Parenting Arrangements & Child Custody

Compassionate Legal Support for Your Children’s Future

The breakdown of a relationship can be a challenging time, especially for children. At Somerville Laundry Lomax, our family lawyers are experienced in guiding parents through the complexities of parenting arrangements and child custody. We provide a steady, professional approach to ensure that your children’s welfare and future remain the central focus of every decision.

With a long-standing presence in the Northern Rivers, we support families in Lismore, Ballina, Byron Bay, and Kyogle, helping them reach practical agreements that protect the emotional and developmental needs of their children.

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The Best Interests of the Child

In Australia, the Family Law Act 1975 does not refer to "custody" or "access." Instead, the law focuses on parenting arrangements and the best interests of the child.

When determining parenting orders, the Court considers two primary considerations:

The Benefit to the Child: The importance of having a meaningful relationship with both parents.
Protection from Harm: The need to protect the child from physical or psychological harm, including family violence or abuse.

Our Parenting Law Services

Establishing Parenting Plans

A Parenting Plan is a voluntary, written agreement between parents. It is a flexible option for parents who communicate well and wish to document arrangements for living schedules, school holidays, and special occasions without court intervention.

Securing Parenting Orders

For more formal and enforceable arrangements, we assist in obtaining Parenting Orders made by the Court. These legally binding orders provide certainty regarding:

Where the child lives and who they spend time with.
How major long-term issues such as education, health, and religion are decided.
Communication protocols between parents.

Relocation and Travel Applications

If a parent intends to move a significant distance with a child or travel overseas, legal permission may be required. We provide expert representation for both relocation applications and objections to ensure the child’s best interests remain protected.

Take the Next Step Toward Your Family’s Future

You do not have to navigate the complexities of parenting law alone. Our experienced team is here to help you achieve a sustainable, child-centred arrangement that provides stability for everyone involved.

Contact our office to discuss your options with an expert parenting lawyer.

Email [email protected]
Call us on 02 6621 2481

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a child get to choose where they live?

There is no specific age where a child “chooses.” However, the Court does take into account the views of the child, giving more weight to those views as the child grows in maturity and understanding.

What is "Equal Shared Parental Responsibility"?

Following recent reforms, the law no longer presumes “equal shared parental responsibility.” The focus has shifted entirely to what arrangement best serves the child’s safety and development in their unique circumstances.

What if the other parent isn't following the agreement?

If a Parenting Order is in place and is being breached, our lawyers can assist with Contravention Proceedings to enforce the order and ensure the child’s routine is restored.

What Our Clients Say About Us

I want to thank your Company and in particular Cassandra Keogh for taking over my Family Law matter. Cassandra’s compassion along with her knowledge and expertise constantly helped put me at ease in finally settling my very messy matter. I would like to thank her for all the help she has given me and would highly recommend her to any future clients.

Pauline Horkings

Dear Sean,

Thank you for taking on my matter and managing it so well. I always felt you had my back and worked hard on my behalf.

I remain very impressed by the team and support staff you lead and can and will recommend your services.

Thank you again for your support and advice along the way.

Fondest regards,

B G

Dear Guy,

I am writing on behalf of the FNCRU Board to thank yourself and your organisation for your continued assistance in the conduct of the Board’s Judiciary meetings, in particular, in the usage of a venue for the conduct of such.

Support such as your own and that of your organisation is essential in the conduct of the business of the zone.

I would particularly commend the efforts of Cassie at our recent meeting last evening, my first in the capacity of a member of a judiciary panel in FNC.

Cassie’s input was not only reflective of your group’s support for FNCRU, but also reflective of your seriousness in support of the process in selecting someone with Cassie’s obvious knowledge of both sport and due process in such matters.

Yours in Rugby,

Jeffrey Brookes, For and on behalf of FNCRU Board FNCRU Board

We have been a client of this law business since the late 1990’s. We always get exemplary service from Guy Latham our solicitor. He has assisted us over the years with Agency agreements in business, with conveyancing on the sale and purchase of 4 properties and with Wills and other issues. Great service always.

Russell Lean

I just wanted to send through a big thank you to the team at Somerville, Laundry and Lomax for all the professional support throughout my compensation process. For me it was not an easy process to go through, being very personal and over 3 years in length. However, when I connected with SLL about 18 months ago the process did become a whole lot easy as I soon became aware that I had the right support.

I particularly want to commend Nathan Job to you (who you originally introduced me to). It is my opinion that Nathan went above the scope of what was required of him professionally and I really felt personally taken care of by Nathan, which would be why I would recommend your firm in the future. He is a very genuine guy who instilled confidence in me throughout the entire process and who always gave honest and wise feedback about the various scenarios we were facing, while allowing me to make all the decisions.

Thank you again and much appreciated.

Carolyn

A huge thank you to Ben Crawford and Sue for the outstanding effort that was required to resolve my Family Court matters.

Your patience and excellent advice have been greatly appreciated throughout this long, unfortunate process and it is wonderful that finally the desired outcome has been realised.

I had a great experience with Somerville Laundry Lomax Solicitors. They were helpful, efficient, and kept clear communication throughout, settling my claim quickly. Special thanks to Izaac and Elizabeth for being so friendly and supportive. I’d definitely use their services again if needed. Highly recommend!