Offering a comprehensive suite of tools that streamline even the most complex legal tasks, the team behind LEAP are driven by a commitment to innovation - motivated to continuously explore opportunities to enhance their solutions. This ongoing pursuit has illuminated areas where further advancements are needed for family lawyers, who still rely on time-consuming methods for routine tasks — such as generating their own Excel spreadsheets, manually calculating property pool totals and proposed divisions, and using hand-written calendars to plan and communicate parenting arrangements. These outdated practices not only hinder productivity, but also highlight the need for more specialised tools.

By addressing these inefficiencies and developing specialised solutions, LEAP Family Law has set out to drive meaningful change in family law practice.

The newly formed LEAP Family Law team, meticulously selected, includes experienced family lawyers, legal professionals, skilled developers, innovative LEAP designers, and client focused operational experts. With family law practice in mind, the team has embarked on a journey to enhance the core LEAP product and introduce new tools designed to address the unique challenges in family law.

Jenna Downy, Family Lawyer and Managing Director of LEAP Family Law, explains: “At LEAP, we recognise the importance of providing specialised products and services to our valued client base of Australian family lawyers. Having practised as a family lawyer myself, I joined LEAP with a mission to enhance our offerings specifically for family law practitioners”.

Partnering with Downy and overseeing the client-focused team is David Billington, Director of Operations at LEAP Family Law. Throughout his 12-year tenure at LEAP, Billington has excelled in various client-facing roles, equipping him with the insight and expertise to support the needs of LEAP users.

““Our operations team—ranging from client care consultants to client relationship managers—focus on ensuring that clients not only receive dedicated support but also have the knowledge to fully benefit from the features and tools developed by our team. Our goal is to bridge the gap between development and client understanding, empowering clients to make the most of our family law solutions in daily practice”

— David Billington, Director of Operations - LEAP Family Law

So, what can you expect to see from LEAP Family Law?

Enhancements to the core LEAP product

Leading the charge of product development is Farhana Khan, Head of Product at LEAP Family Law. With a team of five, Khan oversees family law-specific developments within the core product, as well as the creation of new apps and tools tailored to the needs of family law professionals - “As Head of Product, I am passionate about creating innovative solutions that not only meet but exceed the expectations of family law practitioners”, says Khan. 

Driving product development and innovation alongside Khan is The Honourable Garry Watts AM, who joined the team in September of last year. With years of judicial experience in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, combined with decades as a practising family lawyer, his deep understanding of family law has been instrumental in drafting orders and developing tools that directly address the challenges faced by legal professionals.

““After 29 years developing a top family law firm, and 17 years as a judge, it has been a pleasing change of scenery over the last year to work with the innovative LEAP Family Law team to create a quality product using traditional technologies. Our mission is to build an ecosystem which assists family lawyers to efficiently and accurately produce quality work for their clients. Significant progress has been made, but there's still much on the drawing board.”

— The Honourable Garry Watts AM

Key updates to the core LEAP product include:

• Tables Updates: Simplifying default LEAP matter details.
• New Child Support Matter Type: Designed to better manage Child Support-specific cases.
• Calculated Critical Dates: Automatically populates key dates and deadlines.

Additionally, BETA updates to Court Forms, such as the Application for Consent Orders (FED & WA), Financial Statement (FED & WA), and Balance Sheet (FED), streamline data entry and introduce new automated features for greater efficiency.

New tools have also been added, such as the Child Support Estimator, which enables users to quickly calculate child support using Services Australia's method, and the Order Library, a collection of Family Law Orders drafted by specialist family lawyers.

By focusing on what family lawyers need to streamline their daily processes, LEAP Family Law ensures that its product development aligns with the practical demands of legal professionals.

““By actively seeking user feedback, we guide our development process to ensure our tools are effective and intuitive for our users. Our goal is simple: to make complex legal processes easier so family law practitioners can focus on what matters most — representing their clients.”

— Farhana Khan, Head of Product - LEAP Family Law

Exclusive apps in development

It is vital for legal professionals in family law to keep up with technological advancements to provide effective legal services. As such, the LEAP Family Law team is working hard to develop exclusive apps that are designed specifically to streamline the daily tasks of family law professionals.

““The LEAP Family Law team is committed to delivering significant additional value through specialised content and innovative developments, ensuring you have the tools you need to succeed in family law practice.”

— Jenna Downy, Managing Director - LEAP Family Law

LEAP's latest development, Balance Sheet +, is a revolutionary tool for family law practitioners that simplifies financial disclosures and settlements.

So how does it work? Seamlessly integrated with LEAP, Balance Sheet + is a multifaceted financial tool that allows family lawyers to accurately capture their clients' financial information and use automated property adjustment features. The app records assets, addbacks, liabilities, and financial resources in a balance sheet, automatically calculating total values for both parties. Negotiated values can also be easily recorded in the balance sheet for quick reference and convenience.

“The app has its genesis in 2007 when I wanted, as a judge, to find a better way to include consistent financial figures in different parts of my reasons for judgment and to ensure that my orders reflected what was in those reasons. I'm excited that this upgraded product is to be made available to LEAP users”, says the Honourable Garry Watts AM.

Currently in its BETA phase and being used by a small number of LEAP firms, the feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive”, says Khan, with many commending the app’s intuitive interface and time-saving capabilities. In addition to its UX/UI praise, one client shared that they “appreciate the ability to create multiple scenarios and automation to the FCFCOA Balance Sheet court form”.

Balance Sheet + is a sign of what’s to come for LEAP Family Law; “At LEAP, we are committed to adapting our products rapidly to meet the changing legal environment. By introducing Balance Sheet +, we are not only keeping up with the industry, but rather establishing a new standard of excellence in family law” says Khan.

In addition to Balance Sheet +, the team is working on a new Parenting Calendar app designed specifically for solicitors to manage and account for parenting arrangements within the family law area of practice.

““Parenting calendar + is another innovative product that will allow a LEAP user to create a graphic representation of what proposed parenting arrangements look like on a calendar, including special days and events. The calendar, once created, will be able to automatically generate a set of children orders. On the flip side, a set of LEAP precedent children's orders will be able to automatically generate the calendar.”

— The Honourable Garry Watts AM

Users will enjoy an intuitive and user-friendly interface, seamless communication and transparency with other solicitors and clients, and the convenience of a single platform that eliminates the need to switch between multiple programs.

*Parenting Calendar + is still in development and will be available to LEAP users early next year.

See the solutions in action

With a bespoke and tailored approach, LEAP Family Law is poised to make a profound impact on the family law sector, delivering the tools and support that family lawyers need to excel in their practice.

“As we continue to evolve and refine our platform to cater to your legal needs, stay tuned for more updates and enhancements,” said Downy.