Michelle – Founder and Principal Solicitor
LLB, BA, GDLP, Australian Practising Certificate
Michelle is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law with 25 years experience in the Family Law jurisdiction. She is the founder and Principal Solicitor of Finnane Family Law.
Her high level legal and strategic advice provide the perfect basis to advise and guide Finnane Family Law’s clients though the family law system. Her advocacy skills allow her to represent a diverse range of clients involved in all aspects of marriage and relationship breakdowns.
She has a broad range of experience that provides a valuable insight into complex children’s matters involving domestic/family violence and children with special needs.
Her access to extensive professional networks assists in advising on discrete and complex property matters such as those involving family businesses, discretionary trusts and self-managed super funds. Michelle is a collaboratively trained lawyer able to advise when alternate dispute resolution methods are an appropriate recourse to litigation.
Michelle has been a member of the Law Society of NSW Specialist Accreditation (Family Law) Committee since 2012.
Qualifications
- NSW Accredited Specialist in Family Law (since 2001)
- Graduate Diploma Legal Practice
- Bachelor of Laws (ANU)
- Bachelor of Arts (ANU)
- Collaboratively trained layer with AIFLAM
- Recently completed National Independent Children's Lawyer training with National Legal Aid
- Member of the Law Society of NSW, Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia
Ellen – Senior Associate
LLB, BSc, GDLP, Australian Practising Certificate
Ellen Hitchen is our Senior Associate, who practices in family law, wills and estates law, and employment law.
Ellen was admitted in 2010. She has a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Science from UNSW.
Ellen worked in a large firm for almost first 10 years, including prior to her admission, as a law clerk and paralegal. She joined Finnane Family Law in August 2018 and enjoys the cosier environment of our small firm, and working with our family law accredited specialist Michelle Finnane.
Ellen has appeared and instructed in matters in the Family Court, Federal Court, and Federal Circuit Courts of Australia, as well as the District and Supreme Courts. She has also represented clients in the Australian Human Rights Commission, NCAT and Fair Work Australia.
Whilst Ellen is an experienced litigator, she has a strong track record of assisting her clients to achieve beneficial settlement of their matters, and where possible, avoiding the costs and stress associated with contested hearings.
Ellen along with our whole team can assist with your divorce, parenting and property matters in family law. She works closely with Michelle and Cameron in our family law matters.
She can advise you with your estate planning, preparing wills, Powers of Attorney and appointments of Enduring Guardian. Ellen can assist you to obtain probate or advise with respect to estate matters, including Family Provision claims.
Ellen has experience advising and representing both employees and employers in employment claims including unfair dismissals, general protections, underpayments, and unlawful discrimination.
Joshua – Lawyer
LLB (Hons), BA, GDLP
Joshua commenced employment at this firm in 2020 whilst completing his studies at the Australian National University. Joshua combines his natural desire for hard work with strong levels of empathy that allow him to connect with the unique circumstances of every matter. Joshua is also completing an English major in his double degree and enjoys ameliorating the art of story telling with the strategic advocacy that is required in family law.
Ari - Paralegal
Ari is deeply attentive to details and minutiae. He is studying a combined degree of Law and Psychology at the Macquarie University and is passionate about achieving the best outcomes for our clients in a way that minimises the emotional toll that they may experience.
Poppy the Dog - Receptionist, Human Resources, Head of Wellbeing
Whilst known to often sleep on the job and duck out for grooming at doggy day spa, she never fails to greet visitors and clients to FFL- hypoallergenic and non-drooly, empathetic and intuitive she has in the last year behind a much trusted and valued members of team FFL. Please be warned however that she is likely to break socially distancing to provide emotional support an caring paw or snuggle close during our consultations. If you are uncomfortable around dogs (and please note Poppy does not truly identify as a canine 100% of the time) please let us know and Poppy will time her mail and DX run or visit to the day spa because we like our clients to feel as comfortable possible.
