The best family lawyers in Gisborne sit within the district’s two long established general practice firms, both of which run identifiable family teams rather than treating it as an afterthought. Between them they cover separation and divorce, care of children, relationship property, protection orders, paternity and adoption, and both act in the Gisborne Family Court. One holds a Lawyer for Child appointment and the other is a legal aid provider for family matters, which between them covers most of what people need when a relationship ends.
1Woodward Chrisp
Woodward Chrisp is the amalgamation of Woodward Iles and Chrisp and Chrisp, and its own site traces legal services in the Gisborne district back to 1884. Family law is one of its named practice areas, handled by several identifiable lawyers including Jeff Allen, who holds a Lawyer for Child appointment and a diploma in dispute resolution. It also runs a second office in Wairoa, which matters if you are on the East Coast rather than in town.
Services
- Parenting and care of children arrangements
- Relationship property
- Paternity
- Domestic violence and protection orders
- Mediation
Highlights
- Jeff Allen holds a Lawyer for Child appointment alongside a diploma in dispute resolution
- Solicitor Roger Stoves has been published in the New Zealand Family Law Journal
- Director Alison Bendall covers family property matters alongside civil litigation
- A second office at Wairoa covering the wider East Coast
- Member of NZ Law, an association of independent firms, with a bilingual English and te reo Māori site
Location & Contact
Name: Woodward Chrisp
Address: Level 3, Victoria Plaza, 40 Reads Quay, Gisborne
Phone: 06 869 0900
Website: woodward-chrisp.co.nz
2Nolans Lawyers
Nolans is a Gisborne general practice firm on Palmerston Road whose family law team is described on its own site as highly responsive and approachable, covering all areas of family law. Two of its practitioners work in family law exclusively, Director Julie Mettrick and Associate Tayla Coburn, which is unusual in a district this size. It is also a legal aid provider for family matters and will advise on eligibility before you commit.
Services
- Care of children and child custody arrangements
- Protection orders
- Relationship property and contracting out agreements
- Separation and divorce, married or de facto
- Adoption and paternity
Highlights
- Two lawyers practising in family law exclusively rather than alongside other areas
- Legal aid provider for family matters, and will assess your eligibility and help with the application
- Keeps relationship property as a separate service from general family law
- Publishes guidance on relocation disputes, guardianship versus day to day care, and breached parenting orders
Location & Contact
Name: Nolans Lawyers
Address: 1st Floor, Treble Court, 180 Palmerston Road, Gisborne
Phone: 06 867 1209
Website: nolans.co.nz
How to Choose the Right Family Lawyer in Gisborne
- Ask who will actually handle your file. In a general practice firm the family work may sit with one or two people, and you want the person who does it every day rather than whoever is free.
- Ask about legal aid before assuming you cannot afford advice. Family legal aid is available depending on income, and one Gisborne firm will assess your eligibility and lodge the application for you.
- If children are involved, ask about Lawyer for Child experience. A lawyer who has held those appointments understands how the Family Court weighs a child’s interests, which is the question the court is actually deciding.
- Get relationship property advice before you sign anything, not after. A contracting out agreement is only binding if each partner had independent legal advice, so a document signed without it may not hold.
- Ask whether mediation is worth trying first. It is usually faster and considerably cheaper than a defended hearing, and one firm here offers it directly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gisborne Family Lawyers
Can I get legal aid for a family matter?
Often yes, depending on your income and the type of proceeding, and one Gisborne firm is a family legal aid provider who will check your eligibility and help you apply. Family legal aid is sometimes repayable and sometimes not, depending on circumstances. Eligibility criteria are published by the Ministry of Justice.
Do we have to go to court to separate?
No, and most separations never see a courtroom. If you can agree on care of the children and how property is divided, lawyers can record that in a formal agreement instead. The Family Court is for when agreement cannot be reached, or when there are urgent safety concerns.
What is a Lawyer for Child?
Where the Family Court is deciding arrangements for children, it can appoint a lawyer to represent the child’s interests independently of both parents. That lawyer meets the child, forms a view about what is in their interests, and reports to the court. One Gisborne lawyer holds these appointments.
How is relationship property divided?
The starting point after three years together is an equal split of relationship property, though what counts as relationship property versus separate property is often where the argument is. Debts are divided too, which people frequently overlook. Get advice on your own position before agreeing to anything.
What is a contracting out agreement?
It is an agreement that sets out how property will be divided, differing from the equal sharing the law would otherwise apply, and it is what most people mean by a prenup. It is only binding if both partners received independent legal advice from separate lawyers, so you cannot both use the same one. Both firms here prepare them.
How do I get a protection order?
A lawyer applies to the Family Court on your behalf, and in urgent cases an order can be made without notice, meaning the other person is not told beforehand. Both firms here do protection order work. If you are in immediate danger, ring the police first and deal with the order afterwards.
What does a family lawyer cost?
It depends heavily on whether the matter settles or is defended, since a negotiated agreement costs a fraction of a contested hearing. Ask for the basis of charging at the first meeting, and ask what an agreed outcome would cost against a defended one. Legal aid may cover it entirely.
Can one lawyer act for both of us?
No, not where your interests differ, which they do in a separation even when it is amicable. You each need your own lawyer, and for a contracting out agreement independent advice is a legal requirement rather than a preference. Gisborne is small, so check for a conflict early if you and your ex have both used the same firm before.