Your Unwavering Advocate
Through Hard Times.

Your Unwavering Advocate
Through Hard Times.

Our team of family lawyers is committed to guiding clients through the most complex and emotionally charged challenges with skill and compassionate solutions that protect your best interests and prioritize the well-being of your loved ones. Through strategic advice and unwavering support, we work tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcomes for every client, no matter the complexity of the case.

We excel in:
✓ High-stakes divorce
✓ Child custody
✓ Complex property settlements
✓ International family law, and
✓ all types of Financial Agreements. 

Meet Our Dedicated Family Lawyers in Brisbane

Aishwarya Somal profile picture

Aishwarya Somal

Director / Solicitor / Legal Practitioner Number (550124)

Aishwarya Somal is the Director of Emerson Family Law, Emerson Migration Law, and Global Pathways Education and Migration Services. She earned the Nick Xynias Lord Mayors’ Young Multicultural Businessperson of the Year award in 2020. She was recognised by the Queensland Government for her contributions to preventing Domestic and Family Violence, especially within diverse communities.

Gavin Lai profile picture

Gavin Lai

Special Counsel

LL.B. (QUT) GDipPLEAT (UQ) JP(Qual.)

Gavin is a seasoned Family Law Solicitor with over 19 years of experience in top firms in Brisbane. He specialises in complex parenting and financial cases, international family law (including Hague Convention matters), and creating financial agreements for couples. Gavin is adept at managing high-stakes cases involving business and trust restructuring. As a staunch advocate for alternative dispute resolution, he seeks to resolve matters amicably, resorting to court only when necessary.
Beyond his legal practice, Gavin is deeply committed to community service, volunteering at the Caxton Legal Centre and mentors at both the University of Queensland Law Mentor Program and the QUT Career Mentor Scheme.

Our Mission Statement

At Emersons, our mission is built on the 3 pillars of integrity, compassion, and resolution. We are committed to advancing our clients’ best interests with honesty and professionalism, empowering them with expert knowledge while treating each individual with empathy. Focused on achieving practical, settlement-driven outcomes, we ensure our clients can move forward with confidence and clarity.

Integrity in Outcome.

  • ✓  Integrity is everything – it is our privilege to act for a client and advance their best interests whilst discharging our paramount duty to the Court at all times.
  • ✓  We are not in the business of exploiting a client’s emotions to our own advantage.
  • ✓  We are dedicated to assisting the client and come out with the necessary tools to move forward.

Compassion in Approach.

  • ✓  We cannot remove the “human” element from what we do.
  • ✓  We always treat the client with compassion and empathy.
  • ✓  We believe in empowering the client by equipping the client with our expert knowledge and skills.

Resolution in Sight.

  • ✓  We remain settlement-focused at all times and avoid litigation as last resort.
  • ✓  We educate the client about various settlement avenues throughout their matter, right from the initial consultation to final resolution of a client’s matter.
  • ✓  We always adopt a “big-picture” approach towards achieving a commercially-sensible resolution for the client.

Our Vision Statement

Emersons is driven by a clear vision rooted in client focus, proactivity, and teamwork. We are committed to exceeding client expectations through excellence in service and securing the best possible outcomes with clear, practical advice.

Guided by a proactive mindset, we go the extra mile to ensure efficient and cost-effective results. At the heart of our practice is collaboration, fostering a supportive environment where every effort is made to deliver outstanding results for our clients and community.

Our Purpose.

To empower, educate, and arm you with the knowledge you need while we strive for the most advantageous outcome possible.

Our Promise.

We will remain settlement-focused at all times and avoid litigation as the ultimate resort.

Our Vision.

For you to ultimately walk out of our offices feeling calm, powerful and ready for a fresh, new start.

Request a confidential consultation at a fixed fee.

Your initial consultation is offered at a fixed fee, guaranteeing a thorough service regardless of whether it’s an in-person meeting or a Teams call. This fee also covers any subsequent written advice you may need, with no additional charges.

