I was referred to John Delany, Family Lawyers Wellington part way through an acrimonious matrimonial separation coinciding with business conditions resulting in a "perfect storm" , the pressure was intense. Through out the legal and court process John his team and wider specialist service providers provided calm, sound, reasoned and practical advise that was invaluable. John understood the complexity of the case, perhaps better than the opposition and I always felt that he was on top of the emerging issues. Without hesitation I would recommend John Delany and Family Lawyers Wellington.

Fantastic! Professionalism at its best.

Avoid John Delany at all cost. He left me completely exposed in court. His incompetence wasn’t just frustrating — it was traumatic. I was blindsided, unprotected, and completely alone at the moment I needed an advocate the most. The emotional and psychological fallout from his failure has left me with Complex PTSD. I walked out the court room shaken, confused and feeling hopeless. Just one week before court, he claimed he had a strategy. Minutes before walking into the courtroom, he pulled me aside and told me to pay off my ex-wife. That was his entire “plan.” I have spoken to another lawyer since and apparently he is known to be like that in the field. This was by far the most evasive, negligent, unethical, and harmful legal representation I’ve ever experienced. He was consistently evasive, refused to provide a timesheet, and billed 14 hours for a 2.5-page reply — even though I had already given him all the answers by email. That wasn’t a one-off — it was a pattern. He ignored my emails when I questioned his actions and billing, and never submitted the demands I was legally entitled to, sabotaging my ability to negotiate from a fair position. He dodged every serious question, failed to explain my rights, and constantly dismissed my concerns with “I’m too busy.” In court, he was completely unprepared — fumbling through papers, clearly unfamiliar with the case, and providing zero advocacy. He filed critical documents just hours before deadlines, giving me no time to review, then promised to make changes and never followed through. He responded late to opposing counsel, sabotaged my case completely. When I confronted him about his behaviour, he talked over me, deflected responsibility. He did not act in good faith, did not protect my interests, and showed a blatant disregard for ethics, responsibility, and basic human decency. I have contacted the Law Society and they encouraged me to launch a formal complaint. I wouldn’t trust this man with a parking ticket, let alone a family law case. I wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole.