Partner

Kerrie grew up locally in Corrimal, attending local public schools and finishing her HSC way back in 1972. She left and studied for a combined Arts/Law degree at the University of NSW, graduating with Arts majors in French and Psychology and a Bachelor of Laws in 1978. Kerrie was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court in December 1978, and at the same time was admitted to the High Court roll.

Kerrie has been working continuously in private practice since December 1978, a very respectable period of 44 years. Kerrie also has spent time in the past teaching in the Faculty of Law at UOW. Kerrie was accredited by the Law Society as a Family Law Specialist in 1994, the year in which the scheme commenced, and she has held that accreditation continuously since. Kerrie also has a broad experience of general practice having worked in most areas of law over many years of practice.

Over the last 30 years Kerrie has developed a particular expertise in difficult and complex property settlements. She works hard to achieve the best results for her clients, whilst still achieving a very high settlement rate. She has a deserved reputation as being a tough negotiator as well as a formidable opponent in Court. Having such a long and broad experience means that there is almost no situation with which she has not come across or dealt with, whether it be property settlements, child support, spousal support and maintenance, AVOs, injunctions, relocation cases, disputed paternity, care and protection or arbitrations. In fact, many of Kerrie’s cases have been reported in law reports.

Kerrie has 5 children, all now adult and most living locally. She is the grandmother of a very loud tribe of 10 grandsons, of whom she is inordinately proud and with whom she spends her happiest times these days.

Partner

Katie graduated with a double degree in Law and Science from the University of Wollongong in 2011. She completed her Practical Legal Training with the firm in 2012 and was admitted as a solicitor on 6 July 2012.

Since starting work with us, Katie has gained much practical experience in proceedings in the Federal Circuit Court & the Children's Court. She regularly appears as a solicitor-advocate at interim hearings and briefs counsel in more complex matters & in Final Hearings. Katie demonstrates a natural confidence in Court and is developing a well-deserved reputation as an advocate and negotiator in litigious matters. She regularly participates in Legal Aid Settlement Conferences to provide clients with advice and support during family dispute resolution sessions.

Katie always strives for early settlements wherever possible and has great empathy for her clients. She has provides practical solutions to problems and offers much needed support to her clients during what can be very difficult times. She explains complex legal concepts using plain English and always tries to keep her clients up to date with the progress of their cases.

When appearing in Court, Katie has experience in many different roles. She is a qualified Independent Children’s Lawyer and often appears for children or parents, in both the Family Law Courts and the Children’s Courts, and is also a member of the external legal panel for the Department of Communities and Justice. At other times, Katie has appeared for related third parties, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings or foster carers.

Katie is a local girl with strong ties to the wider community, having grown up in the Dapto area. She spent 10 years teaching at a local dance school prior to her admission. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her husband, her two young children and her extended family.

Paralegal

Sandra is our experienced paralegal who has had an amazing career working in law firms for nearly 40 years. She has worked in top firms in Sydney and Parramatta before joining our firm in 2010.

Be it your conveyancing matter or working on an estate matter, Sandra loves helping people through the process to make it as easy as possible.

When not at work, Sandra and her family love spending time outdoors, and she is an active member of her local surf club.

We are very proud of our admin staff. They work well as a team, often under pressure, providing excellent service to clients and other related professionals alike.

Our admin staff have a broad range of experience and expertise; complementing the role of the firm’s solicitors in providing timely, practical support to all clients. Our staff are trained to be able to assist clients by phone or email, often answering queries from their own knowledge of procedure and practice. This means that clients are often able to obtain the information they need, or answers to questions without having to wait for a callback if a lawyer is at court or out of the office.

All of our admin staff receive regular in-house as well as external training in order to maintain and improve their skills knowledge base. Some staff have many years of industry experience and are able to operate at a high level of competence as paralegals, with only minimal supervision from the partners. Other members of our team have spent their entire careers with us, having worked their way up from junior levels within the firm, to now carrying out quite complex and demanding work.

Our staff are friendly and professional and are always looking for ways to help and support our clients. They are always available to take your call.

In November 2020 Tim was tragically lost to us when he was struck down whilst cycling.

For many years Tim was a partner in the firm and a leading lawyer in Wollongong; a much respected lawyer and colleague who was known for his professionalism, skill and dedication.

Beyond his professionalism, Tim was a man who impressed all he met with his warmth, kindness and generosity of spirit.

Anyone who knew Tim would not only attest to the depth of his character, but also to the love and dedication he had for his family – his wife Kerrie, his children and grandchildren. For Tim his family was his greatest treasure of whom he was exceedingly proud.

Whilst Tim’s loss is immeasurable, his spirit and character will endure in the fabric of this firm and resonate within the many lives that he touched.

Timothy Richard Horsley 1968 – 2020.

B.A, LL.B – University of Sydney

Admitted to the Roll of Practitioners – 1992

Accredited Specialist – Family Law

Accredited Specialist – Children’s Law