Free 15 minute chat, or a paid one hour initial consultation. In person in Cairns or Innisfail, by phone or by Microsoft Teams. A costs agreement follows if you engage the firm.
Office
213 Draper Street, Parramatta Park QLD 4870
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Cairns Family Law Group is a family law practice run by directors Catherine Ross and Amalie Grima, who the firm says set it up after working together at a large Queensland firm. According to the firm, Ross has more than 20 years in family law and became an accredited specialist in 2009, and both directors are listed in Doyle's Guide. The bench behind them is deep for a regional firm, with a senior associate, three associates and two lawyers. It suits people with business, trust or super assets to divide. You can start with a free 15 minute chat or book a paid one hour consultation.
Also worth knowing
It runs a second office in Innisfail for clients south of Cairns.
Lawyers
Catherine Ross, Director Accredited family law specialist
Millyard Family Lawyers is a small family law firm led by Amanda Millyard. The firm says she has practised family law in Cairns since 1997 and has been a Queensland Law Society accredited specialist since 2005. She is on the Independent Children's Lawyer panel and trained in collaborative practice. A special counsel and a solicitor work alongside her. The firm says it keeps its caseload small so each matter gets close attention, and it aims to settle out of court where it can. It suits high net worth clients needing financial agreements. The site doesn't publish consultation terms.
Also worth knowing
The firm calls binding financial agreements for high net worth clients a special interest.
Lawyers
Amanda Millyard, Director and Principal Accredited family law specialist
WGC Lawyers is a long established Cairns firm, and its family law team is led by director Eddy Lago, who the firm says has practised family law since 1987 and has been a Queensland Law Society accredited specialist since 1996. Fellow director Kelly Whitten joined in 2020 after practising in New Zealand and focuses on complex financial splits. Lago's profile says he also brings business and property knowledge, which helps when a separation affects a company. It suits business owners and people facing a contested property or children's case. The site doesn't publish consultation terms.
Serving Cairns for more than 50 years, according to the firm
Also worth knowing
The firm says it has served Cairns for more than 50 years.
Lawyers
The firm's people page doesn't say which other lawyers work in family law.
Eddy Lago, Director, Family Law Accredited family law specialist
Obligation free initial consultation. Payment plans and deferred payment options, with fixed or deferred fees in some cases.
Office
15 Spence Street, Cairns City QLD 4870
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Preston Law has been in Cairns since 1991 and calls itself one of the largest firms in regional Queensland. Its family team is the big draw: partner Rochelle Ryan leads three special counsel, two senior associates and a solicitor. Ryan is a trained collaborative lawyer who once worked at a Big Four accounting firm, her profile says, which helps when a settlement involves company structures. The firm says it aims to settle out of court through negotiation and mediation. It suits people who want a large team. First consultations are obligation free, with payment plans and deferred fees offered in some cases.
Founded in 1991
Also worth knowing
The firm offers payment plans and deferred payment options.
Free, no obligation 15 minute chat covering the matter and expected costs. Emailed e-consults with a fee quote. Flexible payment options and third party legal financing.
Office
146 Mulgrave Road, Cairns City QLD 4870
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Collier Family Law is run by founder Nardine Collier, who has practised for about 30 years and describes herself as an accredited family law specialist, mediator, arbitrator and parenting coordinator. She also says she has been through two separations herself. Three lawyers work with her, plus a team of paralegals. The firm is strong on low cost options: emailed e-consults, a lawyer assisted DIY divorce program and in house mediation. It suits people who want to keep costs down and settle without court. A free 15 minute chat covers the matter and likely costs.
Also worth knowing
It moved to 146 Mulgrave Road on 2 September 2024.
Lawyers
Nardine Collier, Principal Accredited family law specialist
Paid initial consultation at a fixed fee, in person, by phone or by video, with out of hours times available. Court work is estimated stage by stage, and payment arrangements can be discussed.
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Reaston Drummond Law formed in 2016 when Reaston Law merged with the NQ Family Law Centre. Its family work is run by principals Bev Reaston and Deanne Drummond, long time Cairns locals. Reaston has practised family law for 42 years, was one of the first Independent Children's Lawyers appointed in Cairns and was the 2022 WLAQ Regional Woman Lawyer of the Year, the firm says. Jim Reaston handles wills, conveyancing and business sales. It suits clients wanting experienced hands on a hard children's case. Initial consultations carry a fixed fee, by phone or video.
Formed in 2016 through a merger
Also worth knowing
Initial consultations are a fixed fee and can be held by phone or video.
