Andrew spent the first few years of his life in England, and also some of his childhood living in Papua New Guinea. He has fond memories of attending the local school in New Guinea, which had one teacher and 20 students, and learning to speak in Pidgin English. After his adventures in Papua New Guinea, Andrew moved to Australia to complete his schooling. He credits this diverse set of experiences with shaping his willingness to understand and help people of different backgrounds.
Andrew is respected and admired within the legal profession for his honesty, resoluteness and tenacity, and his clients praise his patience, empathy and care.
His reputation stems from his noteworthy list of qualifications. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Queensland University of Technology and a Master of Applied Law (in Family Law), from the College of Law. He is admitted to practise in the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia, and holds memberships with the Family Law Practitioners’ Association and the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.
Andrew commenced his legal career as an Articled Clerk with a national law firm, and has since accumulated over 20 years’ experience as a lawyer. He has practised almost exclusively in the areas of Family Law and Wills and Estates since 2002, and in 2011 he brought that wealth of knowledge to New Way Lawyers when he joined the team as Principal Lawyer.
Some examples of Andrew’s recent matters include:
- The successful return of a child to Australia, through Hague Convention proceedings, after a parent removed the child to a Scandinavian country;
- A successful application allowing a parent and child to relocate to a new location in Australia;
- A property settlement case where the client obtained 3 significant Costs Orders following the Trial, resulting in them receiving the majority of the parties’ assets; and
- A property settlement case involving a family business with a multi-million dollar turnover.
Andrew has a keen interest in mentoring junior lawyers, and has previously lectured in Family Law to students of the College of Law’s Post-Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. An interesting article published by the College of Law on Andrew and his work at New Way Lawyers can be found here.
He also has a strong commitment to volunteer work within the community, having volunteered regularly with a local community legal service since 2003. He has also previously volunteered on a long-term basis with Sunnybank Meals on Wheels, as a volunteer tutor of refugees, and as a presenter of Family Law workshops with the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (‘RAILS’).
