Kate was admitted as a solicitor in 1997. She commenced her career in the heart of Sydney where she spent most of her days in the Local Court, Supreme Court and Federal Court engaged in civil litigation matters for her clients.
Subsequently she practiced as a “foreign lawyer” in Alberta, Canada for 4 years, and then returned to practice law in Australia on the Sunshine Coast and in Gympie.
Areas of expertise
Much of Kate’s work now relates to Conveyancing, animal law, Wills/Estates and Family Law matters. She also undertakes legal costs assessment for other firms.
In 2011 after returning to Australia with her family, Kate joined a Gympie firm where she built on her experience and developed her skills in family law. It was also at this time that she became interested in the emergent field of animal law and joined the solicitor’s pro bono panel of the RSPCA.
In 2016, the opportunity to again run her own practice arose, and CastleGate Law came into being. From the beginning, CastleGate Law has focussed on Conveyancing, Family Law, commercial property transactions, Wills and Estates, and Animal Law. In recent years, she has seen Animal Law become a major feature of her practice.
Kate’s conveyancing and property law experience is extensive and broad. She has many clients who have worked with her for years and include farming businesses, corporate clients, family businesses and private clients across Queensland. She acts for buyers and sellers of rural properties, residential and commercial properties and businesses, as well for lessors and lessees of commercial leases.
The scale and breadth of Kate’s Family Law works extends from straight forward divorces to divorces involving separation under the one roof; child support agreements; financial agreements and reaching agreements through negotiations, mediation, collaborative practice and through the Court process. She has experience in dealing with married relationships, de facto relationships and same-sex relationships.
In addition, Kate has had many years’ experience with estate planning, wills and the administration of deceased estates along with estate disputes.
In addition to being a lawyer, Kate is a freelance features writer and author. She has written for numerous publications including MiNDFOOD magazine, NITV, Pets Magazine, and Aussie Gardener. What spare time she has Kate spends reading and gardening, and playing chess. She is a member of the Lake McDonald Rowing Club.
Recognition
Kate was awarded a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University in 1995, Bachelor of Laws in 1996 (Macquarie University) and Diploma of Legal Practice from the College of Law in St Leonards in 1997. She also holds an Advanced Diploma in journalism.
She is a member of the Law Society of Queensland and on the register of Court approved Costs Assessors.