Once upon a time, a long time ago
a new friend asked me
the following question…..
“Wouldn’t you be better off sticking pins in your eyes?!”
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At the time I guessed the new friend considered that what I had just shared was a ‘painful’ (akin to sticking pins in your eyes) topic and so to lighten the load, there was a tinge of humour in their rhetorical question.
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So what had I just shared with my new friend that evoked a dark humoured rhetorical question?
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What could be worse than sticking pins in your eyes?
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Well, I had just told the new friend that I worked in Family Law!
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This ‘sticking pins’ conversation occurred years ago but my new friends reply still resonates with me. Firstly, it reminds me how humour can help us to cope with pain. Secondly, as a lawyer I am acutely aware that the journey of separation can be painful, as if you were sticking pins in your eyes! Separation can be one of the most painful experiences, often adversely affecting the most important aspects of a person’s life.
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I experience that if a person is armed with easy-to-understand legal information, provided a legal ‘plan’ and supported both legally and emotionally they feel empowered through their legal obstacles and if it is a family law obstacle, the separation journey.
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The skills I have learnt as a Holistic Counsellor compliment my work as a lawyer. I gain a great deal of personal satisfaction supporting my clients in their self-empowerment as they move through and beyond the legal and personal challenges to a better place of contentment.
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Whilst supporting people through their challenges on a daily basis, there have been times where I have also felt like I am vicariously sticking the metaphorical pins in my eyes. I feel it is natural to feel another human being's pain. So I know I need to take good care of myself mentally, physically and spiritually in order to fully and completely support my valued clients. This has led me to where I am today - working from home. Working from home in Eldorado (country Victoria) provides me with inner peace by being close to nature and animals. It also provides me the flexibility for my family, the pet chickens I own and the cat Freddy that owns me.
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-I appreciate you sharing your story with me -
- Let's Resolve your Legal Challenge -
Without Court
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Caring for myself by working from home means that in turn I am able to be completely present and supportive to you, my valued client. Working from home also allows me to offer you a professional service at a reasonable price as the overheads are less than working in an office.
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My valued clients are based is Melbourne suburbs and througout country Victoria. The internet allows me to do all paperwork at home, communicate with you via phone, email and audio-visual link and then meet face to face as required at your home, a location as agreed or an office space in Melbourne. Mediations and Holistic Counselling are conducted at agreed locations or via video.
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I pride myself on providing a personal service so I do limit myself to a certain number of clients at any one time. This ensures you get the best of me, a few of the words from the number of descriptive words about me and how I work from my valued clients’ Testimonials as follows:-
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'efficient, prompt, down to earth, reasonably priced, The Best, excellent work ethics, assertiveness when needed, humour where appropriate, caring, put my mind at ease, armed me with a legal plan, outcome is testament to Bonnie as an excellent and professional lawyer.'
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My brief personal resume:
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Rotary Exchange Student to Japan
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Worked in Japan for a year
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Bachelor of Arts, Monash University 1993 (majoring in Japanese language)
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Bachelor of Laws, Monash University 1995
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Admitted to Practice Barrister & Solicitor of Supreme Court of Victoria, November 1996
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Diploma in Holistic Counselling 2002, Accredited with Australian Holistic Healers Association
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Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner
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Accredited Mediator granted in accordance with the National Mediator Accreditation System
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- I appreciate supporting your journey -
- Feel Self-Empowered in your personal journey-
Without Court
Historical Gold Mining Dredge, Eldorado, Victoria
Mission
There are two intentions I seek to achieve
each and every day I support my clients:-
The first is to empower each and every person that retains my services to feel they had control of finalising their legal concern and that the legal concern has been finalised well with minimal cost, minimal stress and without litigation.
The second is to facilitate the break down of relationships to be a stage in life of positive change for the mind, body, spirit of the individual.
How I manifest my Mission
into reality?
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As a Lawyer:
I provide clear advice to my clients on law, procedure and the steps to take in order to reach resolution of their problem. In this way my clients feel in control of the process. I am in constant communication with my clients throughout each step of the process. I aim to facilitate amicable resolution without resorting to litigation and minimizing costs and time involved.
As an accredited Mediator and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner:
I facilitate a collaborative environment that leads to resolution decided by the parties involved in the mediation process. I do this by ensuring all parties feel their needs and concerns are acknowledged and given importance in the process. An agreement reached by the individuals involved in a dispute is more likely to lead to satisfaction and adherance to the agreement reached.
As a Holistic Counsellor:
Holistic Counselling naturally permeates through all areas of my work. I seek to assist my Holistic Counselling clients by offering a safe and supportive space to explore the individual’s emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing and through such exploration regain balance and feel empowered. Particularly with my holistic counselling clients that are experiencing family law separation, my aim is empower the individual to feel like the end result of the family law separation is that your life is better (rather than worse).
