currently working with the Allwright Bourke Lawyers & Conveyancing firm in Cobar.
A long-established regional law firm is strengthening its presence in Cobar, bringing a wide range of legal and conveyancing services closer to home with the help of two familiar local faces.
Allwright Bourke Lawyers & Conveyancing, founded by Cobar resident Stephanie Allwright in 2014, is looking to establish a permanent office in town after seeing growing demand from local clients over the past year.
The business has been assisting Cobar residents since it first opened 12 years ago, and licenced conveyancer Chyna Whittaker-Goodwin has been providing full-time support from Cobar since returning home in 2024.
“Steph and I are Cobar locals,” Chyna told The Cobar Weekly.
“I work full-time from Cobar while Steph [who is also based in the Cobar Shire] works across the various offices as our Managing Director.”
The firm offers services ranging from residential, rural and commercial conveyancing through to wills and estates, succession planning, family law, commercial law, agribusiness, carbon farming, renewable energy agreements and water law.
Chyna said the plan to open a Cobar office was driven by increasing demand by the community to access to legal and conveyancing services.
“Over the past 12 months we’ve seen increasing demand from Cobar clients, so establishing a more public presence was the natural next step,” she said.
The business is currently meeting clients in a private meeting room opposite the Library while it searches for permanent premises.
Regular drop-in sessions are held a couple of days each week, and appointments can also be at other times.
While many legal matters can now be handled by phone or video link, Chyna believes face-to-face service still has an important place.
“Sometimes nothing replaces sitting across the table from someone, and we find that technology is not for all of our clients, so it helps to have someone that people can drop in and speak with,” she said.
One area the firm hopes will benefit local residents is family law.
“We understand that family law services have not been available in Cobar for some time and are pleased to be able to assist the community with all family law matters, including property and parenting issues, whether they are agreed matters or those requiring court.”
Chyna began her legal career as a secretary before qualifying as a Licenced Conveyancer while working full-time.
“I discovered a real passion for property law.”
She said helping people is what inspired her to become a conveyancer.
“You’re helping people through one of the biggest and most exciting moments of their lives and it’s incredibly rewarding to be part of that.”
She said providing professional services in regional communities was something the firm valued highly.
“Living in a regional town shouldn’t mean you have fewer options when it comes to accessing services,” Chyna said.
“People deserve to be able to access those services close to home, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve.”
As the business continues its search for permanent premises, Chyna hopes the community will embrace the new local service.
