Empowering you to make Big Decisions with confidence.

Hawaii Family Law Coaching and Support

Let’s talk about the legal and financial implications of marriage, child-custody, paternity, co-parenting,  separation, divorce, asset division, custody, parenting plans and other big decisions that affect you, your children and your family.


I help you make confident and informed decisions about important choices of your life.

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I'll help you become your own most trusted advocate.

family law attorney annabel wearing green silk pants sitting on a picnic bench

Hi, I'm Annabel Murray.

I decided to start Big Decisions HI LLLC to provide legal advice, consulting, and coaching to people who are making big decisions about marriage, having children (whether married or unmarried), partnership, child custody, parenting plans, separation and divorce, and other major life transitions. 


Big Decisions have big impacts on you and your family.  I will listen and help you to think through and understand your legal and financial options so that you move forward with confidence and clarity. Family law and legal decisions can be complicated and confusing. Let me help advise, educate and support you to make the best decision for you.


Because no one should have to make such Big Decisions alone.

More About Annabel Read My Latest Blog Post

From Annabel's Clients

"Thank you so much for all your help and guidance.


I am forever grateful that you advocated for me and helped me to successfully resolve my case that has been dragging on for years!


I will definitely be referring people to you!"

Jessica

"I had struggled for months to make sense of the Family Court’s filing process for an uncontested divorce.


I was at a complete loss as to what to do next. Annabel walked me through the entire process in just two Zoom consults and a couple of calls; but beyond helping me understand the paperwork and the process, she was there for me in the most difficult moment of my life and totally relieved my anxiety about the process."

Stuart

"Annabel Murray  is the most supportive attorney for the best interest of children and guides clients to the right goals for a better life.


It is not about “winning”, it is about a happier life. I
went through a very tough path before finding her, finally I found her and my life has been changed for the better. I highly recommend her as your forever consultant."

Yuka

Why Choose Legal Consulting?

In my 3+ decades of working as a litigator and mediator, I’ve seen how much pain and suffering could have been avoided if a client had had someone to guide and consult with them before they took that critical first step, whether it was marrying someone without understanding the financial implications, or ignoring serious red flags about someone’s behavior, to hiring an attorney and starting the high conflict process of divorce litigation. You research most decisions before you make them, right? So consider me your reference library.


People choose litigation without understanding what litigation is;  without understanding the devastating financial and emotional cost, or how Family Court works, or why Judges decide what they decide. I started Big Decisions HI to help you think through all of your legal options, whether you are considering getting married and don’t understand the financial implications of blending assets and debts, or you and your partner have decided to have a child, or you are considering  made the decision to divorce, or separate from your child’s other parent.  I’m here to help you make those decisions with as much accurate and relevant information as possible. 

The Challenges of Change

To paraphrase M. Scott Peck, in his book, the Road Less Traveled: People don’t make Big Decisions until it becomes too painful not to.  In other words, we don’t really change the situation we are in, until it’s harder to keep the status quo than to change.  That’s the fear of the unknown.  I’m here to help you answer those questions and talk about whether it is time to change, or whether things are okay just the way they are.  What are your questions? What big decisions do you need to make, or are you considering making? You can’t make decisions if you don’t know your options, and that’s where I come in.

Legal Consulting Services

Read the Blog

big decisions hawaii paternity blog post
By Annabel Murray 06 Jan, 2023
Are you and your partner expecting and unmarried? Are you curious about what "Paternity" means for you and your family? This blog post explains the most common ways to establish paternity for an unmarried couple, along considerations for current or future moms, dads, and families.
big-decisions-hawaii-attorney-blog
By Annabel Murray 04 Oct, 2022
If you're wondering whether Big Decisions HI LLLC is suited to support you on your unique case, read this short blog post to get a clearer picture of who I can help to make Big Decisions.
big-decisions-hawaii-blog-post-relocation
By Annabel Murray 11 Jul, 2022
I've had several people ask me to share more about the topic of Relocation, so this blog post takes you through the different things to consider when thinking about relocation with your kids. It also discusses the importance of getting clear on your plans with a partner before having children, strategies to avoid Family Court making the decision for you, and much more.

Helping You Make Big Decisions about...

Custody & Children's Best Interests

I offer consulting specifically around how to make empowered legal decisions with a focus on what’s best for your children. Drawn out litigation and custody battles negatively impact children’s mental wellbeing. Let’s find a new path, one that protects your children from the devastating effects of litigation.

Representing Yourself in Court

Not everyone can afford an attorney, and not everyone who can afford an attorney needs to hire one.  For some people it’s more effective and gives them more control over their lives and the outcome of the case to represent themselves. 


This is called, appearing “pro se.” (Latin for, “in one’s own behalf”).  To represent yourself means to speak for yourself, to talk directly to the person who is representing your ex, (or your ex, if they chose to be unrepresented as well) and to take on the responsibility, and the right, to tell your story and ask for what you want from a Family Court judge. 

Marriage & Partnership

I work with newly engaged couples seeking a neutral third party to clarify and outline their financial standings. Financial infidelity is the second leading cause of divorce in the United States after infidelity. Start your shared life together with a clear, mutually defined picture of your financial standings.

Choosing an Attorney

Most attorneys ask you to pay a retainer of between $5000 and $10,000 just to get started on your case.  You need to be confident that the attorney is right for you before you pay to hire them; whoever you hire will have your money and your life in their hands. 


I will help you to identify the most important issues in your case, including the potential level of conflict.  If your ex had already hired their own attorney, I will help you to identify the attorneys who will be a good match for the opposing counsel. 


After meeting with me you’ll not only know the questions to ask, but the answers you need to hear.  You’ll know what to look for in an attorney, and you’ll get some inside information based on my 30 years of experience practicing family law in Hawaii. 

Divorce & Separation

High-conflict divorces are painful, intrusive, and extremely expensive, benefitting your legal representations’ banks accounts more than anything else. Consult with Big Decisions before filing to understand the implications of this difficult decision. We’ll work together to roadmap solutions for you and your children that make the most sense.

Relocation with Children

Hawaii often feels too expensive for a single parent who is not from Hawaii, or who does not have a solid support system available to them.  Sometimes better job opportunities exist in other states, and it can be hard to imagine remaining in Hawaii.  The struggle to live in Hawaii is real. 


On the other hand, you may be the person who believes that Hawaii is the best place for your kids to live, and you cannot imagine how they will thrive anywhere else, or how it could be in their best interests to live without daily contact with you. How can you parent from across an ocean? 


The best time to make the big decision  about where you will raise your children is before you have them.  Let’s talk about that Big Decision as early as possible.

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