Rothwell Lawyers: supporting families in challenging times

Change in life is inevitable.

As ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus declared, “the only constant in life is change.”

That is why, as Belinda Glare of Docklands’ own boutique law firm, Rothwell Lawyers, will explain, in times of change, it is important to secure yourself against life’s uncertainties.

As an expert in family law, Ms Glare has seen first-hand how these uncertainties, particularly given the turbulence of the past two years, can impact the lives of local families.

“COVID-19 brought out a lot of clients needing to discuss matters with family law; whether that be divorce, financial and property settlement, wills and estates, or custody of children,” Ms Glare said.

“With a commercial and insolvency background, my specialty is property and financial settlement; dealing with balance sheets and financial documentation has meant I have been able to come out of a settlement with the best possible result for my clients.”

“I tend to deal more with people rather than companies. You have to listen to clients, and you have to decipher the situation. Sometimes I have to say, ‘can we take the emotion out of this situation and have a bit of a commercial head.’”

After spending 10 years working in regional New South Whales as a credit analyst for Rivalea, one of Australia’s largest agri-food companies, Ms Glare returned to Rothwell Lawyers, the firm she first worked for out of law school more than 16 years ago, to team up with long-time colleague and friend, Tracey Rothwell.

Although timing a return in early 2020, coinciding with a global pandemic, seems unlucky at first, Ms Glare has used her experience during this time to add another arm to Rothwell’s operations and further her own professional development.

“I have recently begun a master’s in applied law majoring in in family law to ensure I can service our clients even better,” Ms Glare said. “I’m only a semester in and already finding it is applying itself to everyday work.”

“There are no doubts relationships had broken down during lockdowns. No one had their outlets and were likely experiencing issues beforehand but exacerbated during this time.”

“This is where we can help our clients. Whether it is wills and estates – when you divorce or separate, you need a new will – or settlements, we have seen quite a few residents around Docklands who have reached out.”

The team at Rothwell Lawyers, paired with sister company Melbourne Debt Collectors, offer expert advice and service related not only to family law, but commercial law, insolvency, property law and debt recovery.

The local firm provides fundraising support to Whitelion, a national not-for-profit organisation working with disadvantaged young people who need safe accommodation, employment, education and contract drafting, and also provides pro bono employment law advice, representation and advocacy on behalf of Justice Connect.

Rothwell is also sponsoring Women in Insolvency and Restructuring Victoria (WIRV) for the next two years, with Ms Glare presenting an award last month at the WIRV Winter Cocktail and 2022 Awards night.•

For more information: rothlaw.com.au