Berryman Partners Lawyers is one of Newcastle’s leading law firms, with over 40 years of providing legal services.

At Berryman Partners we have developed a professional yet friendly and personal approach to servicing the needs of our clients seeking legal representation and advice.

Berryman Partners Lawyers provides a broad range of legal services for both individuals and business.

We genuinely want to help so at Berryman Partners, we take the time to listen and find out about your needs, providing practical, plain English advice.

At Berryman Partners we understand that family law issues generally and, in particular, the breakdown of a relationship, cause enormous stress and uncertainty about the future. We combine skills in listening, advising and supporting clients at what is frequently a time of great upheaval in their lives. Our Family Law Team is experienced at guiding clients and their families through the many issues that can arise in relation to children, financial matters, and planning for the future.

You will find our family law team is approachable and diligent and willing to assist you to make the difficult decisions during what can be a stressful and emotional time. Our focus is on attaining the outcome that best suits you as efficiently as possible, thereby helping you get on with your life and limit your legal costs.

At Berryman Partners, our family lawyers possess expertise in:
1. Binding Financial Agreements (sometimes referred to as Pre-nuptial Agreements) before, during or after the breakdown of the relationship.
2. Property matters – including property division, superannuation and financial issues for both marital and de facto relationships.
3. Parenting issues – including access and shared parenting arrangements, parenting plans and/or orders and child support.
4. Divorce applications.
5. Spousal maintenance
6. Making a new Will after separation.

Berryman Partners understands that the decisions involved in buying or selling a home are significant. Our experienced property lawyers have extensive knowledge in buying and selling property and will always be available to answer your questions and guide you through the process.

Buying or selling a home can be a daunting prospect. It is a complex process involving negotiating and entering a legally binding contract for large amounts of money. Unlike a conveyancer, our property lawyers are qualified to advise you broadly in relation to contract and property law issues, asset structuring, estate planning and taxation.

Our conveyancing and property services are offered at competitive rates so before you engage a conveyancer to act on your behalf in relation to your sale or purchase consider using one of our property lawyers. We will provide peace of mind that your purchase or sale will be handled correctly.

If you are looking to purchase, we can also arrange pest, building, survey and strata inspection reports where necessary. We also offer in-house stamping so that you can delay paying Stamp Duty until the completion date if preferred.

Our property lawyers possess expertise in:
1. Dealing with all types of Title, including Torrens, Old System, Qualified, Strata and Community.
2. Acting for buyers and sellers of residential property, including drafting and advising on contracts.
3. Acting for lenders and borrowers in respect of residential mortgage transactions.
4. Creating Easements by way of Transfer
5. Acting for individuals in respect of resumptions of property by Councils and the Road Traffic Authority.
6. Advising people who are considering going into a Retirement Village or Nursing Home (including advising them about Deeds of Licence and other "retirement living" documentation).

If you are operating a small business or thinking about starting one there are many legal issues that will affect you. Unfortunately, many new small businesses fail within a short period of time, often with significant personal losses to their owner. At Berryman Partners, we can help maximise your prospects of success.

There are many crucial decisions which need to be made when operating a small business. These decisions range from those that arise when trying to start up a small business to those that confront the experienced business-owner who is looking to expand or to maximise their profits. Here at Berryman Partners we are qualified to advise you broadly on all the issues which affect you. We will get to know your business so that our advice is tailored to your commercial goals. Whether its advice on the right business structure to suit you, on the best way to protect your assets, or on the best way to expand your business we will arm you with the knowledge to handle the important decisions.

At Berryman Partners we can also provide expert advice in relation to buying or selling a business. We will assist you at every step of the way, from negotiating and interpreting the terms of the contract to understanding the taxation implications of the transaction. Our concern is obtaining the best result for you.

One of the significant problems affecting small businesses is recovering money from debtors. We understand the great stress that this can cause any business owner and can help you to recover debts quickly and efficiently.

We have expertise in:
1. Buying and selling businesses.
2. Advising on business structure.
3. Franchising.
4. Commercial leasing.
5. Business succession.
6. Debt recovery.

As we get older we face increasing uncertainty. This uncertainty can be a source of great stress for most people. To ensure peace of mind and financial security as you get older it is important to manage your estate and financial affairs.

Estate planning is about ensuring that when you pass away your loved ones are properly provided for and your assets are distributed according to your wishes with minimum taxation and court intervention. It is also about managing your affairs while you’re still alive to ensure that your assets are sufficiently protected and continue to be protected in the event that you lose the capacity to make important decisions for yourself.

Effective estate planning gives you flexibility in the management of your estate and affairs. At Berryman Partners we can assist you to tailor you estate plan to your particular circumstances.
Estate planning comprises multiple steps. The first of these steps is to prepare a Will and/or Power of Attorney and Enduring Guardianship.

Preparation of a Will allows you to express your wishes as to how your assets are to be distributed upon you death. Proper planning allows you to reduce the financial burden on your beneficiaries and minimise the possibility of disputes.

Power of Attorney and Enduring Guardianship are effective ways of appointing either one or multiple people to make important decisions for you for either a short period of time or long term.

Estate planning also requires a broad approach and consideration should be given to all matters that may affect the important aspects of a person’s estate and affairs.

Berryman Partners can provide you with a range of estate planning services, including:
1. Preparation of Wills
2. Preparation of Powers of Attorney and Enduring Guardianship
3. Asset protection strategies
4. Assistance with issues relating to living arrangements and aged-care accommodation.

The administration of a deceased estate is a complex process and one which coincides with what is often a very emotional and stressful period of time. The executor of an estate is entrusted with certain responsibilities and the law requires that these be performed in a strict and specific way. What is needed by the executor during this time is expert advice and a compassionate approach. The service provided by Berryman Partners focuses on these two things.

Berryman Partners also understands that it is not uncommon for disputes to arise concerning the wishes of the deceased. Whether you’re seeking to make a claim against an estate, seeking to protect provision which has already been made for you or you’re an executor who is dealing with the dispute, Berryman Partners has the knowledge and experience to protect your rights and interests and ensure that you receive a just outcome.