Family & Relationships · Northern Rivers
18 divorce & separation firms in Northern Rivers, New South Wales, including Lismore, Ballina, Byron Bay, Tweed Heads.
18 firms
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
Save U Legal provides legal services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Family Law and Criminal Law.
Divorce formally ends a marriage. Parenting arrangements, property and financial support are separate issues, so ask which applications or agreements your circumstances require. Check eligibility, documents and dates before applying.
Ending the marriage does not itself divide property or settle parenting arrangements. Property applications generally need to be made within 12 months after a divorce becomes final; obtain advice about the deadline and any exception that may apply.
Divorce is based on the breakdown of the marriage, rather than fault. The FCFCOA removed the counselling-certificate requirement for applicants married less than two years from 10 June 2025. Check the current application process with the relevant court; Western Australia has its own Family Court.
Understand the next step
Ending a marriage and resolving parenting or financial arrangements are different tasks. Ask the lawyer to explain which applications or agreements you actually need and the sequence in which to address them.
Make sure a fixed divorce fee is not being mistaken for advice about dividing assets or arrangements for children.
For matters involving Tweed Heads and Queensland, ask about cross-border experience. A nearby office is not enough to establish whether a lawyer can advise on property, proceedings or a business on the other side of the border.
For divorce & separation, ask which parts of the work the firm handles itself and whether it has relevant NSW experience. Let the lawyer know if a property, employer, other party or existing proceeding is outside Northern Rivers. Your home address alone does not determine the applicable process.
Explain the relationship history, current arrangements and outcome you want. Identify immediate concerns and provide every existing order or agreement.
Discuss negotiation and family dispute resolution. Parenting applications generally involve prior dispute resolution unless an exception applies; ask the lawyer to assess the appropriate process.
Ask how an agreement would be documented and implemented. Clarify who handles related transfers, finance and estate-planning work.
Ask for separate estimates for advice, negotiation, document preparation and court work. A fixed divorce-application fee does not necessarily cover parenting or financial disputes.
Ask for a written scope identifying the work you are authorising, the person responsible and when costs will be reviewed. If you only want advice on one step, say so before the firm begins wider work.
Highlight court dates, proposed travel or relocation and any planned property sale. Ask which time limits apply to your particular issues rather than assuming there is one deadline for everything.
In New South Wales, most criminal and minor civil matters start in the Local Court, with more serious matters in the District Court and Supreme Court. Tenancy, strata, consumer and guardianship disputes usually go to NCAT. Solicitors are licensed by the Law Society of New South Wales, and complaints about lawyers go to the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner.
Good to know
Yes. You can be separated while still living in the same home, but you'll need extra evidence, usually affidavits, to show the relationship had ended.
Once filed, a divorce order usually becomes final one month and one day after it's granted. The overall time depends on court scheduling and whether there are children under 18.
Most matters start in the Local Court. More serious cases go to the District Court or the Supreme Court of NSW. Family law matters are heard by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Ballina, NSW · Northern Rivers
McVittie Legal provides legal services in Ballina, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Divorce & Separation.
Grafton, NSW · Northern Rivers
Gallagher Solicitors & Conveyancers provides legal services in Grafton, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Planning & Environment.
Byron Bay, NSW · Northern Rivers
Byron Family Law provides legal services in Byron Bay, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Grafton, NSW · Northern Rivers
Beneke Legal Pty Ltd provides legal services in Grafton, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Property & Conveyancing.
Kingscliff, NSW · Northern Rivers
Family Law Gold Coast provides legal services in Kingscliff, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Parenting & Child Custody.
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
MPB Lawyers provides legal services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Family Law.
Byron Bay, NSW · Northern Rivers
Richardson Murray provides legal services in Byron Bay, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Mediation & Dispute Resolution.
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
Henry Family Lawyers provides legal services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Binding Financial Agreements and Divorce & Separation.
Mullumbimby, NSW · Northern Rivers
Universal Legal Recoveries provides legal services in Mullumbimby, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Notary Public & JP Services and Property & Conveyancing.
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
Thompson Norrie Solicitors provides legal services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Byron Bay, NSW · Northern Rivers
JH Mobile Lawyer provides legal services in Byron Bay, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Family Law.
Lismore, NSW · Northern Rivers
S P Lawyers Ballina provides legal services in Lismore, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Parenting & Child Custody and Mediation & Dispute Resolution.
Lismore, NSW · Northern Rivers
Universal Legal Recoveries provides legal services in Lismore, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Notary Public & JP Services and Property & Conveyancing.
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
Family Law Gold Coast provides legal services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Family Property Settlement and Property & Conveyancing.
Ballina, NSW · Northern Rivers
S P Lawyers Ballina provides legal services in Ballina, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution and Parenting & Child Custody.
Byron Bay, NSW · Northern Rivers
Springwood Lawyers provides legal services in Byron Bay, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Mediation & Dispute Resolution.
Grafton, NSW · Northern Rivers
Vincent Butcher Lawyers provides legal services in Grafton, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Family Law and Business & Commercial Law.
Directory guidance updated 19 September 2026. General information to help you prepare for a conversation with a professional; not advice about your individual matter. Check current requirements with the relevant authority.
Practising certificates in New South Wales are managed by the Law Society of New South Wales. You can check a solicitor's status on its public register or by contacting it directly.