About
Mimi initially joined Harmans in February 2016 and graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science (Psychology) that same year. In 2018 Mimi moved to London and worked as an immigration litigation lawyer, advising the Secretary of State for the Home Department on Judicial Reviews and Statutory Appeals. She specialised in asylum support law and was a lead lawyer for the UK Government Legal Department in that area. In 2020, she was one of three government legal department lawyers involved in advising the UK Home Office on COVID-19 policy development with regard to asylum support and asylum seekers’ human rights. Whilst in the UK Mimi also volunteered for Lawyers Against Poverty, a charity aiming to use access to justice to relieve poverty. Mimi re-joined our specialist family law team in January 2021 and was appointed an Associate in November 2021.
Mimi specialises in:
- Relationship Property and Spousal Maintenance disputes;
- The protection of assets prior to a relationship;
- The division of assets upon separation including personally owned assets, companies and trusts;
- Care of Children and Guardianship disputes; and
- Family Violence/Protection Order matters.
Mimi is a Lead Legal Aid provider and is also approved to provide advice under the Family Legal Advice Service regarding non urgent care of children matters.
She has assisted clients with complex matters including financial disparity between parties after separation, forcing the sale of a home upon separation, having an ex-partner or spouse removed from a property so it can be sold and forcing information to be provided when trying to overturn Contracting Out Agreements. Mimi has also appeared in the High Court in relation to ensuring family violence victims are aware that there are alternative ways to give their evidence in Court, including not being in the same space as the other party. Mimi was recently successful in being granted permission by the Family Court for a family violence victim to give her evidence via audio-visual link.
Mimi is a member of the New Zealand Law Society’s Family Law Section, Family Courts Association of New Zealand (Christchurch) and Canterbury Women’s Legal Association. In 2021, Mimi successfully established a networking group for young professionals working in the Christchurch CBD.
A born and bred Cantabrian, Mimi is a St Margaret’s College alumni, an active sportsperson and a keen boatie, having completed her day skipper’s certification in 2020. Mimi is also a qualified nail technician and artist, a qualification she obtained whilst living and working in the UK. Mimi has been learning New Zealand Sign Language since early 2021.
