Reviews

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Tabitha Cullen 
 
10/10/2021
 
 
  
The words "trust" & "lawyer" don't often appear in the same sentence - however, I can honestly say I trust the team at DS Family Law 100%.

I have been represented by Milos, Rod & Ross over the years & I couldn't speak more highly of them.

Their professionalism never wavered & their humour was greatly appreciated during a particularly daunting period of my life.

I highly recommend the team at DS Family Law - many thanks to you all!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 John Park 
 
29/07/2021
 
 
  
Great service for me and they gave me valuable advices for all matters in every step. I could not be much stressed in my situation with DS family and would say thanks deeply, especially kind lawyer Caley Kim.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Mutta Deng 
 
12/05/2021
 
 
  
DS Law are a professional team that are responsive and were able to resolve my matters.
I would highly recommend DS Law.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Lil Paskos 
 
21/04/2021
 
 
  
DS Family Law was recommended to me and overall, they are very professional from go to woe.
From the initial meeting, I was impressed with Milos and felt very confident I would be well represented.
Greg Martinovich assisted and was the go to for the majority of correspondence that lead to a good financial outcome.
Thankyou Milos and Greg.
I wouldn't hesitate to highly recommend this firm
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Michael Sinclair 
 
31/03/2021
 
 
  
Couldn't recommend Amy enough, advice and professionalism was always at a top tier.

Thank you for everything
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Scott Piper 
 
22/03/2021
 
 
  
Caley Kim represented me and she was amazing in helping reach a fair and painless settlement. Caley's professionalism and knowledge is a true testament to DS family law and how they do business. I would not hesitate in recommending DS family Law to anyone who requires their services.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Tania Hart 
 
19/03/2021
 
 
  
DS Family Law were great to deal with. They were efficient, professional and kind. Milos, Doris and Cayley were wonderful to deal with and I have no hesitation recommending them to others. Thank you DS.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Mark Crook 
 
21/01/2021
 
 
  
My family law matter was dealt with efficiently and with a minimum of fuss. The staff at DS Family Law were friendly and helpful, maintaining excellent communication with me as the matter progressed. I have no hesitation in recommending them to others who would benefit from their expertise and caring customer support. Many thanks.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Mahshid Mosadegh 
 
02/11/2020
 
 
  
Caley Kim Best represented me in my divorce case. Very attentive, Phone calls and emails were returned without delay. I am so gald I used DS Family Law and I'd recommend them to anyone.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Google rating score: 4.9 of 5, based on 40 reviews 
 
  
 
 

Family Lawyers in Perth

DS Family Law is a reputable and well-established Family Law Firm with offices in Perth, Midland and Mandurah.

Practising exclusively in all areas of Family Law, our Perth-based family lawyers have years of experience in dealing with all issues arising from relationship breakdown, whether related to property settlement, parenting/child welfare or child support.

We are fully aware of just how traumatic the circumstances surrounding the separation process can be. Our team of family lawyers is highly qualified to assist you with understanding your rights during separation and help you move on with your life in challenging times.

If you are contemplating separation or, indeed, have separated already, we cannot over-emphasise the importance of being aware of your rights and entitlements under Family Law. In fact, any delay in obtaining proper advice may have adverse and far-reaching consequences.

On this page, you can find everything you need to know about our Family Law Firm, our family lawyers, our areas of expertise, the client appointment process, legal fees and more.

We would welcome the opportunity of providing you with comprehensive Family Law advice and sincerely hope that the information on this page helps you better understand the process of obtaining legal assistance from DS Family Law.

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Our Point of Difference

DS Family Law is one of many Family Law Firms in Perth, and the number of firms practising in the Family Law arena has mushroomed in the past few years.

Nowadays, Family Law consumers can take advantage of free 15-minute consultations, 20-minute telephone appointments, or even informal chats at a local coffee shop for a marginal fee.

At DS Family Law we do not engage in these cut-price initial “deals”, which we consider to be merely marketing gimmicks. We also don’t engage in “fixed fee arrangements” because we believe every case is different and requires a unique, tailored and pragmatic approach. Therefore, forecasting the outcome of all but the simplest of family law settlements with any degree of certainty is all but impossible.

Filling out a detailed questionnaire before your first appointment saves time for what’s really important.

A 15-minute, free consultation, however tempting, will almost never satisfy your need for informed, considered advice. It will not allow us sufficient time to get to know the relevant facts and circumstances of your case and consider those matters fully. Accordingly, it won’t result in the provision of meaningful advice.

At DS Family Law, prospective clients are required to complete a detailed questionnaire before the first consultation. That way, no valuable time is wasted on gathering basic information. If you then decide to come on board as a client, you will receive a thoroughly detailed letter of advice covering all aspects of your matter, including a range of likely outcomes.

