Ten Sunshine Coast family law firms, from Noosa to Caloundra, with what each one suits, who the accredited specialists are, and where to get free help.
Google ratings checked 23 October 2026 · Updated 24 October 2026
Free first consultation. The firm gives a quote at that meeting and you only become a client once you approve the estimate. Itemised invoices, no trust deposits, and JustFund funding may be available for some property matters.
Office
9 Plaza Parade, Maroochydore QLD 4558
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Freedom Family Law has worked from Maroochydore since 2003 and does nothing but family law. It is led by Suzanne Stannett, who was admitted in 1992 and, according to the firm, became an Accredited Specialist in Family Law (Qld) in 2005. She is also a QLS accredited mediator. The firm is small, with Suzanne and solicitor Caitlin Stannett backed by experienced paralegals. It suits people who want a senior specialist running their file. The first consultation is free, and you get a quote before you sign on.
Operating since 2003
Also worth knowing
First consultations are free, with same day appointments advertised.
Lawyers
Paralegals Wendy Lee and Debra McMaster support the two lawyers.
Suzanne Stannett, CEO, Director and Team Leader (Lawyer) Accredited family law specialist
Caitlin Stannett, Solicitor
Areas of family law handled
Property settlement
Parenting orders and disputes
Divorce applications
Domestic violence orders
Spousal maintenance
Child support
Financial agreements and cohabitation agreements
Federal Circuit and Family Court representation in Maroochydore
Fixed fee 30 minute first appointment with a lawyer. Staff can give a general introduction by phone but may not give legal advice over the phone.
Office
Suite 4/22 Denna St, Maroochydore QLD 4558
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
SJP Law is a family owned Maroochydore practice run by director Mark Shera, who the firm says was the Sunshine Coast's first Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Family Law, accredited in 1996. Christine Jones, a former barrister, is an accredited mediator and family dispute resolution practitioner, so the firm leans hard towards settling out of court. It also does conveyancing and wills. It suits people who want senior, experienced hands and a negotiated outcome. The first meeting is a fixed fee 30 minute appointment.
Also worth knowing
First appointments are a fixed fee 30 minute meeting.
Lawyers
The firm says several of its senior paralegals have been with it for over 20 years.
Mark Shera, Director and family lawyer Accredited family law specialist
Christine Jones, Lawyer, AMDRAS accredited mediator and family dispute resolution practitioner
Free, obligation free 45 minute initial consultation with a family lawyer. The firm says it calls back within one business day. Video and phone appointments available. A fees page is published on the site.
Office
Unit 2, 44 Mary Street, Noosaville QLD 4566
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Noosa & Hinterland Family Lawyers was formed in 2023 when Noosa's McCarthy Family Law merged with Cooroy Legal Centre. Managing director Jane McCarthy is a registered family dispute resolution practitioner and parenting coordinator, and the team includes four other senior solicitors, one of them a family report writer. It is the clear pick for the northern end of the Coast and the hinterland, with offices in Noosaville and Cooroy. The firm offers a free 45 minute first consultation.
Formed in 2023 (Cooroy Legal Centre opened in 2017)
Also worth knowing
The first consultation is free and runs for 45 minutes.
Lawyers
Jane McCarthy, Senior Solicitor and Managing Director, Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner
Stefani Janson, Senior Associate Solicitor
Bertina Tubaro, Senior Solicitor and Family Report Writer
Omnia Legal works out of the K1 building at Birtinya, near Sunshine Coast University Hospital. Founder and principal Allyson Anne practises in both commercial and family law, and the firm traded as P Law before rebranding in late 2021. Family work is handled by two senior associates and several solicitors, with a strong domestic violence side. That depth suits people with business assets or a DV issue in the mix. The firm offers a complimentary first consultation and works on either pay as you go or fixed fees.
Also worth knowing
First consultations are complimentary, with pay as you go or fixed fee options.
Lawyers
Allyson Anne, Director and Principal Solicitor
Tanya Armstrong, Senior Associate, Family Lawyer
Jacqueline Scriven, Senior Associate, Family Lawyer
Free 30 minute initial consultation, confidential and with no obligation to proceed. The firm says it offers fixed fees in many areas and free quotes.
