Family Lawyers in Takapuna
Family Law in Takapuna
Kirkwood & Hanley is a family law practice on Auckland’s North Shore. We act for people going through separation, sorting out care arrangements for their children, and dividing relationship property.
Most people who ring us have never needed a lawyer before and are not sure whether they need one now. We will tell you plainly where you stand, what the process involves, and what it is likely to cost, before you commit to anything.
How We Work
Family matters rarely need to end up in court. Most of what we do is negotiation, mediation and carefully drafted agreements, and we look at those routes first. Court is a tool we use when it is genuinely the right one, not a default setting.
When a matter does need to go to the Family Court, you want someone who is there often. Both directors appear regularly at the North Shore and Auckland Family Courts.
Your file stays with the person you first spoke to. You will not be passed to someone else halfway through, and you will not have to explain your situation twice.
We are a small practice by choice. We take on fewer files than a larger firm would, and the person advising you has actually read yours.
Most of our clients are not looking for a fight. They are trying to work something out, and they want someone who will be straight with them about the options.
Ruth Kirkwood, Director
How We Can Help
Practice areasCare of Children
Day-to-day care, contact arrangements and guardianship disputes under the Care of Children Act 2004, including parenting orders and agreements reached without going near a courtroom.
Relationship Property
Dividing property, debt, KiwiSaver and business interests after a separation under the Property (Relationships) Act 1976, including harder cases involving trusts and family businesses.
Separation and Dissolution
Separation agreements that record what has been agreed, and applications for dissolution once you have been living apart for two years.
Contracting Out
Section 21 agreements, often called prenups. Worth doing when you are moving in together, marrying later in life, or bringing children and property from an earlier relationship.
Family Dispute Resolution
Preparation and support through FDR mediation, which is required before most parenting applications can be filed.
Protection Orders
Applications under the Family Violence Act 2018, including without-notice orders where there is an immediate risk to you or your children.
What It Costs
The first meeting runs 45 minutes and costs $150 plus GST. You will leave knowing where you stand and what the likely path looks like, whether or not you decide to instruct us.
After that, we charge by the hour at $340 to $420 plus GST, depending on the complexity of the work. Where a matter is straightforward enough to price properly, we will quote a fixed fee instead, and we will tell you which one you are getting before we start.
We hold a Legal Aid contract for family matters. If you think you might be eligible, say so when you ring and we will check before you come in rather than after.
Nobody enjoys asking what something will cost. Ask anyway, at any point. If we cannot give you a number we will tell you what it depends on.
I came in expecting to be talked down to and I wasn't. They told me which parts of what I wanted were realistic and which weren't, which is what I actually needed.
Client, care of children matter, 2025