Honan Family Law

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Honan Family Law Honan Family Law delivers high level technical advice in an easily digestible way so that our clients are well informed when planning their next move.

A lovely morning in Toowoomba on Tuesday for another FLPA Sip & Yap ☕️Thank you to all of our members who joined us for ...
29/09/2026

A lovely morning in Toowoomba on Tuesday for another FLPA Sip & Yap ☕️

Thank you to all of our members who joined us for coffee, conversation and a chance to connect outside the office.

One of the best parts of taking these events on the road is spending time with our regional members and hearing what is happening in their local practices and communities.

We’ve seen people negotiate houses, superannuation and significant financial assets with less emotion than the family do...
27/09/2026

We’ve seen people negotiate houses, superannuation and significant financial assets with less emotion than the family dog.

And we understand why.

Because you don’t look at the dog sleeping at the end of your bed and think property.

You think family.

You think school pick-ups with them in the back seat. Saturday walks to the markets. The kids curled up beside them on the couch. The furry family member who was there through the relationship too.

Australian family law now specifically considers a range of factors when determining ownership of a companion animal after separation.

Who cared for them matters. Who paid for their upkeep can matter. The attachment you or your children have to them can matter. So can each person’s ability to care for them in the future.

There are also specific considerations relating to family violence and any actual or threatened cruelty or abuse towards the animal.

So if you’re separating and find yourself saying:

“Honestly, I don’t care about the couch. I just want the dog.”

That conversation may deserve more consideration than you realise.

Because sometimes the most emotionally valuable thing in a property settlement has very little to do with its dollar value. 🤍🐾

25/09/2026

Sometimes the hardest separations are the ones where nobody stopped loving anyone.

There was no dramatic ending. No single moment you can point to and say, “That’s why.”

Just two people who slowly came to understand that loving each other wasn’t enough to make the relationship work anymore.

And that can be incredibly difficult to reconcile.

Because we often expect certainty to feel… certain.

But you can grieve deeply and still know you’re making the right decision.

You can miss someone and still leave.

You can love the family you created together and recognise that it may need to look different now.

And sometimes, making that decision while there is still kindness and respect between you gives your family something incredibly valuable to carry into whatever comes next.

Not every relationship needs to become unbearable before you’re allowed to leave it. 🤍

25/09/2026

Some moments have a funny way of reminding you that you ended up exactly where you were supposed to be.

Long before Amy was helping families navigate step-parent adoption, she was the child going through that process herself.

Then, years later, as a junior family lawyer working on her first step-parent adoption matter, she picked up the phone to ask Adoption Services a question for her client.

On the other end was the same case officer who had helped with Amy’s own adoption.
She remembered her. 🙏🏼

She remembered the young girl who had said she wanted to become a family lawyer one day.
And there Amy was. 🤍

It’s easy to talk about finding your purpose in your work.

Sometimes you’re lucky enough to have a moment that shows you exactly where yours came from. 🫶🏻

When a family separates, the relationship between parent and child isn’t always the only one that changes.Sometimes gran...
24/09/2026

When a family separates, the relationship between parent and child isn’t always the only one that changes.

Sometimes grandparents who have been there for school pick-ups, Sunday dinners, sleepovers and birthdays suddenly find themselves on the outside.

And understandably, we hear:

“But surely I have rights as their grandparent?”

Australian family law doesn’t simply give grandparents an automatic entitlement to spend time with their grandchildren.

Grandparents can apply for parenting orders, including orders about spending time or communicating with a child.

But being able to apply and automatically getting the arrangement you want are two very different things.

When making parenting orders, the Court’s paramount consideration is the best interests of the child.

And we think that distinction matters.

Because when family relationships fracture, it can be tempting for the conversation to become about what each adult believes they’re entitled to.

Family law asks us to bring it back to the child.

What relationship, arrangement and outcome is in their best interests?

If separation or family conflict has affected your relationship with your grandchildren, getting advice early can help you understand what options may be available to you. 🤍

We got you...1. You can miss them and still not want them back. Missing the person, the family unit or the life you had ...
20/09/2026

We got you...

