Law Week – Riverine Herald by McPherson Media Group

Riverine Herald, Friday, May 15, 2020—PAGE 29

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Professional, personable and proactive – the Joliman pledge JOLIMAN Lawyers has been focused on operating at the cutting edge of the law since its doors !rst opened at Cohuna in 2002. That same year Echuca was added to the practice — and since then the firm has expanded to a third office in Swan Hill with an outreach to Boort. But the Joliman footprint goes well beyond the three river towns; circa 2020 it has a client base stretching from Deniliquin in the north to Mildura in the west, Albury in the north east and down to Bendigo, Kyabram and Rochester. Principal Justine Bowman and husband Trevor Jolly have put a lot of time and effort into developing a business style to ensure clients are treated with the best possible support and service. Market research conducted across the Joliman Lawyers’ client base identified three outstanding qualities of the practice. These values were described by clients as: Professional: ensuring the best outcomes are achieved. Personable: friendly, caring, empathetic and down-to-earth approach. Proactive: ensuring clients are kept informed regarding the progress of their matters. We also ensure we keep abreast of the latest legislative changes and their impacts on our client’s circumstances. “Joliman Lawyers protects you, your family and your business in the areas of family law, wills, estates conveyancing and criminal law,” Trevor said. “We will give you everything you need to navigate the legal minefields,” he added. “In another significant step for us and for the region we cover, we are now also proud to be offering mediation services for family law and

workplace conflicts and disputes.” Family law is perhaps the most emotive and conflictual area in which h to work; but from the earliest days it became the focus of the practice e and while that has further expanded to its present suite of services, s, the heart of its service is still family law. “For example, Justine is an Independent Children’s Lawyer (ICL) in NSW and Victoria and this type of representation has become pivotal in protecting the rights and d the wellbeing of children n caught in the crossfire,” Trevor added. ICL’s are obliged to consider the views of the child, but ultimately provide their own, independent perspective e about what arrangements ts or decisions are in the child’s best interests. The child focused approach is essential to fostering co-parental relationships for the future rather than increasing the level of conflict between parents. That is also why Joliman Lawyers has added mediation to its services. “Separation is an emotionally draining and extremely stressful time for all concerned,” Trevor said. “Sometimes you get to a point where you

Anthea Toma, Trevor Jolly and Justine Bowman. cannot even talk to each other about issues such as parenting arrangements, money or property and the only option you can see is court,” he said. “If this sounds like where you and your former partner are at, then, family dispute resolution (FDR) may be able to assist. “FDR is the legal term for mediation and is usually between couples going through separation or divorce — it saves time and the

cost of going through court proceedings. “In fact, the Family Law Act 1975 Cth, requires that before parents or other parties in dispute can lodge an application about arrangements for children, they must first make a genuine effort to resolve the dispute through FDR.” Whatever your legal needs are within our suite of services why not call Joliman Lawyers now for a free, 30-minute appointment to discuss your legal needs, on 5482 4003.

Your local experts in family law If you require legal assistance, why not call Joliman Lawyers today and experience the difference a Professional, Proactive and Personal approach can make. We are here to listen and help. Joliman Lawyers protects you, your family and your business in the areas of Family Law, Wills, Estates Conveyancing and Criminal Law with offices located in Echuca, Cohuna and Swan Hill. Let us assist you to navigate the legal mine fields, we are here to listen and help. CALL today for a free, 30-minute appointment to discuss your legal needs. MEDIATION SERVICES We are proud to now be offering Mediation services for Family Law and Workplace conflicts and disputes.

Echuca Office

Cohuna Office

Swan Hill Office

! 195 Hare Street Echuca VIC 3564

! 1A Cullen St Cohuna VIC 3568

! Shop 9 194 - 208 Beveridge Street Swan Hill VIC 3585

03 5482 4003

03 5456 3335

03 5032 2121

03 5482 4006

03 5456 3336

03 5032 4419

echuca@jolimanlawyers.com.au

swanhill@jolimanlawyers.com.au

PAGE 30—Riverine Herald, Friday, May 15, 2020

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Fresh face in the team at Freshwater WHILE it may sound cliché, Maddie French became a lawyer to help people. “People turn to lawyers for help and guidance, in most circumstances, in the most difficult times in their lives,” she said. “Being able to help clients through these times, and get them best possible outcome, is very gratifying.” As the new face at Kate Freshwater Lawyers, Maddie will be working in crime, family and debt recovery. “I really enjoy the intellectual challenge of law,” she said. “Lawyers have to analyse complex situations and problems and come up with the best solution for their clients. “Being a lawyer is rewarding as it gives us the opportunity to use the law to make someone’s life better.” Kate Freshwater Lawyers specialize in criminal and family law. And law, like most other professions, has changed dramatically in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. “The courts have significantly reduced the number of cases they are dealing with but have adapted quickly by increasing their use of technology (hearings by video-link and telephone etc.),” Kate Freshwater said. “This, hopefully, will endure beyond the pandemic and might see the courts develop greater efficiency in the future. “If we are to overcome the inevitable backlog of cases, that’s essential. Otherwise it’s almost business as usual. “We are limiting any unnecessary face-to-face contact but are otherwise still taking on new clients.” Kate always wanted to be a criminal lawyer. “Naively, probably like many, I found the subject matter of crime fascinating which is what initially led me into the field,” she said. “Over time though, I’ve worked in various legal areas, now settling in criminal and family law

Selina Handley, Elricia Schoeman, Joanne Tomasini and Matthew Mahady.

