Our Panel
Debra Parker
Debra Parker is the Founding Director of Parker Coles Curtis. Debra is a specialist family lawyer and the only lawyer in Canberra with Specialist Accreditation in two areas (family law and dispute resolution). She is a qualified arbitrator and collaborative divorce lawyer.
Debra is the AIFLAM ACT Board representative, a member of the prestigious international Academy of Family Lawyers. She currently chairs the ACT Law Society’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee and sits on the International Law Committee. Debra is an expert on all areas of family law including matters such as surrogacy, adoption and child abduction and served a 10-year appointment as a Registrar of the Family Law Courts. Debra made the Australasian Law exclusive list of top 50 ‘Elite Women’ and is listed by Doyles as ‘Preeminent’ family lawyer & ‘Leading’ Mediator.
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Shelby Timmins
The heart and soul behind Divorce Done Differently. Shelby is passionate about doing things differently in the family law space.
Her hope is to support people who are going through a separation, to feel informed and supported and to work together to look at separation and divorce in a respectful and family focused way.
Before stepping away from traditional legal practice, I was an Accredited
Specialist in Family Law. I hold a Masters in Law from the University of
Sydney, I am a Nationally Accredited Mediator, Family Dispute Resolution
Practitioner, Conflict Coach, Parenting Coordinator and Collaborative
Professional.
I have over 18 years of family law experience, much of this at one of
Sydney's most respected family law firms. Realising I wanted to practice
outside of court and in a more humane way, I stepped away from
practising law and established a boutique dispute resolution business,
Divorce Done Differently.
I am now a faculty member of the International Association of
Collaborative Professionals, Vice President of Collaborative Professionals
NSW and founder and President of Southern Sydney Collaborative
Professionals.
Watch this space as I am currently writing a divorce book for children,
everything they want to know about their parents divorce but are too
afraid to ask.
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Clare Rowe
Clare is the founder of Rowe & Associates Child and Family Psychology. As an Educational and Developmental Psychologist, she has extensive experience in paediatric psychology including assessment and diagnosis of childhood disorders such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, learning disorders and giftedness. She has extensive experience in the treatment of childhood and adolescent anxiety and depression, and parental training in behavioural management with oppositional behavioural difficulties.
Clare treats common challenging behavioural difficulties and is passionate about empowering adults to be calm and confident parents through practical and hands-on support. Clare also has a particular interest in providing therapy for children and families who are undergoing parental separation and are currently involved with the Family Court. She is available for independent assessment of families and works as a Single Expert Witness.
Clare is a firm believer that children and families should not be in long-term therapy -most common behavioural difficulties can be significantly improved in 1-2 sessions of practical help.
She holds onto the belief that in the vast majority of cases, parents are the best therapists for children.
She has published research posters at international conferences on athlete pain management, mental resiliency and toughness and the benefits of mental imagery in performance and concentration. She is available for workshops, seminars and professional training. She has been a consultant for government initiatives and education departments.
Clare is a regular commentator in media publications and has been featured in Practical Parenting, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sunday Telegraph, Sydney's Child and Cosmopolitan. She has also provided comments and appeared on Channel Seven's The Morning Show, radio 2GB and 2UE, Sky News and is the Child & Family Psychologist Expert in the ABC show "Making Families Happy".
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Chanel Hughes
Chanel is tertiary qualified in social science
Chanel is a nationally registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, nationally accredited Mediator and Collaborative trained Practitioner
Chanel is a Child Consultant and is a strong advocate and strategist for maintaining child focus and good outcomes in separated families
Chanel is a collaborative coach and has strong skills in motivation, negotiation and influence toward positive and aligned outcomes.
Chanel has worked extensively in government at a state and local level, in private and not for profit assisting children and families to make changes toward more positive and safer relationships addressing power imbalances and minimizing conflict and risk.
Chanel has demonstrated abilities in communication, conflict resolution, addressing power imbalances, negotiation, child focus and building partnerships and collaboration.
Chanel is committed to assisting clients achieve change and move through periods of conflict and family instability. Chanel is passionate about learning about your families strengths and focusing on those to build stronger relationships moving forward.
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