1. You can miss them and still not want them back.
Missing the person, the family unit or the life you had doesn’t mean leaving was the wrong decision.

2. Relief can feel a lot like guilt at first.
You might feel lighter - and then feel terrible for feeling lighter. Both emotions are allowed to exist.

3. You’ll grieve things that have nothing to do with your ex.
The Sunday mornings. Their family. The house. The traditions. The future you thought you were going to have.

4. The small “firsts” can hit harder than the big ones.
The first empty weekend. The first family event alone. The first time the kids leave for the other house. Sometimes it’s an ordinary Tuesday that catches you.

5. Not everyone will show up how you expected.
Some people you thought would be beside you disappear. Others quietly become the people you couldn’t have done it without.

6. Eventually, you’ll realise you went a whole day without thinking about it.
You probably won’t notice healing while it’s happening. Then one day, something that once occupied every waking thought simply… doesn’t.

7. You might genuinely love the life you didn’t plan for.
Not because the separation was easy. Not because you’d choose every part of how you got here. But because you built something on the other side that feels like yours.

Save this one for a hard day or send it quietly to someone finding their way through one.

19/09/2026

There’s a difference between having someone in your corner and having someone agree with everything you say.

In family law, those two things can sometimes get confused.

You’re making decisions at a time when emotions are understandably high. You might want to send the email. Reject the offer. Fight over the principle. Take a position and refuse to move from it.

And sometimes our job is to say… “I understand why you feel that way. But I don’t think you should do that.”🙏🏼

Those aren’t always comfortable conversations.
But after years of practising family law, we know that avoiding a difficult conversation today can create a much more difficult situation for a client tomorrow.

You don’t need a lawyer who will fight every fight you ask them to.

You need one who cares enough about your outcome to tell you which fights are worth having. 🤍

Not every part of separation needs to be spent reading legal documents.Sometimes you need to hear from someone who can p...
18/09/2026

Not every part of separation needs to be spent reading legal documents.

Sometimes you need to hear from someone who can put words around the part that isn’t legal.

The grief. The loneliness. The identity shift. The uncomfortable emotions. And eventually, the question of what you want your life to look like from here.

So for this edition of The Honan Healing List, we’ve collected five TED Talks worth saving for the days when you need a little perspective, reassurance or simply something that makes you feel a little less alone.

Watch one tonight. Save another for later. Send one to the friend who needs it.

Because healing doesn’t always happen in a lawyer’s office. 🤍

Save this Honan Healing List for when you need it.

Last night, Amy had the privilege of speaking at a special FLPA event marking Judge Lapthorn’s retirement and welcoming ...
17/09/2026

Last night, Amy had the privilege of speaking at a special FLPA event marking Judge Lapthorn’s retirement and welcoming Judge Flintoff to the Brisbane Registry.

Family law is a profession built on people, service and the responsibility of supporting families through some of the most difficult moments in their lives. It was a lovely opportunity to recognise the contribution Judge Lapthorn has made over many years, while also welcoming Judge Flintoff into this next chapter of her judicial career.

We are always grateful to be part of a profession that values connection, contribution and the people who help shape the family law system for the better.

17/09/2026

Your family law matter will end. Your family won’t.

That’s something worth remembering when you’re in the thick of separation.

When every email feels personal and every negotiation feels like something you need to win, it can be difficult to imagine life two, five or ten years from now.

But one day, the lawyers won’t be copied into the emails.

There’ll still be school graduations. Birthdays. Christmases. Sporting sidelines. New partners. Maybe eventually weddings and grandchildren.

And if you share children, there will be moments when you need to stand in the same room again.

Of course, not every relationship allows for cooperative co-parenting, and safety must always come first.

But where it is safe and possible, the way you move through separation today can have a very long tail.

A good outcome shouldn’t only consider how the matter ends.

It should consider the life you still have to live after it.

If you’re navigating separation and want to find a way forward that considers life beyond the legal matter, reach out. We’re here to help.🤍

Address

433 Bower Road
Greenslopes, QLD
4120

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+61731852167

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