Flexibility the signature of Nicholas WJ Rolfe & Associates Maddie French.

NICHOLAS WJ Rolfe & Associates began life as a criminal law !rm over 15 years ago.

and the reason I’ve stuck at it is probably two-fold; there’s no doubt the intellectual challenge of navigating what are often complex areas of law is exciting, but more than that, no matter which area you work in but especially in criminal and family law, the way in which the law is applied has the potential to be life-changing and so helping clients to ensure the law is applied fairly to them and seeing clients relieved of what can be crippling stress when their legal matters are resolved is very satisfying.” While the law is often complex, Kate said it was important for people to understand how the law affected their lives. “The law regulates our day-to-day lives in every way and so it’s critical everybody understands the law and has access to legal advice when they need it,” she said. “Like the law, people are complex and no two legal problems are the same. “I’ve learnt that you have to tailor your approach to your client and their specific legal problem.” Contact Kate Freshwater Lawyers on 0439 925 282 or katefreshwater.com.au for a free appraisal of your case.

Since then, the firm has continued to grow. It maintains a strong focus on crime, however the team of three solicitors and one conveyancing clerk provide advice and advocacy in many areas of the law. Like other local businesses, the firm has had to change the way it practices to meet the demands of the ‘new normal.’ According to solicitor and owner, Selina Handley, the law and the provision of legal services has changed greatly over the years. “These past couple of months has shown that the legal industry can be flexible and meet the demands of clients and courts whilst maintaining appropriate social distancing, working remotely and embracing technology” she said. “The landscape has changed dramatically in relation to the court schedule and procedure for court appearances as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many matters have been adjourned as a result of restrictions, the courts have increased the use of audio-visual and telephone appearances. “We are carrying out a significant amount of our work with clients over the telephone and via email. However, our business, like many others,

Lawyers you’ll swear by...Not at

is about developing a relationship with our clients, to understand their situation and needs. “There is no doubt that this is best achieved face-to-face, and we look forward to resuming our normal practices in that regard as soon as possible.”

Meet the team Solicitor Matthew Mahady specialises in criminal law and has been practicing in the area for 14 years. He has vast experience in this field and regularly appears in courts from Echuca to Griffith. Mr Mahady said there are some positive advances to criminal procedure as a result of managing the pandemic. Solicitor Elricia Schoeman studied law in South Africa and arrived in Australia in 2009. She works primarily in the areas of criminal and family law. Conveyancing clerk Joanne Tomasini has been working in law firms for 11 years. She has a background in banking and finance and understands the stress and demands on people when tackling one of the biggest investments they make in their lifetime. Although not many people would immediately think of a law firm as an essential service, according to the Law Institute of Victoria, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic may result in an increase in people requiring advice about their rights, and lawyers need to be ready to meet such demand.

EXPERIENCED LAWYERS SERVING VICTORIA AND NEW SOUTH WALES At Nicholas WJ Rolfe & Associates we offer a wide range of services across many areas of law. We regularly appear in Courts in Echuca, Bendigo, Kerang, Swan Hill, Shepparton, Melbourne, Moama and Deniliquin.

WHAT WE DO: • • • •

Criminal Law Family Law Wills and Estates Debt Recovery

WHY CHOOSE US: • Experienced • Approachable • • Fixed Pricing

Phone 5480 2732

204 Pakenham Street, Echuca enquiries@nicholasrolfe.com.au

Riverine Herald, Friday, May 15, 2020—PAGE 31

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Pioneer practice has proved its point IN RECENT times, the day-to-day operation of property law !rm DW Law has come full circle. Dianne Taylor started the firm in 1993 after arriving in Echuca from Melbourne and since then the practice has thrived, serving thousands of clients from Echuca-Moama and all over Victoria and NSW. From those early days in the twin towns, when the number of female lawyers could be counted on one hand, Dianne has seen the local legal landscape change so much that female professionals now dominate the local legal industry. The onset of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, has seen the firm more recently shift to remote operations with the team working from home. “The smooth transition from face-to-face to remote business operations has seen services to our clients continue without a hiccup,” Dianne said. “This is a credit to our wonderful longserving team, who are willing to adapt to new

circumstances as they come along and do whatever is needed to help our clients,” she said. “Each team member has been with us for a minimum of 15 years; which means they know our clients and this helps us provide fantastic service. “Our focus is to provide the best professional and proactive property law service to our clients. We pride ourselves on being progressive and adaptable. Keeping up with changes in technology as well as changes in conveyancing, including provision of electronic settlements, electronic document lodgements, is what has allowed us to easily react to changing circumstances such as COVID-19 restrictions.” The team at DW Law help their clients with all types of property law matters including conveyancing, property transfers and subdivisions, farm and water transfers, purchase and sale of small businesses, leasing, wills, estates and powers of attorney just to name a few.

