I have a large bookcase in my office full of Australian Law Reports. These books contain thousands of case law precedents with decided cases applying legal principles. Prior to the internet and the digital age of doing business…
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Family Law in Australia is generally an adversarial system, with some exceptions. More than a decade of experience in legal practice tells me that at times, it can be come unnecessarily adversarial. Receiving voluminous correspondence raising debate about factual matters which do not advance…
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As I leave the Maryborough office in the evening after another busy day, it dawned on me that we are only a month away from Christmas. 2023 has gone so quickly, it feels like only yesterday we were re-opening the office from the last Christmas break…
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While summer officially starts in December, it feels like it has arrived early this year. Some regional courthouses in Queensland (such as the Maryborough Magistrates Court) only have limited inside seating for parties to wait for their matter to be called. Sometimes the court is closed meaning non parties are prohibited from being inside the courtroom until their matter is heard…
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In our practice, people rarely seek our advice and/or assistance during the good times in life. We are often called upon to help people at their darkest hour. Divorce, relationship breakdown, disputes over children, domestic violence issues and other major potential life changing “problems” are what we help clients with…
Over the last few weeks, I haven’t had time to scratch myself. Court cases, mediations, letters, case outlines, matters in the pre action procedure stage as well as a raft of new client appointments. We are now in territory where it starts to dawn on us all that Christmas for another year is only a “few” weeks away…
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This week, I once again found myself at the Family Court at Brisbane helping clients with a case. On this particular day, the case was stood down to start mid morning. While waiting outside the courtroom, I had a good view across the inside of level 2 of the court building where there were a number of other courts in session and lots of people.
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The Historic Maryborough Courthouse would have to be one of the most renown courthouses throughout Queensland. Spending hundreds of hours in and around this Maryborough building over the last decade, you come to appreciate the beauty…
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Achieving successful outcomes in legal cases is a bit like making a good cake. To achieve a great result, a number of ingredients are required throughout the process in getting to the end result.
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Recently, the John Willett Lawyers team participated in the Zonta Says No Charity Golf Day at the Maryborough Golf Club to raise issues surrounding Domestic Violence within the Maryborough community…
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There is often a misconception that all family law disputes are decided in the Federal Circuit and Family Court at Brisbane. This is not always the case…
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Nobody knows how good you are, but they do know how quick you are. A great solicitor I previously worked with who retired with 50 years admission under his belt would say this to me a couple of times throughout the year when I was a much younger lawyer…
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I have seen some of the most ingrained family law conflicts resolved at mediation over the last decade. Mediation is a process whereby both parties involved in the dispute agree to attend at or with a neutral, independent third party who acts as an intermediary in helping parties arrive at a mutually agreed resolution…
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Coercive control is a form of behaviour which can often be found in cycle of violence type partner or intimate relationships. It is a complex issue and can take a number of forms.
The National Domestic and Family Violence Bench Book describes coercive control as a course of conduct aimed at dominating and controlling another. The Bench Book notes victims experience feelings of “walking on eggshells”…
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The Zonta Maryborough Charity Golf Day is scheduled to take place on 13 August 2023 at the beautiful Maryborough Golf Course. The format of this Zonta Maryborough Charity Golf Day will take place as four (4) person Ambrose, with teams teeing off at either 6:30am or 10:30am on the Sunday. Attendees are encouraged to wear orange and fancy dress is welcomed…
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There are often some misconceptions around what amounts to a successful negotiation. This is one of those areas that can mean different things to different people. A lot of people think a gloves off approach is the only way, but I have found this is not always best…
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Over the last decade, I have acted for many parties in Family Law, Parenting and Property Settlement disputes who have suffered domestic and family violence. I have seen first hand the effect domestic and family violence has on people and how this continues to be an issue in our society…
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Maryborough has a number or famous festivals and events which take place in the winter months each year within the Maryborough Heritage Portside Precinct. These events kick off in Maryborough in June with the Famous Maryborough Relish Food and Wine Festival…
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One of the most difficult times in a person’s life can be when their marriage or relationship breaks down ending in separation or divorce, or when they are facing a Court for a Family Law, Criminal Law, Traffic Law or a Domestic Violence Law matter. The necessity for support during these periods can be at an all time high…
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I am fortunate to practice law out of Maryborough’s oldest working shop, since 1869. The shop was originally owned by Henry Palmer and the first known tenant was a Maryborough Tailor named Martin Braun who had moved in by September 1869…
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