Office
Echelon Centre, Level One, 65-67 Bulcock St, Caloundra QLD 4551
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Ferrall & Co. is a Caloundra practice that Rowena Ferrall opened in 2017 after more than a decade in practice, starting at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service in Townsville. Family law is the main work, with criminal, traffic and injury matters on the side. Senior associate Ashleigh Goulden has done only family law since 2014 and is a trained collaborative practitioner. It is the strongest family option at the southern end of the Coast. The first 30 minute consultation is free, and the firm quotes fixed fees for much of its work.
Founded in 2017
Also worth knowing
The first 30 minute consultation is free.
Lawyers
Rowena Ferrall, Legal Practitioner Director
Ashleigh Goulden, Senior Associate, family law
Kiara Goodfellow, Solicitor
Areas of family law handled
Divorce and separation
De facto and same sex separation
Child custody and parenting agreements
Consent orders
Child support
Property settlement
Superannuation and debt division
Binding financial agreements
Matrimonial property transfers
Domestic violence protection orders
Office
Echelon Centre, Level One, 65-67 Bulcock St, Caloundra QLD 4551
Free 30 minute clarity call by phone (no detailed advice, but you get a fee estimate), then a fixed fee initial appointment with a lawyer.
Office
The Corporate Centre, Unit 9, 13 Norval Court, Maroochydore QLD 4558
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Farrawell Family Law is a boutique Maroochydore practice run by principal Dianne Farrawell, admitted in 2011, who holds a Master of Laws majoring in family law. She worked in Dalby, Chinchilla and Brisbane before settling on the Coast. The firm says it aims to resolve matters early without stirring up conflict. It is an authorised Legal Aid Queensland provider and accepts JustFund, which helps people short on cash. You start with a free 30 minute phone call, then a fixed fee first appointment.
Also worth knowing
The firm says it acts for clients across Australia except Western Australia.
Lawyers
Dianne Farrawell, Director and Principal Lawyer
Areas of family law handled
Property settlement
Divorce
Spousal maintenance
Children and parenting arrangements
Child support
Protection orders
Grandparents' rights
Legal Aid funded matters
Office
The Corporate Centre, Unit 9, 13 Norval Court, Maroochydore QLD 4558
Free initial advice for 15 minutes, obligation free, then a one hour consultation at a reduced rate.
Office
4/9 Capital Place, Birtinya QLD 4575
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Focus Family Law is a Birtinya practice that, as its name suggests, does family law and nothing else. Michelle Britton is the lawyer named most on the site, alongside Sian Cullen and Andrew Britton. The firm sits on the Legal Aid Queensland preferred supplier panel and uses LawConnect so clients can see shared documents online. It suits people near Kawana who want a quick, free first chat. You get 15 minutes of free initial advice, then a one hour consultation at a reduced rate.
Also worth knowing
First advice is free for 15 minutes.
Lawyers
Michelle Britton, Lawyer (role not stated on homepage)
Discovery call where costs are discussed, then an initial consultation for general advice and guidance on legal costs. Zoom available. JustFund funding linked from the site.
Office
Level 1/25 Duporth Avenue, Maroochydore QLD 4558
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Alex Mandry runs its family practice from Duporth Avenue in Maroochydore, with a second office in Spring Hill, Brisbane. Family law is the main work, with wills, contested estates and conveyancing alongside, and the firm claims 70 years of combined experience. Sandra Sinclair is the lawyer the Maroochydore page asks you to book with. It suits people who like a staffed CBD office with Zoom as an option. You can start with a free discovery call where costs are discussed.
Contact the firm to book. Telephone appointments available. First consultation terms not published.
Office
6-8 William Street, Nambour QLD 4560
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Butler McDermott is one of the Coast's oldest firms, claiming more than 100 years in Nambour, with a second office at Birtinya. It is a full service practice, so family law sits beside wills, litigation, property and criminal work. Associate Mikaelah Marrable leads the family files, covering property, parenting, divorce and binding agreements, with mediation attendance. It suits hinterland clients, and anyone whose separation overlaps with an estate or business dispute. Phone appointments are available. The site doesn't spell out first consultation terms.
Over 100 years on the Sunshine Coast, according to the firm
Also worth knowing
The family page offers telephone appointments for clients who prefer not to visit.