Quality Assured Family Law Practice

DS Family Law is a ‘Quality Assured Practice’ as certified by the Law Society of WA. This status recognises Firms that have developed and adhere to prescribed internal processes dedicated to maximising efficiency, client satisfaction and avoiding wastage.

To maintain this Quality Practice Standard we are subject to an annual audit to ensure our ongoing compliance with standards that go beyond the requirements of the relevant legislation. DS Family Law has been certified as a QPS practice since 2008.

Areas of Expertise

DS Family Law has a 19-year history of providing legal advice and assistance to (mostly) separating couples and helping them move on with their lives.

Generally speaking, people recognise the stock standard ‘divorce’ situation where couples go their separate ways after many years of building the family nest.

Therefore, property settlement and parenting issues are the family lawyer’s ‘bread and butter’, and probably consume a good 90% of all the time we spend on files.

But what about the other 10%? The remainder includes anything from pre-nuptial agreements to adoptions, child maintenance cases, even surrogacy issues and more.

Our team of family lawyers practises exclusively in matters of family law.

Family Law has advanced leaps and bounds since the introduction of the Family Law Act 1975. Over the last 19 years, we have provided legal advice in countless disparate cases including same-sex marriage (or same-sex divorce!), superannuation splitting, surrogacy,  and de-facto relationships.

Even the definition of the words ‘family’ and ‘parent’ have undergone a massive transformation in the last half-century, culminating in the recent High Court decision in Masson v Parsons (sperm donor and parental status).

Situations considered unthinkable when the Act was introduced are now considered the ‘norm’, and the question is often asked – is the Family Court creating new norms or simply catching up with them?

Rest assured that DS Family Law remain abreast of the most recent developments in Family Law and if a pathway to resolution exists, we will help you find it regardless of how ‘unconventional’ your problem might be.

Regional Expertise

Through 19 years of practising exclusively in Family Law, DS Family Law has gathered a wealth of experience in many specific niche areas, largely through dealing extensively across numerous regional locations known for particular industries.

In addition to our current Perth, Midland and Mandurah offices, the Firm has for lengthy periods operated practices in Darwin, Geraldton, Karratha, Kalgoorlie and Esperance. As a result, we are ‘across’ many of the intricacies involved in farming, mining and cray-fishing disputes and settlements.

This includes, for example, how to value a growing crop, the significance of the timing of such valuation and the importance of preserving the main, income-producing asset.

We are also acutely aware of the dangers of taking the value of cray-fishing enterprises straight from the balance sheet – cray boats are often ‘written down’ to minimal value but retain a market value of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Additionally, the mining industry usually involves different superannuation schemes and long, 12-hour shifts or ‘fly-in/fly-out’ rosters, making parenting arrangements much more complex.

Our expertise includes understanding and analysing complex valuations of income-producing assets.

In our Darwin office, which operated from 2009 to 2018, we particularly advised clients involved in the Northern Territory’s three largest industries: Government/Civil Service, the Military and Resources.

The valuation and splitting of Government/Military Superannuation Funds is something we still deal with routinely. Having worked intensely in those sectors provides us with a significant advantage over competitors who may be unfamiliar with the nuances of such industries.

Family Law in Perth and Western Australia

Family Law is, broadly speaking, applied uniformly throughout Australia, but there are important differences that can arise between WA and the rest of the States and Territories.

For example, it took many years of promises from the State Government to finally make it possible for de facto couples separating in WA to ‘split’ their superannuation entitlements.

Furthermore, Western Australia has its own State Act for ex-nuptial children – namely, the Family Court Act 1997. Whereas this broadly reflects the Family Law Act under which all other Australian children fall, there are differences.

And unlike the rest of Australia, de facto relationships in WA are defined as “a marriage-like relationship between two people for a minimum period of 2 years” – Section 13A Interpretation Act WA 1984.

‘De-facto’ in other States and Territories, however, requires a couple to “live together on a genuine domestic basis”. Even if the broad intention of the legislatures was the same, case law has demonstrated that these definitions can result in different outcomes, and parties can live together on a genuine domestic basis without necessarily living in ‘marriage-like’ relationships.

Family Law Beyond Perth and WA

In addition to servicing the wider Perth metro area, we have years of experience assisting regional or nationally-based clients resolve a myriad of parenting or property matters.

Although we can only advise on Australian law and procedure, we have helped countless Australians living overseas deal with the Family Court in Perth, including clients residing in the UK, Canada, US, South Africa, New Zealand and throughout Asia. These clients have benefited from our advice and expertise over many years, readily assisted by our willingness to embrace the new technology of the past decade or so that makes international communication so comparatively easy.

Although the majority of our clients do reside in the Perth metropolitan area (as well as in and around Midland and Mandurah, where we have conveniently located offices), we will willingly take on matters worldwide if required, so long as the legal connection to WA is clearly established.