KATE GRAHAM

Director, Family Law Accredited Specialist | Collaboratively Trained Lawyer

I have spent more than two decades helping people navigate the family law system. That is not something I take lightly, and it is not something I stumbled into by accident.

From Grade 4, I had my heart set on a career in law. At the time, I had no idea what that might entail, but in the end, I never deviated from it. I graduated from Miami High School in 1994 and began studying law at Bond University the following year.

While studying for my degree, I gained valuable experience in property law, experience I still draw on today, but it became clear that property wasn't where my long-term career would lead. Like many law students, I believed that success in the law meant landing a role at a national firm. A few days into exactly that, I realised my mistake. What I actually wanted was to help real people with real problems. From there, I found my niche in family law, was admitted as a Solicitor in 2003, and have never looked back.

In 2017, together with my colleagues Dan and Orlena, I co-founded BGM Family Lawyers, the best decision I've made in my professional life. The vision was simple but deliberate: to do family law differently. Not the stuffy, intimidating version of law that often dominates the industry, but something genuinely human where clients feel heard, supported and cared for. What started as a shared idea between three lawyers has grown into a team of 25+ lawyers and administrative staff, all working toward that same goal every day.

Building BGM has been one of the great privileges of my career. Mentoring and leading such a talented group of people, and being a part of creating a workplace that is genuinely positive and collaborative, has given my work a dimension I didn't anticipate when I left that national firm all those years ago. The instinct that pulled me away, the desire for something more real and more human, turned out to be the same instinct that shaped everything BGM has become.

Having children of my own has profoundly shaped the way I practise. I understand the emotions parents carry into what is often one of the most difficult periods of their lives, and I take that seriously. My role is to help clients identify and weigh their options clearly, so they can make the best decisions for their family at every stage of the process.

My strong preference is to keep clients out of court wherever possible. The cost, stress and uncertainty of litigation are real, and Alternative Dispute Resolution will often produce a better outcome for everyone involved. That said, when litigation is necessary, I put on my “other hat” as litigator to support and advocate for my clients through the process, keeping one eye on resolution and the other on the practical costs and benefits of every available option.

The accreditation, qualifications and recognition I have received over my career hold great meaning to me as they give my clients confidence that they are in capable hands.

• Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist in Family Law
• Recognised by Doyle's Guide as a Leading Gold Coast Family & Divorce Lawyer (2019–2025) and Preeminent Gold Coast Family & Divorce Lawyer (2026)
• Recognised by Doyle's Guide as a Leading Parenting Disputes Lawyer – Regional Queensland (2019–2021) and Preeminent Parenting Disputes Lawyer – Regional Queensland (2022-2026)
• Qualified Collaborative Lawyer

Family law is rarely straightforward, and the people who come to us are often navigating one of the most challenging periods of their lives. Getting to do this work well, within a firm built around my own values, is something I am incredibly proud of and never take for granted.