Paula Becker

Overview

Paula has been practicing in the Eastern Suburbs for over 20 years.  Paula’s primary areas of practice are in Family Law and Wills and Estates Litigation but she often acts in criminal matters (as these are often related to her family law practice). She also performs transactional matters for her clients including drafting commercial agreements.

Paula regularly appears in the Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

Paula works closely with all solicitors in the Firm to ensure that our clients receive the best, most well rounded and considered advice in relation to their matters.  Paula has a strong belief that because law is not black and white, different opinions are often needed to ensure that the best advice is provided to a client.

Outside of law, Paula has strong ties to her community and is a member of Girl Guides NSW ACT NT. She has been a leader with her local Junior Guide unit for the past 8 years.  Paula has also volunteered with her children’s soccer teams, ballet school and throughout the years (prior to becoming a leader) in various capacities with the local guiding district.

Principal Practice Areas

Wills & Estates

• Drafting simple and complex Wills and testamentary trusts
• Probate and estate administration
• Powers of Attorney and Deeds of Enduring Guardianship
• Estate litigation including rectification of Wills, contested Estates, Estate administration contests and Family Provision Claims (both for Plaintiffs and Defendants)
• Estate Planning.

Property & Conveyancing

• Conveyancing including buying and selling residential and commercial real estate, off the plan developments and retirement villages;
• Leasing commercial real estate including retail leases
• Advising on taxation issues relating to real estate including GST
• SMSF purchases of commercial and/or residential real estate
• Real property litigation including contract and leasing disputes, Appointments of Trustees for Sale of real property, and possession matters

Family Law

• Advising and negotiating settlements of financial and parenting matters (by consent)
• Drafting settlement documents including consent orders, requisitions in respect of orders, amendments, additional material, and submissions on issues of fact and law
• Appearing in contested financial and parenting matters
• Appearing on applications for urgent interim parenting and financial orders
• Appearing at conciliation conferences

Criminal Law

• Advising and appearing in respect of Apprehended Domestic Violence and Personal Violence Orders – both defended and undefended matters in the Local Court of NSW
• Advising and appearing in respect of assault and affray charges – both defended and undefended matters
• Advising and appearing in respect of traffic matters – low, mid and high range prescribed concentration of alcohol offences, driving under the influence offences, driving under the influence of drugs offences, failure to nominate offences, parking offences and other traffic related matters
• Advising and appearing in respect of a range of general criminal matters such as possess prohibited weapons, receiving a financial advantage by deception, stealing offences and so on.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts from Monash University
• Diploma of Law from UTS
• Masters of Law from UTS
• First Aid (HLTAID 011, HLTAID 010, HLTAID 009)

Memberships

• Member of the Law Society of NSW
• Member of Girl Guides NSW ACT NT

Other Awards

• Volunteer of the Year Award for the federal electoral division of Banks
• Volunteer of the Year Award for the federal electoral division of Cook
• Volunteer of the Year Award (individual) from the Centre for Volunteering (NSW)
• Volunteer of the Year Award (group/team) from the Centre for Volunteering (NSW)