April has come and gone and already we are a quarter way through 2014. We recently had a case settled in Court after the first day of the Trial. It was good that the matter had settled but sad that the matter got to a Trial. It was one of those difficult matters. A short marriage where one party brings in a lot of money and the other party does not bring in much. There are often different and competing views and emotions can be high despite the shortness of the relationship. Hurt can sometimes be greater when love goes wrong early I guess.
One of the things however that I was proud of in this case was the members at my firm, Hartley Healy, worked together as a team. It is important in some of the more difficult family law litigation that more than one lawyer be involved. It is difficult sometimes as clients often say to me, “But Brett…. I came to see you only…” There are many good family lawyers around town who have this problem. Even the good young family lawyers will find out that it becomes a problem that’s harder and harder to deal with as they get more experienced.
The answer is that a client’s case cannot be run in the best possible manner with only one lawyer on it. The preparation and detail that needs to go into a Trial (especially in those frantic weeks prior to the Trial) often needs two and sometimes three lawyers involved.
I was most pleased with the way in which my barrister and junior lawyer worked very effectively as a team. However, in most of these cases, success comes because of preparation and attention to detail. That was achieved in this matter and was a stark reminder to me that there are no shortcuts when it comes to family law work. Sometimes the attention to detail and the work and preparation in collating evidence can be exhausting – long hours in the office or early mornings are sometimes a necessity.
On a lighter note, our social committee at Hartley Healy is revving up and we are looking forward to enjoying some good social times together. We continue our support for the Guide Dogs Queensland and recently hosted a table at the Good Paw Wine Luncheon held at Cloudland.
As a firm, we are proud of our association with the Guide Dogs Queensland and continue to support them at various events. If you are looking for a great charity, with good people doing fantastic things for disadvantaged Queenslanders then you should look no further than the Guide Dogs http://www.guidedogsqld.com.au/.