Lawyers
Bev Reaston, Principal, family and de facto law
Deanne Drummond, Principal, family and de facto law
Initial consultation of about one hour at a fixed fee, covering parenting or property advice and next steps.
Office
Level 1, 14-16 McLeod Street, Cairns QLD 4870
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Miller Harris says it has served Cairns since 1990, and it has a second office in Mareeba and more than 25 staff. Its family work is led by partner Manuela Marini, who according to her profile has only ever practised family law and has handled serious child abuse cases under the Family Court's Magellan program. The firm says it tries to settle by consent and offers mediation, arbitration and collaborative practice, but will litigate when it has to, and that much of its work comes from accountants and financial planners. It suits Tablelands clients and anyone with overseas assets. The first hour is a fixed fee.
Founded in 1990
Also worth knowing
The initial consultation is about an hour at a fixed fee.
Obligation free initial assessment by phone or email.
Office
Suite 64, Shangri-La Executive Centre, Mezzanine Level, The Pier, Point Road, Cairns QLD 4870
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Roberts Family Law is a one lawyer practice run by Stephen Roberts, who the firm says qualified in 1991 and started the practice in 2009. He has more than 20 years of family law work behind him and, according to the firm, handles the full matter himself, from mediation and consent orders through to court appearances. The firm pitches itself as plain speaking and practical, and notes that many clients have never dealt with a lawyer before. It suits people who want one lawyer they can call directly. New clients can ask for an obligation free assessment.
Founded in 2009
Lawyers
Stephen Roberts, Principal
Areas of family law handled
Separation and divorce
Property settlements
Children's arrangements
Family Court consent orders
Mediation
Court representation
Office
Suite 64, Shangri-La Executive Centre, Mezzanine Level, The Pier, Point Road, Cairns QLD 4870
Hartley Whitla Lawyers pairs family lawyer Jennifer Hartley with a criminal law practice under one name. Hartley has spent her whole career in family law and has run complex parenting and property trials, the firm says. Its family page covers married and de facto property, parenting orders including relocation and international recovery, child support and domestic violence applications and hearings. The criminal side can help where a family matter overlaps with charges. It suits people whose separation involves a protection order or criminal charges. The site doesn't publish consultation terms.
Firm details come from each firm's own website. Google ratings are shown as published on Google and don't set the order. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Not sure which firm suits you?
Tell us a little about your matter and we'll put you in touch with a Cairns family lawyer. It's free and there's no obligation.
How we compiled this list
We include firms with a Cairns office that do family law as a main part of their practice. For each firm we read its own website in October 2026 and wrote the description ourselves. We only call someone an accredited specialist where the firm's site says so, and we say which body accredited them where the site names it. Free consultations and fee terms are as the firm describes them, so confirm them when you call. We show Google ratings with the date we checked them.
No firm pays for its place on this list, and the order is our own. If something here is out of date, let us know. There's more detail on how we rank law firms.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules are as published by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Queensland Courts, the Queensland Government and Legal Aid Queensland in October 2026.
Where Cairns family law cases are heard
Divorce, parenting and property cases go to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. It has four registries in Queensland, in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton.
Cairns registry: Commonwealth Government Centre, Level 3, 94 to 104 Grafton Street. The counter is open 8:45am to 4:30pm on weekdays
Enquiries: there's no local number. Call the national line on 1300 352 000, 8:30am to 5pm. Court staff can't give legal advice
Filing: divorce applications are filed online through the Commonwealth Courts Portal
Urgent after hours matters: 02 9966 7988, for example a real risk that a child will be taken overseas before the next working day
Domestic violence orders are a Queensland matter. In Cairns they're heard at the Magistrates Court, ground floor, 5D Sheridan Street, (07) 4280 6000. Most family law cases never reach a final hearing. They settle through negotiation, mediation or family dispute resolution, so ask any lawyer you call how they approach settlement.
Time limits and court fees
What you need to do
The rule
Apply for divorce
After at least 12 months of separation. You can be separated under one roof, with an affidavit explaining it
Property or spousal maintenance after a marriage
Within 12 months of the divorce taking effect, which is a little over a month after the order unless the court shortens that. You can apply any time before the divorce
Property after a de facto relationship
Within 2 years of the relationship ending
Parenting orders
No deadline, but you generally need a family dispute resolution certificate first, and it's valid for 12 months
If you miss a property deadline, you can still apply if your former partner consents. Otherwise you need the court's permission, which is generally only given where refusing would cause hardship. Get advice before the deadline passes.
