OUR SERVICES
Family & Divorce Law
Led by family law specialist Kara Palombo, our team provides clear, practical advice for divorce, separation, child custody, and property settlements, with experience across the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. We also serve clients throughout the Barossa Valley and Riverland.
Contact our family law team today to arrange a confidential consultation and discuss your situation.
Breaking down family law, lifting you back up.
A relationship breakdown is hard, no matter how you look at it. As specialists in family law and mediation, we help ease the emotional and financial burdens that come with the end of a relationship.
Our approach combines a compassionate, human touch with genuine courtroom experience. We work closely with you to protect your interests, your property, and your number one priority: your children.
Divorce Lawyers
It doesn’t matter if it was ‘mutual’ or totally unexpected, the last thing you both want is a drawn out, emotionally draining divorce.
With discretion and compassion, we’ll guide you through the process of separation and prepare your divorce application so you can move on, without the unnecessary stress or delay.
To apply for a divorce in Australia, you and your spouse need to have been separated for at least 12 months with no reasonable prospect of getting back together. We’ll help you understand whether you meet this requirement, even if you’ve been separated under the same roof, and prepare your application correctly the first time to avoid delays.
Once your divorce is finalised, there are other matters that often need to be sorted, like parenting arrangements and dividing your property and finances. We can advise you on these as part of the same process, so you’re not left having to start again with a different divorce lawyer down the track.
Children’s Living Arrangements
You can place a certain value on property. But you can’t put a price on the welfare of your children at a time when protecting them means everything.
Our mission as experienced family lawyers is to minimise the disruption, delay and emotional stress that often goes hand in hand with disputes over living arrangements.
The law focuses on what’s in the best interests of the child, not on what either parent feels they’re owed. How much time children spend with each parent depends on their age, their maturity, and what’s practical for everyone involved. We’ll help you reach an arrangement that works for your family, and formalise it properly so it holds up down the track.
Property Settlements
Through negotiation and alternative dispute resolution, we ensure you first consider the most cost-effective, and often fastest, course of action when the heightened emotions of a relationship breakdown are telling you to ‘take it to court’.
We assist with the division of joint matrimonial assets, superannuation splitting, and drafting legally binding Financial Agreements to secure your financial future.
There’s no fixed formula for how property is split. The court looks at what each of you brought into the relationship, your financial and non-financial contributions during it (including raising children or supporting a household), and what each of you will need going forward. We’ll help you understand where you realistically stand before you commit to a position.
You don’t need to be divorced to formalise a property settlement, and there are time limits that apply once you are, so it’s worth getting advice early rather than leaving it until the last minute.
Deegan Law provides compassionate family law and divorce lawyer representation across the Adelaide metropolitan area, as well as our regional offices in Berri, Tanunda, and surrounding country areas.
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Family & Divorce Law
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get help funding my family law legal fees?
Yes. Deegan Law has partnered with JustFund to provide eligible clients with a flexible way to fund legal fees and expenses relating to separation and relationship property matters.
Rather than paying all legal costs upfront, eligible clients may be able to access a line of credit through JustFund.com.au and defer repayment until a settlement is reached.
Eligibility and lending terms apply and funding is provided by JustFund, not Deegan Law. Speak with our team to find out more and whether this may be an option for your matter.
What other family matters can Deegan Law assist with?
Deegan Law can also provide advice and assist with the following family related matters
- Child support
- Guardianship of children
- Grandparent’s rights
- Spousal maintenance
- Binding Financial Agreements before, during and after a relationship
I am separating from my partner and he/she has threatened to take the house and kids, is that possible?
It depends on the circumstances of your family, including the length of your relationship, the age of your children (or if you have children at all) and your future needs.
Assets will be divided depending on the following:
- Who had what at the beginning of the relationship;
- Who contributed what during the relationship – both financial and non-financial;
- Any debts incurred and for what purpose;
- Who is going to care for the children in the future; and
- Your future needs and the needs of the children.
The time the children spend with each parent will depend on their age, maturity and the practicably of a shared care arrangement.
My partner and I separated and we have come to an agreement privately, what can we do now?
You will need a legally binding document to protect yourself in the future.
If you have an agreement you can either apply to the Family Court of Australia for Consent Minutes of Order (personally or through a lawyer) or instruct a solicitor to draft a Binding Financial Agreement.
Consent Minutes and Binding Financial Agreements outline the agreement reached. Both options bring to an end your and your partner’s property claims against the other.
My ex-partner is threatening to take me to court but I want to try mediation, can he/she do that?
The Court requires people to try mediation or Family Dispute Resolution before initiating proceedings in either the Federal Circuit or Family Courts. When you file an application you must file a certificate from a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.
There are some exceptions, however we will always suggest that you try to resolve the matter before going to Court.
How long do you have to be separated before applying for a divorce in Adelaide?
Under Australian law, you must be separated from your spouse for a minimum of 12 months with no reasonable likelihood of reconciliation before you can formally file a divorce application.
What is the difference between a private agreement and a Consent Order?
While a private agreement rests on mutual trust, it is not legally enforceable. To secure your future, an experienced family lawyer can help you formalise your agreement into Consent Orders through the Family Court of Australia, making it legally binding.
Do we have to go to court to settle our property division?
Not necessarily. At Deegan Law, our primary focus is always on alternative dispute resolution and structured negotiation. We aim to secure a fair property settlement out of court first, saving you unnecessary emotional and financial stress.
How long does a divorce take in Adelaide?
For a straightforward, uncontested application, the process from filing to finalisation commonly takes around four to six months, though this depends on the court’s workload and whether there are any complications, such as difficulty serving the application on your former partner. We can talk you through the likely timeline for your specific circumstances.
Our office locations
Adelaide
99 Kensington Road, Norwood SA 5067
Barossa
Shop 5, 7 Gawler Street, Nuriootpa SA 5355
Riverland
Tamblyn House, 17 Vaughan Tce, Berri SA 5343