Partner, Accredited Family Law Specialist

Kate Keating

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With over 35 years’ of experience in Family Law, Kate heads our Family Law team. As an Accredited Family Law Specialist, Kate is committed to being at the forefront of the available forms of dispute resolution which now include Mediation, Collaborative practice and Arbitration, so that her clients are provided with all options available to them in navigating the often difficult path following a separation.

For many years now, Kate has been recognised by the Doyle’s Guide to the Legal Profession  as one of the Leading Family Lawyers in Queensland in several categories. In 2024, she was ranked as:

  • A Pre-eminent Family Lawyer, in the ‘Leading Family & Divorce Lawyers – Gold Coast’ category

  • A Leading Family Lawyer, in the ‘High-value and Complex Property matters – Regional Queensland’ category

  • A Leading Family Lawyer, in the ‘ Leading Parenting & Children’s Matters Lawyers – Regional Queensland’ category

With her initial training and early career work being in the areas of Commercial and Civil Litigation, Kate is an experienced litigator and, when the best option available to a client is to proceed to Court for a Judge to determine the outcome, Kate will ensure that all of the crucial evidence is gathered and presented to the Court to achieve the best possible results for clients. She has developed lasting relationships with top senior and junior Barristers, as well as leading experts in financial services and social sciences. These contacts are crucial when developing strategies for clients in both financial and parenting matters.

Kate holds a strong belief however that families should proceed to Court as a last resort. With her training in both Mediation (Kate is also a Nationally Accredited Mediator), and in Collaborative practice, Kate strives to assist clients in resolving their dispute without the need for Court intervention. Her Mediation Accreditation not only enables her to provide services as a Mediator, but ensures she is well placed to give the best possible assistance and representation to her own clients preparing for and attending a Mediation or Court ordered dispute resolution process.

Kate was a founding member of the Queensland Association of Collaborative Practitioners (QACP) and continues to serve as a Board member. She is the Chairperson of the Gold Coast Family Law Pathways Group which brings together not only members of the Legal Profession and the Court, but also members of the numerous support services in the community which assist clients experiencing difficulties following separation and/or domestic violence.

Kate is a member of the following organisations:

  • Queensland Law Society;

  • Law Council of Australia – Family Law Section;

  • Family Law Practitioners Association of Queensland;

  • Australian Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators;

  • Resolution Institute;

  • International Academy of Collaborative Practitioners;

  • Queensland Association of Collaborative Practitioners;

  • Collaborative Practitioners Gold Coast Practice Group.