Federal Magistrates Court: disqualifying both lawyers from acting

Federal Magistrates Court: disqualifying both lawyers from acting

In the unusual recent Federal Magistrates Court case of Lakey and Lakey, Federal Magistrate Brewer disqualified BOTH sets of lawyers from acting for their clients.

His Honour took a keen eye to the practical, as opposed to stricly theoretical, possible misuse of confidential information by lawyers, including extending that discussion ot barristers who are on opposite sides to each other, but in the same chambers. His Honour also commented on the realities of the ACT market for employment of family lawyers (given movement of various lawyers between the two, dominant family law firms in Canberra).

Things to Read, Watch & Listen

When Not If the Intended Parents Become Parents

The road to parenthood through surrogacy may not always be smooth, but with the right approach, it’s not a matter of if, but when you’ll welcome your child.

Surrogates & Donors are Extraordinary People

Surrogates and donors make parenthood possible for so many who can’t conceive on their own—whether it’s heterosexual couples, LGBTQ+ parents, single parents, or those with medical conditions. Their generosity is nothing short of life-changing.

Anonymity is Dead in Surrogacy: The Rise of Technology and Its Impact on Donor Privacy

In this video, Stephen dives into one of the 10 lessons he’s learned since his first surrogacy case in 1988: the death of anonymity in surrogacy and donor conception.

Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board