Queensland Law Society
Family Law Accredited Specialist
Australian Institute of Family Law and Arbitrators and Mediators
Accredited Mediator
Kirstie Colls
DIRECTOR & HEAD OF FAMILY LAW
Kirstie has practised as a solicitor exclusively in the area of Family Law for more than 20 years, including in boutique, mid-tier and national firms. As Director and joint Head of Law at Michael Lynch Family Lawyers, Family Law Accredited Specialist and Nationally Accredited Mediator, Kirstie has experience in all aspects of family and de facto law.
Kirstie practises exclusively in and advises clients on all areas of family and de facto law with particular interest and expertise in:
- matters involving complex parenting issues;
- matters arising under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction;
- international and domestic child relocation law; and
- negotiating complex property settlements involving multiple parties and worldwide assets.
Kirstie has been peer-reviewed and recognised in Doyle’s Guide as a Leading Parenting & Children’s Lawyer yearly from 2018 and also in the 2020-2022 editions of Best Lawyers for Family Law and Family Law Mediation.
As a Collaborative Practitioner, Kirstie can assist clients to navigate the difficult times arising from a relationship breakdown through this model of dispute resolution where appropriate. Collaborative Practice is a client-focussed process of dispute resolution which aims at resolving disputes with mutual respect and dignity for the parties, minimal conflict and without going to Court.
As an Accredited Mediator, Kirstie can assist parties to resolve their property disputes through mediation.
Kirstie is a passionate advocate in the area of Domestic Violence and has published multiple articles in relation to this issue, as well as being committed to closing the gap in the access to justice for all. In this regard, Kirstie has been a volunteer at Women’s Legal Service in Brisbane since 2004 and was formerly a volunteer at the Roma Mitchell Community Legal Centre in Adelaide.
Professional Legal Qualifications
- Nationally Accredited Mediator – Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators
- Accredited Family Law Specialist – Queensland Law Society
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice – Law Society of South Australia
- Bachelor of Laws – University of Adelaide
- Bachelor of Arts – Flinders University
Professional Organisations
- Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators
- Pacifica Congress
- Queensland Association of Collaborative Practitioners
- Women Lawyers’ Association of Queensland Inc
- Law Council of Australia – Family Law Section
- Women’s Legal Service
- Family Law Practitioners Association of Queensland
- Queensland Law Society
Kirstie was appointed a board member of Pacifica Congress (formerly the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Australian Chapter) in early 2018 and currently also holds the position of Treasurer with Pacifica Congress. In this role, and as Chair of the Pacifica Congress Legal Issues Committee, she has been highly involved in that organisation’s participation in the inquiries into the family law system conducted by the Australian Law Reform Commission throughout 2018/2019 and by the Australian parliamentary Joint Select Committee in 2019/2020, including giving evidence at the public hearings conducted by the Australian parliamentary Joint Select Committee in 2020.
Capabilities
Kirstie is able to provide competent advice, negotiate and attend Court (where necessary) in relation to the following areas:
Client Testimonials
Amy, thank you for all that you have done during this matter. You impressed me with your professionalism from our initial meeting, and you have proven beyond doubt, to have had the skills and knowledge required. You are a credit to the company, and I would highly recommend you to anyone in a similar situation.
I’m very glad ‘Michael Lynch Family Lawyers’ is my lawyer and not the other side’s solicitor.
Thank you for providing me with a professional yet empathetic approach to gain the best outcome for me. My solicitor was excellent in explaining the processes and in representing me in Court. You have great customer service!
My solicitor provided a personalised service, prompt and quick responses and cost information prior to my commitment.
Amy, thank you. You have been diligent, accurate and pro-active for the entire duration of my matter. I appreciate it.
May I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you and your staff for the excellent professional services I received. In a word, priceless.
My lawyer has been an amazing help through this stressful time. I will remember her help for the rest of my life. Thank you.
After utilising the mediation services team recommended by your organisation, my ex-partner and I were able to reach some interim agreements about parenting. I am incredibly grateful for the advice provided by Debra Effeney; and found your firm’s services to be exceptionally professional. If we needed to consult a family lawyer in the future, we would have no hesitation in reconnecting with your firm.
Thank you for helping me through this difficult time. You have been caring, compassionate and efficient. Some of my divorcing friends have not been so fortunate. In my mind, you are the best family lawyer in Brisbane. If anyone I know needs a good family lawyer, I will tell them to speak to you. Thanks again.
My solicitor is a good listener. My documentation maintained the high moral ground.
I have appreciated the way that you and the staff at your firm have handled my situation. I would especially like to mention the professional and caring way my lawyer conducted my case, I am deeply grateful and extremely happy with the results. I will be referring others to your service.
Michael is very personable and very good at covering the material and explaining the strategy.
At Michael Lynch Family Lawyers I got professional and ‘no-nonsense’ advice, costs were within quoted amounts and my matter was resolved quickly – well done!
I really appreciated the happiness of your secretarial staff.
Thank you for the great newsletter. Your article on “Coping with Christmas” is brilliant – clear, caring and helpful. Thanks again!
