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Queensland Law Society
Family Law accredited specialist

Debra Effeney

SPECIAL COUNSEL

Debra Effeney is a family law accredited specialist in Queensland, and is admitted to practice as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland and as a Solicitor of the High Court of Australia. Initially, Debra was admitted to practice as a solicitor in 2003 after completing 2 years of Articles in Rockhampton and completing her Law Degree at James Cook University in Townsville in 2000.

Along with that, Debra has a diverse background after having practiced as an Articled Clerk in a regional law firm and as a solicitor in national mid-tier law firms in Brisbane. Also, Debra has presented a masterclass through the Queensland Law Society on complex family law orders.

Importantly, Debra is passionate about volunteering and is currently a volunteer at Women’s Legal Service in Brisbane. She has been a volunteer mentor for the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland’s Ladder Program, and has previously been a volunteer at the Central Queensland Community Legal Centre.

In 2012, Debra also completed her collaborative law training and is able to assist clients through the collaborative process.

Professional Legal Qualifications

  • Accredited Family Law Specialist by the Queensland Law Society
  • Bachelor of Laws – James Cook University
  • Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland
  • Solicitor of the High Court of Australia

Professional Organisations

Member of:

  • the Law Society of Queensland
  • the Law Council of Australia – Family Law Section
  • the Queensland Family Law Practitioners Association
  • the Queensland Association of Collaborative Practitioners

Capabilities

Last but not least, Debra now practices exclusively as a Family Law Specialist and is experienced with the essential skills and expertise to act in all family law matters including:

What Debra’s clients say:

“Debra is a valuable advocate during the process and helped simplify and expediate what could have been a complex drawn out matter. Debra was able to work with the other parties objectively with the sole goal of helping the matter settle with a minimum amount of aggravation. Debra was available at any time with very quick response time to my queries. All in order to progress the matter quickly and also she took the time to explain the process with me. I was very happy with the outcome and feel very comfortable in recommending Debra to others“. – G. D., South Brisbane

“My initial appointment with Debra was both informative and supportive. I will absolutely be in touch should my situation change and thank you in this regard for the professionalism and advice.” – I.S., Graceville

“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”. – A.A., Perth

Client Testimonials

My lawyer has been an amazing help through this stressful time. I will remember her help for the rest of my life. Thank you.

J.H., Brisbane

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!

L.R., Ascot
I liked my solicitor keeping things as simple as possible.
S.M., Clayfield
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.
D.H., Hendra

Your staff is knowledgeable, professional and very calm.

A.C., Helensvale
A personalised and professional service. Information has been clear and provided timely to assist my decision-making.
S.S., Hamilton

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!

B.S., Brisbane
I like your friendly service and the ability to speak to my solicitor directly.
R.G., Wishart

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.

J.H., Wellington Point
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.
K.H., Augustine Heights
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.
J.S., Holland Park

You, guys, provide extraordinary service.

A.O., North Brisbane

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.

S.D., Parkinson
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.
D.S., Coorparoo

Michael Lynch Family Lawyers are easy to deal with, and your systems are good.

D.T., Ferny Grove
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.
A.A., Eatons Hill
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.
M.T., Stafford
Your team is professional, warm, friendly and real.
N.R., Crows Nest
I appreciate my lawyer’s professional approach and her being on top of my situation.
N.S., Mt Gravatt
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.
M.R., West End
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.
J.S., Brisbane
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.
S.L., Moranbah

My solicitor is a good listener. My documentation maintained the high moral ground.

S.S., Hamilton
Amy, thank you. You have been diligent, accurate and pro-active for the entire duration of my matter. I appreciate it.
R.P., Cleveland

I would like to thank your firm for the support and compassion shown while dealing with my matter.

C.M., Brisbane
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.
L.R., Samford
My solicitor provided a personalised service, prompt and quick responses and cost information prior to my commitment.
G.C., Southport
I really appreciated the happiness of your secretarial staff.
G.C., Clayfield
So pleased to have had a good, sound and knowledgeable firm.
C.W., Brookfield
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.
S.C., Nundah
Your newsletters are great, I appreciate them.
K.B., Carina
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!
E.F., Nundah
Lovely to deal with and provides a balanced view in what are very difficult circumstances.
A.C., Morningside
Many thanks for your assistance – life is now great – I’m moving on.
J.K., Mansfield
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.
C.W., Brookfield
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.
R.P., Cleveland

My lawyer was the most knowledgeable of all lawyers I spoke to when looking for a lawyer. Michael Lynch Family Lawyers showed professionalism.

R.R., Brighton
Thank you for the great newsletter. Your article on “Coping with Christmas” is brilliant – clear, caring and helpful. Thanks again!
C.T., Bribie Island
If I need a family lawyer in the future I’ll be heading to Michael Lynch Family Lawyers again.
C.W., Brookfield

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.

K.M., Paddington
Your team’s communication with me was exceptional, I knew exactly what was happening.
A.A., Eatons Hill
I appreciate you being upfront with fee estimates. You also have a fantastic website and the seminars REALLY helped to get me focussed.
T.C., Tarragindi

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.

B.T., Clayfield

I’m very glad ‘Michael Lynch Family Lawyers’ is my lawyer and not the other side’s solicitor.

S.S., Hamilton

I really liked the personable service by Michael Lynch Family Lawyers, the simple plain language you adopt and everyone’s patience.

A.O., Kedron
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.
B.W., Chapel Hill
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.
P.B., Carindale
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!
T.V., Everton Park
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.
J.H., Windaroo
Michael is very personable and very good at covering the material and explaining the strategy.
J.O., Hawthorne

I was always confident that I was getting the very best advice.

T.S., Flinders

Many thanks to Stephanie for her help and support through this time, I was incredibly impressed with her work.

L.K., North Lakes

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.

A.M., Chambers Flat

Michael Lynch Family Lawyers know what they are talking about.

R.M., Warwick

Thank you Debra for all the work you did for me, you both made the process manageable and brought sense to the chaos.

R.B., Toowong

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.

N.B., Brisbane

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.

A.A., Perth
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.
M.J., Manly

I was very impressed with the initial interview. Everything was well-explained, and the advice was honest about what I should expect.

C.M., Morningside