Your strong female voice
Ready to reclaim your confidence, champion your rights and secure your safety?
Empowerment starts with Joplin Lawyers. Our boutique Family law firm in the Hunter Valley NSW has a global reputation for its commitment and contribution to Family and Domestic Violence Law.
Empowerment starts with leveraging extensive experience in all areas of Family Law, our solicitors equip women across Australia with the legal prowess to finalise matters and move forward. Our boutique Family law firm in the Hunter Valley NSW has a global reputation for its commitment and contribution to Family and Domestic Violence Law. Our solicitors equip women across Australia with the legal prowess to finalise matters and move forward.
Joplin Higgins OAM
Hello, I’m Joplin Higgins and Director of Joplin Lawyers. After a decade of working in the tourism and marketing industries, I decided to act on my belief that the law is the most powerful tool our society possesses. In 2001, I enrolled in James Cook University to earn a Bachelor of Laws degree.
Ever since, I have dedicated my career as a solicitor to championing the safety of women and children. Driven by my resolve to give a strong voice to those who are not being heard, I established my own law firm, Joplin Lawyers, in the Hunter Valley. Here, I lead a fearless legal team that focuses on complex Family Law matters. As a vocal and dynamic advocate for domestic violence awareness, I believe that providing education on its many forms and facets is essential to eliminating the destructive toll it takes on our communities.
That’s why I equip each of my clients with informative resources and the right support services to move on with their lives. Furthermore, I organise roadshows, domestic violence seminars with international speakers, run group coaching programs for domestic violence survivors and provide substantial outreach to marginalised women across regional New South Wales.
In 2016, I was selected as one of only ten Westpac Social Change Research Fellowships to advance my efforts in domestic violence redress
As a passionate proponent of rehabilitation for domestic violence perpetrators, I was able to study effective approaches in the United States and how best to apply them here in Australia through our Criminal Law and Family Law justice system. I have authored a paper on the Evaluation of Perpetrator programs, both nationally and internationally.
I also strive to remove the obstacles to accessing legal services in our rural communities – because your postcode or bank balance should not obstruct your right to representation. Attending outreach to Tamworth and Moree, I assist our First Nation people in Family Law and Care & Protection matters. Connected to the Elders, I am well positioned to deliver readily-available legal advice to disadvantaged members of these communities. My efforts to make legal support accessible extend to all ages. As a member of the Family Law, Care & Protection Panel and Independent Children’s Lawyer panel with the Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales, I go the extra mile to stand up for what matters most to my youngest clients. My commitment to law was recognised by the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours list, in which I was honoured to receive a Medal of the Order of Australia for ‘Service to the Law’.
Now, I am here to help you navigate your own legal journey. So welcome to my boutique Family Law firm. I look forward to guiding, protecting and empowering you.
Awards & accreditations
- 2022: Business Women of the Year Hunter Region Business Excellence Awards
- 2022: Legal Aid Commission Review Committee – Law Society / Bar Association Representative
- 2021: Order of Australia Medal ‘Service to the Law’
- 2021: Pro Bono Award Women Legal Services of NSW
- 2021: Expert evidence and submissions Joint Select Committee on Coercive Control in domestic relationships
- 2021: Finalist: Regional / Suburban Lawyer of the Year, Australian Law Awards
- 2021: Finalist: Regional / Suburban Law Firm of the Year, Australian Law Awards
- 2019: Business of the Year, Muswellbrook Chamber of Business
- 2019 – Current: Member of the Law Society – Children’s Law Committee and Family Law Committee
- 2018: Business of the Year, Singleton Chamber of Business
- 2018: Business Leader of the Year, Singleton Chamber of Business
- 2017 – Current: Panellist, Women’s Domestic Violence Advocacy Service
- 2016: Social Change Fellowship, Westpac
- 2016 – 2019: Jana’s Campaign, Hayes Kansas, USA, Executive Board Member
- 2015 – Current: Independent Children’s Lawyer, Legal Aid Commission NSW
- 2013 – Current: Managing Director and Lawyer, Joplin Lawyers
- 2013 – Current: Hunter Valley Family Law
- 2013– 2018: Muswellbrook Women’s Refuge, Board Member
- 2008: Admitted to the High Court of Australia
- 2007: Admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW
- 2007: Bachelor of Laws, James Cook University, Cairns Campus
I know the strength it takes to lead a life on the land
Hailing from five generations of farming in the heartland of the United States of America (Nebraska), a shearing family from Garah on my maternal side and having grown up in regional NSW and QLD, my roots in rural life run deep
Now based in the heart of the Hunter Valley with my husband, a fourth-generation farmer from the Riverina, I understand both the beauty and burdens of country living first-hand. My in-depth knowledge of the agricultural issues faced by farming families and my steadfast connections with the women around me have cultivated my career as a lawyer. The backbone of our nation, rural communities are rich in resilience and solidarity – yet accessing Family Law services is still a challenge that many rural women have to bear. Know that you are not alone, wherever you may be. Here to empower marginalised women across regional Australia, I am rolling up my sleeves and breaking down the barriers to legal support on the land I have always called home.