Court fees from 1 July 2026
Fee
Application for divorce
$1,170, or $390 at the reduced rate for eligible concession card holders or financial hardship
Application for consent orders
$215
Initiating application for final orders, parenting or property
$455
Initiating application for final orders, parenting and property
$740
Conciliation conference
$510
Setting down a defended matter for hearing
$820 in Division 2, $1,115 in Division 1
Fees are set by the Family Law (Fees) Regulations 2022 and usually rise each 1 July. For a joint divorce application, you both have to qualify for the reduced fee. These are court fees only, on top of anything you pay a lawyer.
Family dispute resolution comes first
Before the court will hear an application for parenting orders, you generally need a certificate from a family dispute resolution practitioner. The certificate says whether the other parent refused or didn't attend, whether you both made a genuine effort or one of you didn't, or whether dispute resolution wasn't appropriate, or stopped being appropriate.
Since 10 June 2025, without a certificate the registry won't accept your application unless an exemption is granted. You claim one by filing an affidavit explaining why you don't have a certificate, and a registrar decides. Grounds include family violence or child abuse or a real risk of it, urgency, a recent serious breach of a parenting order, or someone being unable to take part effectively. You don't need a certificate to apply for consent orders, and the court can refer you to dispute resolution at any stage.
Cairns Family Relationship Centre: run by Relationships Australia Queensland at 125 Grafton Street, between Aplin and Shields Streets, (07) 4041 6063. It serves Cairns and the rest of Far North Queensland, with family dispute resolution, family law counselling, a Children's Contact Service and the Parenting Orders Program
Legal Aid Queensland: in domestic violence matters it can arrange dispute resolution meetings where you don't have to be in the same room as your ex
Family Relationship Advice Line: 1800 050 321, for information and referrals
At the Cairns centre, intake, the group information session and the first session with a child consultant are free. If you have a concession or earn under $50,000, the first three hours of mediation are free, and later hours are charged per person. If you earn more, fees apply per person from the first session, so ask when you book.
What changed in family law in 2024 and 2025
Parenting, from 6 May 2024. The presumption of equal shared parental responsibility was removed. The law has never required equal time. Courts now look at a shorter list of best interests factors, starting with arrangements that keep the child and each carer safe, including from family violence. Before reopening a final parenting order, the court must consider whether circumstances have changed significantly and be satisfied that it's in the child's best interests, unless everyone agrees.
Property, from 10 June 2025. The steps a court follows are now set out in the Act: identify the property and debts, assess each person's contributions, consider current and future circumstances such as children's housing needs, and make orders that are just and equitable. Courts must consider the economic effect of family violence, and the definition now expressly names economic and financial abuse. Pets are treated separately, and the duty to fully disclose your finances is now in the Act itself.
The 2024 parenting changes and the 2025 property framework apply to existing cases too, unless the final hearing had already started. The new duty of disclosure in the Act applies to cases started on or after 10 June 2025. Get advice that reflects the current law.
Domestic violence orders and the Cairns court
In Queensland, protection orders are made under the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012. The Act puts the safety, protection and wellbeing of people who fear or experience domestic violence, including children, first. Domestic violence isn't only physical. It includes emotional, psychological and economic abuse, threats, coercion and other behaviour that controls or dominates someone and causes fear.
Who it covers: current and former partners, family members and informal carers
Applying: you can apply yourself, police can apply, or someone you authorise can apply for you. There's no fee to apply, and you can apply at any Magistrates Court in Queensland
The Cairns court: Cairns is one of Queensland's specialist domestic and family violence courts. These courts have dedicated magistrates and police prosecutors, a court coordinator, a specialist registry, specialist duty lawyers, on site triage and security
Duty lawyers: a free domestic violence duty lawyer is at the Cairns Magistrates Court on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. North Queensland Women's Legal Service helps women, and Legal Aid Queensland and Cairns Community Legal Centre help men, whether they're applying for an order or responding to one. The duty lawyer can only help on the day your matter is in court, so check before your court date
Coercive control: from 26 May 2025, coercive control is a criminal offence in Queensland, with a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. It covers an adult who uses domestic violence on more than one occasion against someone they're in a domestic relationship with, including a former partner, intending to coerce or control them, where that conduct is reasonably likely to cause them harm
A protection order is separate from family law parenting or property orders, so tell your family lawyer about any order or application. In an emergency call 000. DVConnect Womensline is on 1800 811 811 and 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, both 24 hours. DVConnect Mensline is 1800 600 636, 9am to midnight. Locally, the Domestic Violence Regional Service in Woree offers crisis support and counselling on 07 4033 6100.