Free, no obligation phone consultation with a fee estimate, then a costs agreement with estimates for each stage. Payment on settlement and litigation lending offered for some matters.
Office
Suite 5/13 Kayleigh Drive, Buderim QLD
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Australian Family Lawyers is a national family law firm that calls itself one of the largest in the country. Its Sunshine Coast presence is an appointment only office in Buderim, which its lawyers visit, rather than a full time staffed office. Andrew Morrison leads its Sunshine Coast and Brisbane family practice, with the wider Queensland team based in Brisbane. It suits people with high value property or complex parenting matters who want a big firm behind them. The first enquiry is a free phone consultation with a fee estimate.
Also worth knowing
Initial enquiries are a free phone consultation.
Lawyers
Andrew Morrison, Leads the family law practice across the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane
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.
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How we compiled this list
We include firms with a Sunshine Coast office that do family law as a main part of their practice, from Caloundra and Kawana to Maroochydore, Nambour and Noosa. For each firm we read its own website in October 2026 and wrote the description ourselves. We only name accredited specialists where the firm's site says the Queensland Law Society accredited them. 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. We write the descriptions ourselves, and firms don't get to edit them. 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 Sunshine Coast family law cases are heard
Divorce, parenting and property cases go to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Its Queensland registries are in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton. Maroochydore is one of its circuit locations, along with places like Toowoomba, Mackay and Hervey Bay, which means the court sits there but has no registry.
Filing: the court says documents can't be filed at Maroochydore. Matters to be heard there are filed online through the Commonwealth Courts Portal or at the Brisbane registry
Where it sits: Cornmeal Parade, Maroochydore. Enquiries go to the national line, 1300 352 000, from 8:30am to 5pm. Court staff can't give legal advice
Brisbane registry: Harry Gibbs Commonwealth Law Courts, 119 North Quay, Brisbane. The counter is open 9am to 4pm on weekdays
Urgent after hours matters: the court's Contact us page gives (02) 9966 7988, for example a real risk that a child will be taken overseas before the next working day
Under the court's circuit arrangements, in place since 2023, the first court event in a circuit case is held by Microsoft Teams before a Circuit Judicial Registrar, and you choose the date on the Portal. Interim hearings are mostly before a Senior Judicial Registrar, remotely or in person, and judges still travel to the circuit for final hearings. Most family law cases never get that far. 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. A divorce becomes final 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, the court must reject a parenting application for filing if there's no certificate and no exemption has been granted. You claim an exemption by filing an affidavit explaining why you haven't got 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. Applications for consent orders don't need a certificate at all. The court can also refer you to dispute resolution at any stage.
Sunshine Coast Family Relationship Centre: run by UnitingCare at Unit 1, 43 to 45 Primary School Court, Maroochydore, (07) 5452 9700. It offers family dispute resolution, help with parenting plans and programs for separated families. Call before you visit
Centacare Family and Relationship Services, Maroochydore: Bernard House, 21 Cornmeal Parade, 1300 236 822. It offers family dispute resolution and mediation, counselling and domestic and family violence support
Family Relationship Advice Line: 1800 050 321, 8am to 8pm weekdays and 10am to 4pm Saturday. It gives information and referrals
Legal Aid Queensland: in domestic violence matters it can arrange dispute resolution where you don't have to be in the same room as your ex
At Family Relationship Centres, information and individual sessions are free, and so is the first hour of joint family dispute resolution.
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 on the Sunshine Coast
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 at any Magistrates Court in Queensland. You can apply yourself, police can apply, or someone you authorise can apply for you. There's no fee to apply
Maroochydore Courthouse: Cornmeal Parade, (07) 5376 5100. The registry is open 8:30am to 4:30pm, closing at 4pm on Wednesdays. Protection order applications are heard at 9am on Tuesdays, and urgent applications at 2pm on other weekdays
Caloundra Magistrates Court: 3 Gregson Place, (07) 5293 4100. Domestic and family violence applications are heard at 8:30am on Wednesdays
Duty lawyer: Legal Aid Queensland's domestic violence duty lawyer is at Maroochydore on Tuesdays, for people applying for or responding to an order. Check it's running 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
The Sunshine Coast doesn't have one of Queensland's specialist domestic and family violence courts. Those sit in Beenleigh, Brisbane, Cairns, Mount Isa, Southport and Townsville, so local matters go through the ordinary Magistrates Court lists. 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 you can call it even if you don't want police involved. 1800RESPECT is on 1800 737 732. Both run 24 hours. DVConnect Mensline is 1800 600 636, 9am to midnight. Locally, Centacare in Maroochydore offers counselling and domestic violence support, including for women, on (07) 5430 9300, weekdays 8:30am to 4:30pm, or 1300 236 822.
