Shann Family Lawyers, Perth WA Family Law Firm Perth

Jeremy Culshaw

Legal Practice Director and Accredited Family Law Specialist

Jeremy is our legal practice director and has more than 23 years experience in Family Law. In addition to his role at Shann Family Lawyers, Jeremy is the managing partner of the full service firm Marks & Sands Lawyers which provides non-family law legal support to Shann Family Lawyers.

Jeremy’s role at Shann Family Lawyers is to provide support and supervision to our legal practitioners and to manage compliance issues.

John Pacy

Accredited Family Law Specialist and Consultant

John Pacy became a consultant to Shann Family Lawyers in November 2009 and brings 26 years of legal practice experience to the Firm.

On completing his Bachelor of Laws at the University of Sydney in 1982, John worked in general legal practice in country New South Wales and Western Australia. In 1989 John moved to Perth to commence practicing exclusively in Family Law.

John commenced his own legal practice as a Family Lawyer in 1991 and became an Accredited Family Law Specialist in 1992. In 1996 John completed training to practice as a representative for children in Family Court parenting disputes and Children’s Court protection matters. He continues to practice as an Independent Children’s Lawyer and Child Representative as well as providing training to lawyers wishing to enter this field.

Between 1997 and 1999 John, in addition to his Family Law practice, performed the functions of a Senior Case Officer at the Child Support Agency. In that role John made Child Support determinations on applications by parents to change their child support obligations.

John is also actively engaged in mediation. In 2005 John became an Accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and continues to practice in this field. This includes chairing Alternate Dispute Resolution Conferences for the Legal Aid Commission and Pre-Hearing Conferences for the Children’s Court of Western Australia. John has also provided training to other lawyers wishing to become mediators.

John provides legal services in a broad range of Family Law and Child Welfare proceedings as a lawyer for parents, for children and as a mediator. This includes applications for Adoption Orders and Parentage Orders in Surrogacy cases.

Memberships
Law Society of Western Australia;
Family Law Practitioners Association of WA;
Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.

Sue Thomson

Accredited Family Law Specialist

Sue Thomson joined Shann Family Lawyers as a Senior Family Law Solicitor in February 2009

She brings twenty years of experience to our successful Family Law team. After graduating from Monash University in Melbourne in 1989 Sue was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia in May 1990 and was accredited as a Family Law Specialist in May 1995

She completed articles with a preeminent Family Lawyer in a Melbourne law firm, and remained there for four years before being appointed a Honourary Lecturer in Law at Monash University in late 1992.

In March 1993, Sue commenced her own firm in Melbourne which she operated successfully for the next ten years.

Sue became interested in family law whilst doing her articles and has continued working primarily in this area and has undertaken matters including child related matters, child protection, violence restraining orders, child support, relocations, property settlements and de facto matters in the Family Court, Federal Magistrates Court, Local Court and the Children’s Court. She is also experienced in the preparation of Binding Financial Agreements for both married and de facto couples.

She has extensive advocacy experience and was successful when she appeared to defend an appeal regarding relocation brought before the Full Court of the Family Court.

Sue moved to Perth from Melbourne in 2008 and was admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia in June 2008.

Memberships
Family Law Practitioners’ Association of Western Australia
Law Society of Western Australia

Noeleen Robinson

Family Law Solicitor

Noeleen completed her Bachelor of Laws at the University of Notre Dame Fremantle in 2009 and was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in March 2010.

Noeleen previously worked at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the Womens Legal Referral Service and commenced working at Shann Family Lawyers in August 2010.

Noeleen has had a varied background including working as a professional musician for several years following completion of a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance (Piano) at the University of Western Australia. She was also a resident tutor of Music at St Catherines College Nedlands and Sancta Sophia College Sydney. She spent several years at Cambridge and attended Trinity College of Music London and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow where she completed post graduate studies.

She commenced graduate law studies at the University of Notre Dame on her return to Western Australia and is enjoying embarking on a new career in Family Law. She is interested in children’s issues, especially those relating to adolescents, Criminal Law, Migration law and International Law.

She is currently working on matters which include finalising divorces, property settlements, parenting and child related issues.

Noeleen is a member of the Women Lawyers of Western Australia and the Family Law Practitioners Association of Western Australia.

