The core function of a lawyer is to provide legal advice. Some do it better than others.

• Get the law right. Too often we see lawyers not understand family law principals.
• Not merely state the law as it’s written in the books, but how the law could affect their client.
• Usually a client has options, and an experienced lawyer can advise which is best. But the choice is always the client's.
• Give advice in an understandable way.

An experienced lawyer knows the traps to avoid and the steps that can be taken to improve an outcome.

Lawyers can never guarantee a certain outcome in a family law case, but they can provide guidance on the chances of getting a certain result.

Realistic advice is equally important . We have seen other parties spend allot of money on legal fees chasing an unrealistic claim that they did not get.

While it is important to stand up for a client's rights, it is also important that a lawyer does not inflame the circumstances and make it harder.

Far too often we see lawyers make inflammatory and harmful comments that have nothing to do with the law.

Such comments do nothing to help their client's. It only make things worse and costs more money.

An experienced lawyer will advise on important practical steps that can be taken.

These cannot be found in a book and are only learnt through experience.

Lawyers write many letters; to the other party, clients and others.   Letter writing is an art.  Saying the wrong thing in a letter can harm a case. Not saying something can be as important as what is said.

At Gordon Lawyers, important letters to the other party are shown to the client for approval before they are sent.

When an agreement is reached and it comes to drafting the documents needed, great care is needed to be clear and cover the bases.  If not, the agreement could led to more problems than it fixes.

A lawyer will negotiate on a client's behalf to reach a resolution that they seek.  They usally  do this through letters. Sometimes mediation is tried.

At Gordon Lawyers, detail advice is provided about offers made & received.

A lawyer is there for you...they are there to protect your interests above all others (including their own).

"Advice" is sometimes given by the other party. It is usually self serving.  Only a client's lawyer  has a duty to look out for their clients.

Most financial cases (ie property settlements) involve the review of documents such as bank statements,  tax returns and alike.

Sometimes the documents are complex, such as company and trust financial statements, expert’s reports and valuations.

A lawyer needs to be able to;

• Know what documents to get
• What to look for and,
• Explain them to their client in an understandable way