Family, Commercial & Collaborative Lawyer

Alice Byrnes is a Director and Senior Family Lawyer at Cheney Suthers Lawyers in Orange, New South Wales, and an Accredited Specialist in Family Law. Admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales on 10 December 2012, Alice brings over a decade of broad legal experience to her practice across family law, commercial litigation, dispute resolution, employment law, wills and estates, property and retail leasing disputes, contractual disputes, bankruptcy and insolvency, and debt recovery.

Trained initially as a commercial litigator, Alice has developed a practice that is strongly focused on resolution over litigation. From the outset of every matter, Alice works to identify pathways that avoid the cost, delay and emotional toll of contested court proceedings, wherever that is in her client’s best interests.

Family Law

Alice is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law, one of a select group of solicitors in New South Wales to hold this credential. Her family law practice covers both property and parenting matters, from initial advice through to final hearings in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Alice’s dispute resolution experience includes mediations, conciliations, settlement conferences and the drafting of consent orders, binding child support agreements, financial agreements and deeds of settlement and release.

Independent Children’s Lawyer

Alice is appointed by the Court as an Independent Children’s Lawyer (ICL) in parenting proceedings. In this role, Alice represents the best interests of the children in the matter independently of either parent. As ICL, Alice reviews all affidavits and subpoenaed documents, meets and speaks directly with the children, liaises with family consultants and other relevant parties, and presents an independent view of the children’s best interests to the Court.

Collaborative Law

Alice is a trained Collaborative Lawyer, offering clients in family law matters an alternative to adversarial litigation through the collaborative practice process. Collaborative law is a structured, voluntary process in which both parties and their respective collaborative lawyers commit to resolving their matter without going to court. The process involves a series of face-to-face meetings supported by other professionals including financial neutrals and child specialists where needed, with the goal of reaching a durable, mutually acceptable resolution. For clients who wish to preserve a co-parenting relationship or resolve their matter with dignity and discretion, collaborative practice offers a genuinely different and often more constructive path forward. For more on Collaborative Practice, click here.

Qualifications and Background

Alice holds a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales. Her background as a trained communicator informs her plain-English approach to client advice and her ability to guide clients through complex legal matters with clarity and care.

JustFund Partnership

Cheney Suthers is proudly partnered with JustFund to offer family law clients greater financial independence through a dedicated family law line of credit. This partnership enables clients to access the legal assistance they need to resolve their family law matters without the burden of immediate financial constraints.

You can connect with Alice on LinkedIn.