Malcolm is a Queensland Law Society Accredited Family Law Specialist.

He has extensive experience in complicated property and children's matters. Malcolm has run many complex cases before the Family Court.

Malcolm brings an enormous wealth of experience to the table. With an accounting degree and having worked as an auditor before entering the legal profession, he possesses an ability to dissect financial issues in complex matrimonial property disputes.

He acts as a Court Appointed Independent Childrens Lawyer in family law matters.  He has fulfilled this role since 1997 and this means he regularly interacts with child psychiatrists, child psychologists and family report writers.

Malcolm is fiercely protective of the rights of his clients. His vast experience and business acumen ensure his clients receive high quality and commercially realistic advice.

Malcolm believes that if the lawyers for both parties in family law disputes are doing their job well, the majority of matters should be resolved without the need for a court hearing. That said, he has a reputation for relentlessly progressing those matters to court that do require a Judge's ruling.

Malcolm is:

• an accredited Mediator and member of the Australian Mediation Association.
• a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner registered with the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Office.
• a member of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia and the Queensland Law Society.

Malcolm also has extensive experience in Wills/Estates. He has a particular interest in assisting people with challenges to Wills.

Dean specialises in an area of law which is subject to strict laws limiting what we can tell you on this particular page of our website.

He is a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in his area of expertise. He is one of approximately 110 such accredited specialists in Queensland (there are approximately 8,600 solicitors in the state).

Since 1989 Dean has helped many people through traumatic events in their lives. He summarises his approach as follows:

“Achieving the best possible financial outcome for my clients is paramount. However I also focus on ensuring the physical and emotional wellbeing of my clients is protected along the way”.

Dean also practises in the areas of Wills/Estate planning, Criminal Law and Commercial Litigation. His broad wealth of experience includes:

• Working in insurance litigation in the United Kingdom
• Involvement in cases which have reached the Queensland Court of Appeal

Dean is a member of Australian Lawyers Alliance and Queensland law Society.

Rod was a Barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland for 22 years.

During his time as a Barrister he represented people from a huge cross section of society. He also acted for and against some of Queensland's largest insurance companies. This gives him a unique perspective when advising his clients.

Rod's experience as a Barrister included appearances before the:

• High Court of Australia
• Supreme Court and Queensland Court of Appeal

As a former Barrister, Rod possesses a laser like focus to identify the critical issues quickly and respond accordingly. He is an accomplished litigator and skilful negotiator.

Rod is respected by those who have worked both with and against him. He is known for his professionalism, skill and knowledge in relation to a wide range of practice areas including insurance litigation, disputes over Wills and deceased estates and complex commercial/property disputes.

Arlene is an Associate in our Family Law department.

She studied law as a mature student after raising her family and working as a natural therapist and counsellor although her first career was as a marketing and advertising executive.

Since her admission to the legal profession in 2006 she has practised mostly in Family Law combining her background in counselling with her knowledge of family law to guide her clients through both the legal and emotional issues involved in any family law matter.

Arlene has considerable experience in the full range of Family Law matters including:

• Matrimonial Property Settlements
• Parenting matters including relocation issues, recovery orders, paternity orders
• De Facto Relationships
• Child Support matters
• Financial Agreements including pre-nuptial agreements
• Mediation and Negotiation
• Court Proceedings
• Domestic violence cases

Arlene's life experience at both a business and personal level enables her to handle the most sensitive or complex matters with ease.

Amanda practises in our Family Law and Wills/Estate departments.

Amanda completed her Bachelor of Laws through the Queensland University of Technology and was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2007.

Amanda's clients benefit from her practical no nonsense approach to resolving family law disputes. She has a demonstrated ability to guide her clients through even the most complex matrimonial issues.

Amanda is well known for not taking a backward step on the critical issues in Family Law and Estate disputes. She recognises that it is almost always in her client's interests to exhaust avenues of alternative dispute resolution before taking the matter before a Judge.

Amanda has worked with Kennedy Spanner Lawyers since 2001, having worked within various areas of the law until she found herself a niche in Family Law and Wills and Estates.

In the area of Family Law Amanda handles divorce, matrimonial property settlement, de facto property settlement, parenting arrangements, domestic violence and child support issues.

In Wills and Estates, Amanda handles challenges to Wills , prepares Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney and manages Estate distributions including Probate applications.

Amanda is a member of the Queensland Law Society and the Family Law Practitioners Association of Queensland.

Anne-Marie was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2006.

Anne-Marie works closely with Dean Spanner in his department. Like Dean, Anne-Marie works in an area of law which is subject to rules which significantly restrict which part of this website we can disclose information to you.

Anne-Marie thrives on helping her clients through difficult times. Her gentle and caring approach to her clients is always well received. That said, she is steadfast in her representation of her clients and will not take a backward step.

Paul advises clients on a wide range of matters with a particular interest in succession law.

Paul has a broad range of experience advising on the law relating to Wills and Estates including the preparation of complex Wills as well as the administration and contesting of deceased estates.

Paul also provides legal services in the areas of family law, dispute resolution and general litigation.

Paul originally comes from the UK and graduated with honours in a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sheffield, England in 2004.