By Elizabeth Fairon
Books
Life Reading
I’ve always believed there is value in sharing what we know. Early in my career, I saw how often people came to lawyers at a difficult point in their lives without the information they needed to understand what was happening, what choices were available to them, or what might come next. That shaped the way I practise law and, eventually, why I started writing books.
For me, information and knowledge are an important part of empowered decision-making. That means understanding the law and the system where they are relevant, but also understanding your own circumstances, the realities you face and what you are ultimately trying to achieve. Put those things together and you are much better placed to make decisions that align with your goals. My books are one way I try to make that knowledge more accessible. Some are legal guides. Some extend well beyond the law. One is written for lawyers themselves. Different subjects, but much the same idea: share what we know, so people are better equipped to make the decisions that are theirs to make.
Surrogacy
A Legal and Practical Guide for Queensland
Published 2025
Surrogacy brings together law, relationships, medicine, emotion and an extraordinary amount of practical decision-making. This guide is written specifically for people navigating surrogacy in Queensland. It explains the legal framework under the Surrogacy Act, eligibility requirements and the steps involved in the process, including the eventual application for a parentage order.
But, as with my other legal guides, the law is only part of the story. The book also looks at communication, costs, therapy and support, self-care, self-compassion and boundaries, together with practical tools and checklists for surrogates, their partners and intended parents. The aim is to help everyone involved understand not only what the legal process requires, but the broader journey they are embarking upon.
Thrive
A Guide for New Lawyers
Published 2024
Law school teaches us a great deal about law. It can’t teach us everything about being a lawyer. Thrive is for new lawyers finding their way through the realities of legal practice: expectations, billable hours, time, workplace culture, communication, feedback, clients, colleagues, professional courtesy, career decisions and the sometimes mythical quest for work-life balance.
It is also about the things I think matter beyond technical competence – curiosity, lifelong learning, looking beyond law, building relationships and finding your own way of practising. And, because I couldn’t write a book about life in law without it, there is a chapter about kindness: to clients, colleagues, ourselves and the people we encounter along the way.
Divorce by Design
Empowering Yourself Through Conscious Choices
Published 2023
There is deliberately no law in this book. Family law differs from country to country, but many of the human experiences surrounding divorce are universal. Grief, trauma, conflict, parenting, money, difficult conversations, looking after yourself and deciding how you will respond to what is happening are not confined by jurisdiction. Divorce by Design is about those things.
It explores the choices we can make while moving through separation and divorce: understanding grief and conflict, protecting children from that conflict, managing money, seeking help, looking after ourselves, accepting what we can and cannot control, choosing our battles and resisting the temptation simply to react. Ultimately, it is about moving forward consciously – and recognising that while you may not have chosen everything that has happened, there are still choices about what happens next.
Love Law
What to Know Before You Say I Do
Published 2023
We often seek legal information when something has already gone wrong. Love Law starts somewhere quite different: at the beginning of a relationship. It explores some of the legal and practical things worth understanding when building a life together – different kinds of relationships, marriage and changing your name, children and blended families, property and finances, and planning for the future through estate planning.
It isn’t about approaching a relationship expecting it to end. Quite the opposite. It is about talking, understanding, planning and knowing where to find good advice when you need it. Because being informed doesn’t only help us navigate problems. It can help us make thoughtful decisions before they arise.
Trust Yourself
How Empowered Decision Making Will Help You Resolve Your Family Law Matter
First published 2018 | Second edition 2023
Trust Yourself was the first book I wrote. It is a guide for people navigating the Australian family law system, bringing together information about family law, separation and divorce, children, property, domestic and family violence, going to court and the different ways family law matters can be resolved. But it is also about navigating everything that sits around the law: choosing and working with a lawyer, looking after yourself, asking for help, understanding your goals and drawing on other professionals when you need them.
The idea at its heart is the one that has followed me through all of my books: the more you understand about the law, the system, your own circumstances and the choices available to you, the better equipped you are to make decisions about your future.
The books are available through Life Law Solutions, where you’ll find further information about each title and purchasing options.