Choosing a Cairns family lawyer, and free help
Most family lawyers charge by the hour, and some offer fixed fees for set jobs like a divorce application or consent orders. In Queensland, for most matters a law firm has to tell you in writing how it will charge you and give you an estimate of the total cost, and it must tell you in writing if that estimate changes substantially. Ask for it before you sign anything.
Check they're practising. Search the solicitor's name on the Queensland Law Society's Find a Solicitor tool.
Look for an accredited specialist. The Queensland Law Society accredits family law specialists. To keep the title they must spend at least a quarter of their practice on family law and complete ongoing training in it every year.
Match the firm to your matter. A property pool with a business, trusts or self managed super needs different experience from a parenting dispute or a domestic violence matter.
Ask who does the work. Find out who will run your file day to day and who goes to mediation or court with you.
Legal Aid Queensland, Cairns: Level 7, Citi Central Building, 46 to 48 Sheridan Street, (07) 4252 6800, weekdays 8:30am to 4:30pm. Legal information is free for anyone, advice depends on eligibility, and representation is means and merit tested
Family law duty lawyer: Legal Aid Queensland holds regular sessions at the Cairns registry for people representing themselves who haven't had legal advice before court. It gives advice and help with forms on your court date, but generally won't appear for you
Family Advocacy and Support Service: runs in Cairns on weekdays, 9am to 4pm. It helps people without a lawyer on their family court date, people with very urgent family law issues, and people affected by family violence who have a current family law issue
Cairns Community Legal Centre: 2nd Floor, Main Street Arcade, 82 Grafton Street, (07) 4031 7688 or 1800 062 608. Help with children's family law matters, including preparing for mediation, and with domestic violence, for people experiencing disadvantage who live in its area, with outreach to Innisfail, Atherton and Mareeba
North Queensland Women's Legal Service: 130 McLeod Street, (07) 4033 5825, support line 1800 244 504
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients: ATSILS Cairns, 59 McLeod Street, (07) 4046 6400, lists family law among its services. The Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service gives free help with family violence and family law on 1800 887 700, and Legal Aid Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Information Line is 1300 65 01 43
Cairns family law: common questions
Is there a family court in Cairns?
Yes. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia has a registry at the Commonwealth Government Centre, Level 3, 94 to 104 Grafton Street. The counter is open 8:45am to 4:30pm on weekdays. Domestic violence orders are a state matter and are heard at the Cairns Magistrates Court on Sheridan Street.
How long do I have to apply for a property settlement?
If you were married, within 12 months of your divorce taking effect. If you were in a de facto relationship, within 2 years of it ending. After that you need your former partner's consent or the court's permission, which is generally only given where refusing would cause hardship.
Do I have to try mediation before going to court?
For parenting orders, generally yes. You need a family dispute resolution certificate, or the court must grant an exemption, for example because of family violence, child abuse or urgency. In Cairns, the Family Relationship Centre at 125 Grafton Street offers family dispute resolution for the whole Far North.
Does the law say children should spend equal time with each parent?
No. The law has never required equal time, and since 6 May 2024 there's no longer a presumption of equal shared parental responsibility. The court decides what's in the child's best interests, starting with safety.
How do I get a domestic violence order in Cairns?
Apply at the Cairns Magistrates Court, 5D Sheridan Street, or any other Queensland Magistrates Court, or ask police to apply for you. There's no fee. Cairns is a specialist domestic and family violence court, and free duty lawyers are there on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays for people whose matter is listed that day. North Queensland Women's Legal Service helps women, and Legal Aid Queensland and Cairns Community Legal Centre help men. Check the duty lawyer is available before your court date.
What is an accredited family law specialist?
A solicitor the Queensland Law Society has assessed and accredited as a specialist in family law. To keep it they must spend at least 25 per cent of their practice on family law and complete at least 15 CPD points a year, at least 10 of them in family law. On this list, Millyard Family Lawyers and WGC Lawyers say their family leads are QLS accredited specialists. Cairns Family Law Group says Catherine Ross became an accredited specialist in 2009, and Collier Family Law says Nardine Collier is an accredited specialist in family law.
Can I get free family law help in Cairns?
Yes. Legal Aid Queensland has a Cairns office on Sheridan Street, (07) 4252 6800. Cairns Community Legal Centre helps people experiencing disadvantage on 1800 062 608, and North Queensland Women's Legal Service is on McLeod Street. ATSILS and the Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
General information only, not legal advice.
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