Family & Relationships · Cairns & Far North
11 divorce & separation firms in Cairns & Far North, Queensland, including Cairns, Port Douglas, Atherton.
11 firms
Edge Hill, QLD · Cairns & Far North
Collier Lawyers provides legal services in Edge Hill, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Property & Conveyancing.
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.
Cairns, Port Douglas and Atherton bring together different Far North locations. For a property or business matter, tell the firm whether you are based locally, elsewhere in Australia or overseas.
For divorce & separation, ask which parts of the work the firm handles itself and whether it has relevant QLD experience. Let the lawyer know if a property, employer, other party or existing proceeding is outside Cairns & Far North. 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 Queensland, most matters start in the Magistrates Court, with serious criminal and larger civil matters in the District and Supreme Courts. Tenancy, minor civil, building and guardianship disputes go to QCAT. Solicitors hold practising certificates from the Queensland Law Society, and complaints are handled by the Legal Services Commission.
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 Magistrates Court. More serious cases go to the District Court or the Supreme Court of Queensland. Family law matters are heard by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Cairns City, QLD · Cairns & Far North
Cairns Family Law Group provides legal services in Cairns City, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Parenting & Child Custody and Divorce & Separation.
Cairns City, QLD · Cairns & Far North
Millyard Family Lawyers provides legal services in Cairns City, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Bungalow, QLD · Cairns & Far North
MK Family Law provides legal services in Bungalow, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Property & Conveyancing.
Cairns City, QLD · Cairns & Far North
Roberts Family Law provides legal services in Cairns City, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Divorce & Separation.
Cairns City, QLD · Cairns & Far North
Adams United Lawyers provides legal services in Cairns City, QLD. Listed practice areas include Binding Financial Agreements, Family Law and Property & Conveyancing.
Cairns City, QLD · Cairns & Far North
Cairns Divorce Lawyers provides legal services in Cairns City, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Binding Financial Agreements.
Cairns City, QLD · Cairns & Far North
Reaston Drummond Law provides legal services in Cairns City, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Property & Conveyancing.
Cairns City, QLD · Cairns & Far North
UNIVERSAL LAWYERS Pty Ltd provides legal services in Cairns City, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Criminal Law and Litigation & Dispute Resolution.
Cairns City, QLD · Cairns & Far North
Kim's Conveyancing Works provides legal services in Cairns City, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Wills & Estates.
Atherton, QLD · Cairns & Far North
Atherton Family Lawyers provides legal services in Atherton, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Mediation & Dispute Resolution.
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 Queensland are managed by the Queensland Law Society. You can check a solicitor's status on its public register or by contacting it directly.