Your Conveyancing and Property Law Professionals… We’re here to help. At DW Law, we can assist you with all types of property law matters including: • Residential and commercial conveyancing • Leasing

• Business sale and purchase • Farm and water transfers

• Wills • Powers of attorney • Deceased estates

“We can help you with all aspects of conveyancing and property law in both Victoria and NSW”

Call us today 19 Nish Street, Echuca | P: (03) 5480 1665 ! " Like us on Facebook and find us on Instagram Property & Business Conveyancing – Commercial & Residential Leasing – Farm & Water Transfers – Subdivisions – Wills & Estates

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JAIME TRULL TRAINEE LAWYER

PAGE 32—Riverine Herald, Friday, May 15, 2020

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A century of community service and support DO YOU !nd yourself worrying about safeguarding your assets and protecting those who matter to you? Or maybe you’re not sure how to proceed or what decisions you need to make. Part of your community for more than 100 years, the staff at Dawes & Vary Riordan Lawyers are experienced in guiding you through the process of making your wills and discussing your other legal needs. They set an initial consultation to discuss your wishes and assist you to make any hard decisions. They’re also able to review with you the assets that you have and discuss any other documents you may also need to update at this time (like superannuation nominations). Once your documents are drafted, they meet with you to interpret the legal terminology and ensure that the documents are properly and legally signed. Before you come in for advice, here is some information to get you started. Power of attorney documents are effective during your lifetime and cease on your death. They are designed to assist your family or trusted ones to deal with your affairs, particularly if you are in a position where you cannot make your own decisions due to travel or incapacity. There are three types: 1. Financial power of attorney This document allows you to appoint one or more persons to look after your financial and legal affairs. This document can be quite general and can take effect from the moment you sign, or be limited to periods of absence, illness or inability only. They can be permanent or temporary. There are various options for how those documents can be set up and we will discuss this at our appointment with you.

Hugh Melville.

Jess Moyle.

Leanne Schuyler.

Libby Head.

Michael DuBourg.

Michelle Allan.

Patrick Hicks.

Trish Grogan.

2. Medical treatment decision maker Pursuant to this document, you can appoint up to four medical treatment decision makers. If more than one person is listed in the appointment form, the first person listed who is reasonably available and willing to make the decision will do so, and if not, the decision will be made by the second person listed and so forth. The appointee will be able to make decisions in relation to your physical and surgical therapy, prescription pharmaceuticals, dental and palliative care. The circumstances can be discussed in more detail with you at our appointment. 3. Personal power of attorney A personal attorney makes personal and

lifestyle decisions that are not financial or medical if you cannot make those decisions yourself. These types of decisions include where you live, who you live and associate with, undertaking education and daily living issues such as diet or dress. Following your death, all powers of attorney cease and your will dictates what happens thereafter. Ensuring your will is clear in terms of who your executors are (the person or persons who take over your affairs and facilitate the gifts in your will), who your beneficiaries are (who will inherit from your estate) and other wishes you may have is vital and will provide your family with much needed guidance and assistance

during this difficult time. By making a valid will, you decide what happens after your death. Without one, the decisions about how your estate is administered may be left to be made by someone you wouldn’t have chosen. The team at Dawes & Vary Riordan Lawyers can ensure that this document is correctly prepared for you and you receive the appropriate advice about other aspects of estate planning, including dealing with non-estate assets (i.e. superannuation or life insurance) and protection from claims being made against your estate. If you would like more information or would like to arrange a time to chat with one of the team members, call 5483 0200.

Dawes & Vary Riordan is pleased to be involved in Law Week in our community. We take pride in staying up to date with the changes to legislation and case law. We know that one person cannot be an expert in everything, and our team of 35 lawyers can assist clients with: • Wills, estates, powers of attorney

• Property

• Litigation

• Commercial law

• Family law

• Succession planning

• Water

• Personal injury

Join us for a FREE Zoom information session on Wednesday 20 May 2020 at 6pm Topic: ‘Planning for the Future’

We will discuss wills, powers of attorney and other important documents you can put in place now to protect your assets and ensure that your decisions are made by people you trust. RSVP by Monday 18 May 2020 to Jessica Moyle at JMoyle@dvrlawyers.com.au to reserve your spot (limited places available)

Dawes & Vary Riordan Lawyers 201 Hare Street, Echuca