Family law and domestic violence lawyers on the Gold Coast

Protection order applications, breaches and bail are heard in the Southport Magistrates Court, which is one of Queensland’s Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Courts. Parenting, property and divorce matters go to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, and many of those hearings run by phone or video. More serious criminal offences go on to the District Court. We will tell you where your matter is in your free conference.

Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Courts hear protection order applications and related criminal matters, with magistrates, prosecutors and support services that focus on domestic violence. Hearings are not open to the public, and it is an offence to publish information that identifies the people involved. Our team has experience appearing in them.

Yes. We regularly appear in 13 courts from the Gold Coast to Kingaroy, including Beenleigh and Brisbane, and we can help with matters heard elsewhere in Queensland.

Please arrive at court by about 8:30am. You will go through a security check at the entrance. Court usually starts at 9am or 9:30am. We will meet you at about 8:45am in a private conference room. We are often there earlier, speaking with police prosecutions, the registry or the other party’s lawyer, so when we come to you we can explain what will happen, confirm your instructions and answer your questions. We appear in court on your behalf and do all the talking. Afterwards, we explain what happened and the next steps. If you did not attend, we call you after court to update you.

Call us as early as you can, ideally a few days before your court date, so we can read your papers and plan what to say. Southport Magistrates Court is at Corner Davenport and Hinze Streets, Southport. Bring your court papers (the application or order, and any notice telling you to come to court), photo ID, and any messages, photos or documents you want us to see. Allow time for parking and the security check, and aim to arrive by about 8.30am. Tell us beforehand if you are worried about seeing the other party, so we can plan with you and ask court staff about a safe place to wait. This is the court, not our office. We meet you at court.

In the Magistrates Court, the magistrate sits at the front of the courtroom on a raised bench, with court staff just below. The lawyers, and sometimes a police prosecutor, sit at the bar table facing the magistrate, and you sit behind us or nearby. Matters are called one at a time, so there can be some waiting. If going into the courtroom feels too uncomfortable, you may not need to come in, and we will talk this through with you beforehand.

No. Your free 30-minute conference is by phone or Teams, whichever suits you. Once you have signed our cost agreement and we are working on your matter, we often meet in person, for example at a conference with your barrister or at court.

Yes. Tell us the safest way and time to reach you, such as a particular phone number, email address or time of day, and we will use it. You can use the Quick Exit button on every page to leave our website quickly.

We give you a fixed fee for each stage of your matter, agreed before any work starts, so you know the cost before each stage begins. You pay in stages, not one big bill at the end. If your matter changes, we talk to you first. See our pricing.

No. Elysian Law is a private, fee-paying firm and we do not accept Legal Aid Queensland grants. We offer a free 30-minute conference and fixed fees paid in stages, so you know the cost before each stage begins.