Country Member

With a name like Goodacre, it is no surprise I’m from a farming family from the central west - Woodstock, is where my family hail from.

While studying for a Bachelor of Communications at Canberra University, I worked within the administration unit of the ACT Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Commonwealth Office of Director of Public Prosecutions, before transferring to Charles Stuart University to complete a Bachelor of Social Science. Upon finishing my social science degree, I moved into community planning. While community planning was interesting, I missed the legal community, and I commenced my law degree at UNE. I completed my degree by correspondence while I continued to work and have my first daughter as a single parent.

I was admitted to practice in August 2006, and once admitted I was drawn to legal aid work in regional Australia. Commencing my career as a solicitor with the QLD Legal Aid regional and remote practitioner program in Charters Towers FNQ. On completion I returned to NSW to work with Legal Aid NSW in civil and family law, undertaking comprehensive outreach work, including extensive work with the Stolen Wages Scheme and the Work & Development Order program. Legal Aid NSW invested in me by facilitating my ability to undertake a Diploma in Business Management, and the many conferences and seminars they offer in-house for their staff - an invaluable resource.

Whilst working in-house at Legal Aid NSW, I was able to develop my advocacy skills and focus on the law that invigorated me - namely care and protection and family law.

In 2014 I started Coffs Law Co as a sole practitioner, with no staff, wanting to help people access justice on my own terms. Working mainly in family law and care & protection, I am acutely aware of the regional challenges in these jurisdictions.

Coffs Law Co has grown from just me, to employ 6 people providing quality legal services both privately funded and through legal aid.

I am proud to give back to the legal and wider community through volunteer work within the Clarence River & Coffs Harbour Regional Law Society as Regional President, and my prior work on the executive of the Family Law Practitioners Association.

I am passionate about mentoring: raising up new practitioners to enjoy the practice of law with a strong emphasis on work life balance and giving back to the community. I have engaged in the Law Society of NSW mentor program as a mentor and continue to enjoy the professional relationships developed in that program.

1. Identifying and increasing useful supports for sole practitioners and small firms, particularly in the regions, to navigate the ever-changing legal landscape such as AML and AI cost efficiently and collaboratively.

2. Increasing Legal Aid NSW funding to panel solicitors, to facilitate remuneration commensurate to the work undertaken.

3. Invigorating recruitment and retention of lawyers in the regions through innovative programs to attract and retain regional lawyers.

4. Addressing solicitors’ work/life balance issues such as working hours of lawyers (particularly young lawyers and sole practitioners), supervision, and mental health.

5. Addressing inefficiencies in the administration of online resources including but not limited to online court portals, and grants online to facilitate streamlined user-friendly processes that do not press additional burdens back onto the practitioners.

To ensure the Law Society has diverse and expert leadership, I am seeking election to Council with 5 other lawyers that I encourage you to support. You can find out more about us at https://www.councilelections.com.au