mediator of the New South Wales Supreme Court.
Also in 2004, I was appointed an Arbitrator of the New South Wales District Court.
From 2007
In 2007 I became a Commonwealth Alternative Dispute Resolution Provider (ADRP).
In addition, I am a member of the Conciliators and Arbitrators Association, the Australian Association of Family Lawyers and Conciliators, and the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.
Further, I was previously on the Legal Aid Committee of the Bar Association of New South Wales. Since 2018 I have sat on the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee of the Bar Association, and since 2021 on the Family Law Committee. These dual positions through the Bar Association have led me to take on the important responsibility of being the link between the two committees: representing the interest of family lawyers in the former ADR Committee and acting for the interest of mediator in relation to the latter Family Law Committee.
In more recent years, I have served on the Mediation panel Family Law Settlement Services (FLSS) through the New South Wales Law Society. The FLSS is a mediation program designed specifically for family law matters, including parenting and property disputes.