Mary Basta

Family Law Solicitor

Mary joined Shann Family Lawyers in May 2011 and was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in the same month.

Mary graduated with a combined Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce degree from Murdoch University in 2009.

While completing her studies, Mary worked part-time as a paralegal on the Legal Aid info-line where she was exposed to, and provided supervised advice on, a range of different family law issues

Prior to her admission to the Supreme Court, Mary was employed as an Associate to the Deputy President of the State Administrative Tribunal, where she was involved in the hearing of guardianship and administration, equal opportunity, mental health and vocational regulation matters.

Mary practices solely in the area of family law, offering advice on parenting arrangements, property settlements, de-facto relationships and issues, and the finalisation of divorce.

Daniel Sampson

Law Clerk

Daniel joined our team in March 2009 in the position of Law Clerk. Daniel is currently in his final year of his Bachelor of laws degree at Edith Cowan University.

During his studies Daniel has participated in and won in house University competitions. Daniel was also a participant in the 2009 Corrs Chamber Westgarth Deans List forum, where the competitors are personally chosen by the Dean of each law school. Daniel will be writing a research paper for an area of Family Law in 2010 and participating in an international competition, the 2010 VisMoot East in Hong Kong.

Daniel’s interest are in the areas of Advocacy, Human Rights and Children and the Law.

Daniel has also worked in the areas of conveyancing and banking and provides assistance to all of our solicitors in all areas of family law.

Arlette van Cuylenburg

Finance Director

Arlette joined the firm in October 2006 having more than 25 years experience in various law firms in Perth and Melbourne.

Arlette has experience in Insurance, Personal Injuries and Family Law and has worked as a law clerk in these areas.

She is currently the firm’s Finance Director and is responsible for the accounts department, debtor matters and general management of the firm.

Angie Geddes

Client Services Manager

Angie joined the firm as a legal secretary in September 2000 and progressed to Ian Shann’s PA and Paralegal for a number of years until his retirement from the firm.

She has been a co-owner of the firm since 2006 and the firm’s Client Services Manager. She looks after new client enquiries and existing client services, quality control, support services and is involved in the promotion and general management of the firm.

Rose Brown

Accounts Manager

Rose Brown joined Shann Family Lawyers in September of 2006 and is employed as Accounts Manager.

Prior to joining the team, Rose worked for a smaller Law Firm where she controlled the accounts department.

Kim Edwards

Legal Secretary

Kim joined the team in June 2010 as Legal Secretary providing secretarial support to our solicitors and clerks.

Kim has had many years experience working for lawyers in Auckland and New Plymouth, NZ in Family Law and conveyancing matters.

Natalie Dyson

Legal Secretary

Natalie joined the firm in June 2010 having made a change from personal injury law to family law.

Natalie is employed as a Legal Secretary providing secretarial support to our solicitors and clerks.

Kate McBride

Legal Assistant

Kate joined the firm in November 2008 and is our part-time legal assistant providing support to our secretaries and solicitors.

Kate’s experience has been involved in reception and administrative roles while she studies full-time at University.

Gail Hazell

Receptionist

Gail is one of our receptionists who joined us in December 2007. She works part-time with our other receptionist, Carol.

Gail has a wealth of experience in office administration roles having worked in various different offices throughout her career.

Carol Frampton

Receptionist

Carol is our part-time receptionist.

Genevieve Wickham

Office Assistant

Genevieve commenced work with Shann Family Lawyers in July 2005. She was initially employed to update our reference manuals. Genevieve very quickly mastered this complex system and in what seemed like no time was asking for more work!! Genevieve is now responsible for the archive maintenance of all our client matter files and the updating of matter codes into our archiving database.

In her own words Genevieve tells what working for Shann’s has meant for her: “Starting work at Shann Family Lawyers has motivated me and increased my confidence. It has assisted me to dream new dreams some of which I have already achieved. Starting my new job motivated me to work towards regaining my speech, since my stroke left me without the ability to speak. My work allows me to take on new challenges, achieve milestones as well as attend social functions. My new found confidence motivated me to tackle sailing at an international event in Melbourne where I achieved Sportswoman of the Competition and second in the solo sailing division.”

Genevieve is an inspiration to all of us at Shann’s and a valued member of our team.

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