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Family Law

P06 368 9239

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Services included

  • Relationship property – contracting out agreements or “pre-nups” and separation agreements
  • Disputes about day-to-day care and contact
  • Guardianship disputes (for example, where children go to school and whether they should be vaccinated)
  • International relocation
  • Paternity
  • Protection orders and related property orders
  • Proceedings with Oranga Tamariki
  • PPPR applications (for the appointment of a property administrator/property manager and/or welfare guardian)

Disputes can arise within families for different reasons and sometimes these require legal assistance and Court involvement.

Our Family Law team provides a range of services, including for clients requiring legal aid. With offices in Levin and Wellington, we can cover much of the lower North Island region and we frequently appear in the Family Court in Palmerston North, Levin, Porirua and Wellington. Whether you are needing to make an application or responding to one — We can help.

Sometimes not everything goes to plan and we are happy to step in and take the legal burden off you when needed, so that you can focus on what’s most important. Our team regularly appears in the Family Court for relationship property, care of children and family violence matters, and we also frequently represent clients with applications made under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988.

As well as being able to represent you in Court, we can also provide assistance outside of the Courtroom. Our expertise includes assisting with relationship property, such as pre-nups and separation agreements, as well as preparing parenting agreements and providing general advice for a range of matters prior to the need for any Court intervention.

Meet the team

I’m interested in a certain expert

Daniel Vincent

LLB(hons)/BA

P06 366 0179

Hi, I'm Daniel.
I'm a Director and I specialise in Dispute Resolution, Employment Law, Family Law, Litigation and Relationship Property.

Daniel specialises in complex family litigation, often involving international and cross border issues.

He appears regularly in appellate jurisdictions, most recently in respect of the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction but also on relationship property and trust matters.

In addition to his private practice, he also maintains a busy Lawyer for Child practice.

He has over 20 years’ experience in litigation and is an experienced advocate in both appellate and trial contexts.

Having led the family team at Thomas Dewar Sziranyi Letts in Wellington for a number of years, he has recently joined CS Law where he leads the Disputes Resolution Team.

Peter McKenzie-Bridle

LLB/BA

P068259156

M021901735

Hi, I'm Peter.
I'm a Director and I specialise in Employment Law, Family Law and Litigation.

Peter specialises in resolving disputes that arise in a variety of relationships such as between people who are separating, and between employers and employees. Peter’s diverse background working in different environments such as IT, social work, and law helps him remain grounded and focused on negotiating the realistic solutions to complex problems.

Where a matter cannot be resolved by agreement through negotiation, Peter is also experienced in presenting cases in court and has appeared in the Family Court, Employment Court, High Court, and a variety of other forums.

Peter is married to Kate and they live in Wellington. They have 3 adult children, 2 cats and a dog. When he’s not at work, you may find Peter surfing the waves at Lyall Bay, spending time with his family, or at St Michael’s Anglican Church in Kelburn.

Hi, I'm Chris.
I'm an Associate and I specialise in Dispute Resolution, Family Law, Litigation and Relationship Property.

Chris joined CS Law in 2022. He is a member of the litigation team and is experienced in representing clients engaged in Family Court disputes, including relationship property, care of children, family violence and estate claims. He is able to assist clients with general civil, insolvency and ACC matters.

After graduating from the University of Otago Chris spent time as a Registrar at the Wellington District Court before spending 3 years working as a solicitor at a Lower Hutt litigation firm.

Chris is a registered legal aid provider in civil and family cases.

Imogen Hensman

LLB (Hons)

P04 830 0928

Hi, I'm Imogen.
I'm a Solicitor and I specialise in Criminal, Dispute Resolution, Family Law and Litigation.

Imogen joined CS Law in mid-2023. She is a member of the litigation team and is able to assist clients with general civil, criminal, and family disputes.

After graduating from the University of Auckland in 2019, Imogen worked as a Judge’s Clerk at the Supreme Court for two years, and then spent a year and a half at a small Wellington firm specialising in criminal defence law. Imogen is experienced in presenting cases in court and has appeared in the District Court, Family Court, Special Circumstances Court, High Court and Court of Appeal.

Imogen is married to Thomas and they live in Porirua. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, surfing, skiing, doing youth work, and being involved in her local church and community.

Connie Hyslop

LLB/BA

P04 831 1598

Hi, I'm Connie.
I'm a Solicitor and I specialise in Family Law and Relationship Property.

Connie graduated from the University of Otago in 2018 with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in History and Japanese. Connie joined CS Law as a student intern over the summer of 2015, returning each year before starting full-time employment in 2019. She was admitted to the bar in June 2019.

Connie is a member of the litigation team and practices in family law, with a focus on relationship property, PPPR, care of children, and family violence proceedings. Connie aims to get the best results for her clients while helping them navigate and understand the Family Court process.

Nick Platje

LLB/ BA

P04 832 4472

Hi, I'm Nick.
I'm a Solicitor and I specialise in Employment Law, Family Law and Litigation & Dispute Resolution.

After two years at a small Wellington firm specialising in Employment Law, Nick joined CS Law in mid-2022 to expand his practice into Family Law. Family and Employment play a central part of all of our lives and can involve complex and contentious relationships that requires careful and considered advice to navigate. Nick is focused on ensuring that his clients receive effective and efficient advice that help resolve problems in the most important and inherently personal areas of our lives.

Nick has experience assisting both employers and employees at every stage of the employment relationship and level of the employment jurisdiction, at mediation services, the Employment Relations Authority, the Employment Court, and the Human Rights Review Tribunal. In his practice Nick has dealt with a wide array of issues including personal grievances, privacy concerns, restraints of trade, health and safety, and contentious exits.

Nick also brings his focus on relationships into his practice of Family Law and can help you in disputes relating to care of children, relationship property, family violence, and more.