Choosing a Sunshine Coast 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 register of solicitors.
Look for an accredited specialist. The Queensland Law Society accredits family law specialists. To keep the title they must spend at least 25 per cent of a full-time practice load on family law and complete 15 points of professional development each year, at least 10 of them in family law.
Match the firm to your matter. A property pool with a business or trusts needs different experience from a parenting dispute or a domestic violence matter.
Think about distance. The Coast runs from Caloundra to Noosa and up into the hinterland. Ask whether you can meet by phone or video, and who goes to mediation or court with you.
Legal Aid Queensland: 1300 65 11 88, weekdays 8:30am to 4:30pm. The Maroochydore office is on the ground floor of the M1 Building, Duporth Avenue, (07) 5451 6900. Legal information is free for anyone, advice depends on eligibility, and representation is means and merit tested
Family law duty lawyer: Legal Aid Queensland's duty lawyer visits Maroochydore when the family court is sitting there, and the sessions are at the Maroochydore court on Cornmeal Parade. It's only for people representing themselves who haven't had legal advice before court. If your court appearance is by phone or video, you can book to speak to the duty lawyer up to 5 days ahead. If you're appearing in person, help is only on your court date
Suncoast Community Legal Service: free advice for Sunshine Coast residents on family law, domestic violence and child safety, at Level 3, 29 The Esplanade, Maroochydore. It isn't means tested but aims to help people who can't afford legal advice. Bookings are essential, on (07) 5376 7800 or online, and sessions usually run 15 to 20 minutes
Women's Legal Service Queensland: 1800 957 957, weekdays 9am to 4:30pm. Free legal help for women on family law and domestic violence
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service: Suite 3, 115 to 117 Aerodrome Road, Maroochydore, (07) 5452 7633, with family law among its services. Its free line, 1800 012 255, takes general enquiries in business hours. Legal Aid Queensland's information line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is 1300 65 01 43
Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service: 1800 887 700. Free legal help with family law, domestic violence and child protection where you or your children are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and you've experienced family violence or sexual assault
Sunshine Coast family law: common questions
Is there a family court on the Sunshine Coast?
Not a registry. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia sits at Maroochydore on circuit, but documents can't be filed there. You file through the Commonwealth Courts Portal or the Brisbane registry at 119 North Quay. Domestic violence orders are a state matter and are heard in the local Magistrates Courts, including Maroochydore and Caloundra.
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. On the Sunshine Coast, the UnitingCare Family Relationship Centre and Centacare, both in Maroochydore, offer family dispute resolution, and the Family Relationship Advice Line on 1800 050 321 can refer you to other services.
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 on the Sunshine Coast?
Apply at any Queensland Magistrates Court, or ask police to apply for you. There's no fee. Maroochydore hears protection order applications at 9am on Tuesdays, when Legal Aid's domestic violence duty lawyer is there, and urgent applications at 2pm on other weekdays. Caloundra hears them at 8:30am on Wednesdays.
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 a full-time practice load on family law and complete 15 points of professional development each year, at least 10 of them in family law. On this list, Freedom Family Law and SJP Law name QLS accredited family law specialists on their websites.
Can I get free family law help on the Sunshine Coast?
Yes. Legal Aid Queensland has a Maroochydore office on Duporth Avenue and a statewide line on 1300 65 11 88, and its family law duty lawyer visits when the court sits at Maroochydore. Suncoast Community Legal Service in Maroochydore gives free family law advice by appointment on (07) 5376 7800. Women's Legal Service Queensland helps women on 1800 957 957, and ATSILS in Maroochydore helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with family law.
General information only, not legal advice.
Looking in another city? See all our family lawyers by city, with a plain English guide to how it works.