The staff at Michael Lynch Family Lawyers were great. Everyone was fantastic, professional, understanding, caring and always communicated with me. I knew I was in good hands.
Thank you very much to everyone at Michael Lynch Family Lawyers. Thank you for helping me get my life back and make a fresh start. To have that fresh start without fear and anxiety is priceless.
Amy, thanks very much to you and your team. Throughout my dealings with MLFL I have been continually impressed with your level of professionalism and, in particular, your understanding of circumstances and the articulate way you conduct yourself. I was completely satisfied with today’s outcome and without your experience and expertise in family law I doubt that the result would have been achieved.
Thank you for your ongoing conciliatory approach in this matter and as always I appreciate your level headed advice. I certainly feel that I ended up with the right Solicitor.
I was very impressed with the initial interview. Everything was well-explained, and the advice was honest about what I should expect.
I was impressed by my solicitor’s attention to detail and her concern for me, and that the process was explained to me and that I understood it at all times.
Michael, thank you again for your presence here yesterday. We really appreciated the clarity and accessibility of your presentation. It is a rare thing to find somebody who not only has expertise, but also has a skill in communicating it.
Your team’s communication with me was exceptional, I knew exactly what was happening.
I would like to thank your firm for the support and compassion shown while dealing with my matter.
I liked my solicitor keeping things as simple as possible.
Thank you, you placed my needs first, you were aware of the need to reach a final result and not get caught up in the personal issues of the other party.
Your team is professional, warm, friendly and real.
I like that my lawyer treated me like a friend and kept jargon to a minimum. She was easy to contact and kept me informed.
Thank you for the outstanding legal advice you have provided and professionalism in which you conduct yourself. I am truly thankful that it was you who represented me.
I always felt that the service provided by Michael Lynch Family Lawyers was of a high standard. Each time, after appointments I came away feeling secure. Keep doing what you are and maintain the ‘family feel’ that permeates your services.
I was guided through a really difficult time with expertise of Michael Lynch Family Lawyers. I am more than happy with the outcome of mediation.
Many thanks to Stephanie for her help and support through this time, I was incredibly impressed with her work.
Your newsletters are great, I appreciate them.
Thank you Debra for all the work you did for me, you both made the process manageable and brought sense to the chaos.
Michael Lynch Family Lawyers always gave me competent and knowledgeable advice. I was consistently kept up to date. The meetings and phone calls were kept business-like, yet caring and thoughtful of my emotional state at the time. Thank you.
Michael Lynch Family Lawyers have really listened to me. I felt confident my case was handled well. The law has changed recently, and I did not feel that a previous law practice I spoke to was suitably up-to-date.
My family lawyer was very helpful in assisting me to combat a very ugly situation without stooping to the low levels that the other solicitor attempted to take us.
Michael Lynch Family Lawyers know what they are talking about.
Michael Lynch Family Lawyers are easy to deal with, and your systems are good.
I really liked the personable service by Michael Lynch Family Lawyers, the simple plain language you adopt and everyone’s patience.
So pleased to have had a good, sound and knowledgeable firm.
Thank you, you kept me sane in a difficult situation and gave me the encouragement and the confidence to keep going. You made me feel extremely comfortable.
We had such a positive experience with Michael Lynch Family Lawyers, and we highly recommend their services. Meticulous attention to detail, attended quickly to every additional request we made, and made sure we always knew exactly where we were every step of the way. Our lawyer took what was such a stressful and emotional time for our family, and made the process feel so smooth and seamless.
Amy’s work was extremely professional but above all she has a manner and wisdom in dealing with people under stress. I will be recommending your firm to anyone that requires assistance.
The professionalism and reliability delivered by Amy Honan was fantastic. I had an urgent matter around my property sale and Amy offered to provide assistance over a weekend if I required it – that’s above and beyond!
I appreciate my lawyer’s professional approach and her being on top of my situation.
You, guys, provide extraordinary service.
My lawyer acted with professionalism in all her dealings with me and with the lawyer on the other side. I was always kept in the loop. I liked her approach. Thanks.
I like your friendly service and the ability to speak to my solicitor directly.
A personalised and professional service. Information has been clear and provided timely to assist my decision-making.
I was always confident that I was getting the very best advice.
Thank you for being very personable, professional and always providing me with the most appropriate advice in my times of difficulty. The other party’s lawyers were extremely aggressive, while Michael Lynch Family Lawyers remained calm and professional.
Many thanks for your assistance – life is now great – I’m moving on.
I appreciate you being upfront with fee estimates. You also have a fantastic website and the seminars REALLY helped to get me focussed.
My lawyer was the most knowledgeable of all lawyers I spoke to when looking for a lawyer. Michael Lynch Family Lawyers showed professionalism.
I just wanted to get in touch to say thanks for helping me get through my custody and settlement. Thanks again to you and your staff. You have had a significant positive impact in my kids’ lives!
Lovely to deal with and provides a balanced view in what are very difficult circumstances.
Your staff is knowledgeable, professional and very calm.
If I need a family lawyer in the future I’ll be heading to Michael Lynch Family Lawyers again.
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