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Welcome to The OMB Law Board, the podcast where legal insights meet practical advice. Hosted by Simon Bennett, Managing Partner at OMB Solicitors, this show delves into what you can expect when engaging with OMB Solicitors. Specialising in property law and commercial law, OMB also boasts dedicated teams for estate planning, contested estates, body corporate matters, litigation, and family law.
Each episode features in-depth discussions led by experienced team leaders, some with over 20 years of expertise. You'll gain valuable knowledge on initial consultations, cost assessments, timelines, and the importance of clear communication and confidentiality in legal matters.
Join us to break down barriers and navigate your legal journey with confidence. Tune in for expert advice, client stories, and tips on how to prepare for your legal needs. The OMB Law Board is your trusted source for all things legal.
Back to the OMB Law Board. It's great to have your company. I'm Simon Bennett, OMB solicitors, today as part of our family law series, I've got OMB partner, Abbi Golightly. Welcome Abbi.
Abbi:Thanks Simon, glad to be back.
Simon:So it's nice to have you. As part of the family law series I wanted to address something that's come up in our comments and is often a criticism of all lawyers generally but particularly family lawyers who get a really bad rap. How do you address that?
Abbi:I think it's unwarranted, but I can understand where people are coming from in circumstances of high emotion and high volatility. We're not vultures. We're here to help, and that's our role. People approach us for assistance to guide them through something that they have never been through before. And they're looking for someone who has the knowledge and the skills to step them through a process.
Abbi:I can understand why people are frustrated at the system, but unfortunately we as the faces of the system cop the brunt of it.
Simon:Yeah. So, I mean, it's a highly emotional time. Parties are frustrated and you know, they're angry. And how do you see your role in that process?
Abbi:My role and the role of, I'd have to say, 95% of family lawyers that that I know of is to put those fires out, dampen the emotions, put them back in a place that allows people to process information and make decisions that are not driven by emotional drivers as much as possible. Added onto that is layers and layers of empathy and understanding for the circumstances that people find themselves in, sometimes completely not of their choosing that they're completely unaware we're coming. And that understandably puts someone in a position of feeling disempowered and desperately searching for assistance. And that's where we step in as family lawyers to guide them through the process and explain all the different terms, the methodologies, the the systems, the procedures, and helping them to understand this is where they are in the system right now, and this is the exit point, and these are all of the different options that are along the way.
Simon:Yeah. From what I've seen of yourself and the family law team here at OMB, you've always acted to try and help resolve the issue, not exasperate the problem and make it more complicated.
Abbi:Yeah. We don't need to do that. That's not our job, and that's not what we should be doing. It's not what is expected of us. Family law practitioners have a very clear set of expectations issued by our courts as to what our roles are, and it is very clearly expected of us that we are to act in the best interests of the parties globally.
Abbi:So both parties in exiting them them exiting them from this process as the wording in the central practice direction is as cost efficiently and expeditiously as possible. So quick and cheap. That being said, talking of costs. Yep.
Simon:That's a hot topic issue, isn't it? Let's talk costs.
Abbi:Yeah. Let let's be realistic. It can cost a significant amount of money, and that's unfortunate. It doesn't have to be, though. We provide a service.
Abbi:I have coming up twenty five years experience in family law. Chrissy Truman, who's our special counsel, is nearing thirty, I think. That experience enables us to give you as all of this knowledge that we've developed over these years and, you know, that does come at a cost, but that cost is a good investment, a valuable investment in your future in making decisions that are based on facts and based on knowledge that this is how the law would approach it. So why would we, you know, fight against a system that says this is gonna be the outcome? So let's get in, let's get out, and let's get on with our lives.
Simon:So don't shoot the messenger. You're you're just delivering the law in the system that we've got. Correct. And there are some problems and there are some frustrations. Correct.
Simon:But you're, you know, the guiding light, the navigator, if you like.
Abbi:Yeah. That that's our role is to navigate through, you know, the system. The system is problematic. It is an adversarial system, which when we've got parties that don't particularly like each other too much, setting them up into be an adversary in a system doesn't bode well for, you know, for people's sort of emotional health at times. But our role is to, as I said, navigate through the the stormy waters to use a phrase.
Abbi:That is the the family law system in out quickly as we can.
Simon:Fantastic. Well, I'm sure our listeners and viewers have been really interested to hear your view on that. And thank you for your comments. We do appreciate it. And, hopefully, we've addressed some of those issues today.
Simon:But if there's anything else you'd like to address with us, please hit the comments below, subscribe to our channel, and continue to take part in the OMB Law Board. Abbi, thanks for being with us today.
Abbi:Not a problem at all.