    Brisbane's Best Divorce and Separation Lawyers

    N B
    N B
    2025-11-10
    I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Gavin Lai from Emerson Family Law. From start to finish he was kind, understanding and knowledgeable. His prompt replies and efficiency were second to none! He helped me navigate my way through an awful divorce and he achieved a terrific financial result for which I will be forever grateful.
    Sarah Ryan
    Sarah Ryan
    2025-11-06
    I am incredibly grateful for the support and guidance I received from Gavin Lai, Special Counsel at Emerson Family Law.From our very first meeting, Gavin presented as kind, understanding and highly professional.Gavin took the time to truly listen, explain each step clearly, and ensure that I felt informed and supported at every stage. His calm and practical approach helped me navigate difficult decisions with confidence and clarity. I consistently felt that my children’s best interests and my wellbeing were his top priority.Gavin’s communication was exceptional - he was consistently responsive and proactive in keeping me updated, which provided great reassurance throughout the process.I would not hesitate to recommend Gavin to anyone seeking a knowledgeable, trustworthy, and compassionate family lawyer. He has made an incredibly difficult time much easier to manage, and I am deeply thankful for his help.
    Sylvia Lee
    Sylvia Lee
    2025-10-30
    It is a real privilege and pleasure to work with Gavin Lai. It was a really stressful time for me and my family, and Gavin made things easy, straight-forward, understandable, and he is a really lovely person. Thank you so much Gavin, I would always very highly recommend him.
    alona gilhang
    alona gilhang
    2025-10-25
    My journey to this unforeseen life-changing circumstance led me to Gavin Lai, he was highly recommended from a common friend. Gavin's personal approach showed he truly cared. Gavin from the get-go was proactive, honest, upfront while equally sensitive and understanding in dealing with realities of separation. He listened, provided sound advice and never overcommit. He was very responsive and will walk and run with you from start to finish. His expertise in the industry is commendable. Trusting Emerson Family Law and Gavin to handle my family matter was a great decision. Thank you so much Gavin.
    Jazmine Zenoni
    Jazmine Zenoni
    2025-10-23
    I had the privilege of working with Gavin Lei from Emerson Family Law during a very difficult period in my life, involving complex family law matters concerning a young child. This process spanned over two years, and without Gavin’s guidance, expertise, and compassion, I honestly don’t know how I would have managed.Gavin’s insightfulness and knowledge are second to none. He consistently demonstrated professionalism, honesty, and genuine care for my situation. What I appreciated most was that he always had my best interests at heart but never sugar-coated things — he was honest, realistic, and always prepared.Thanks to Gavin, an incredibly stressful and emotional time was made that little bit easier. I can’t recommend him highly enough to anyone needing strong yet compassionate representation in family law matters.Thank you, Gavin, for everything.— Jazmine Zenoni
    Bevan Muller
    Bevan Muller
    2025-08-20
    I was going through a marriage separation and was not in a good place, but the way Gavin helped me through the process and always kept me informed helped me through all of this. I cannot thank the firm and Gavin enough.
    Lucy Ting
    Lucy Ting
    2025-08-03
    Gavin Lai has guided me (respondent in a complex and unusual family law case) for the last 15 months, that included an "out of time" threshold hearing trial. A consummate professional and prompt communicator, not the attributes that I can describe my first lawyer. I had full confidence and trust in Gavin, who navigated a good outcome!
    Zoe Jayne
    Zoe Jayne
    2025-07-30
    I had the privilege of being represented by Gavin during a very challenging family court matter. Throughout the entire process, he provided not only expert legal guidance but also genuine support and reassurance.What truly stood out to me was his integrity and honesty—always keeping me informed, never in the dark, and consistently encouraging me to take the right path, even when emotions ran high. Gavin approached every step with wisdom, clarity, and a calm presence that gave me confidence during an incredibly difficult time.I’m truly grateful for the dedication, empathy, and professionalism Gavin showed me, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Emerson Family Law to anyone navigating complex family law matters.
    Chris Anderson
    Chris Anderson
    2025-06-19
    Highly recommend. I have engaged Gavin from Emerson Family Law a number of times and have found him to be extremely knowledgeable, ethical, reasonable, thorough and prompt. I doubt his communication could be bested, it is excellent. I always felt confident and informed with him as my solicitor. Having to go through a legal process for the first time can be overwhelming, and family/ friends/ strangers often give advice with no personal experience- if you want to be informed and confident, I recommend contacting Emerson Family Law for your peace of mind.
    Adam Stone
    Adam Stone
    2025-04-02
    I was recommended to see Gavin Lai and I highly recommend him for family law matters. Gavin was a cool and steady hand to help me get through a difficult time, focusing on the big picture and using his experience to navigate the way forward and ensure things proceeded as smoothly as possible. Prompt, concise, cost conscious and focused, if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of a separation - call Gavin.
    Google rating score: 4.6 of 5, based on 96 reviews