Our Services

We offer Family, Harassment, Public, Media, and Criminal law services.
Parenting Orders

Shared care, day-to-day care (“custody”), contact, warrants

Guardianship Disputes

Relocation, schooling, overseas travel, medical, religion, name change

Adoption

Open adoption, closed adoption, birth mother advice

Civil Law

Harassment, defamation, judicial review, appeals

Protection Orders

Protection from psychological, economic, physical, sexual abuse

Child Protection

Oranga Tamariki Ministry for Children, Custody, Access, Home for Life

Relationship Property

Divorce, dividing property, contracting out, spousal maintenance

Criminal Law

Defend charges, traffic law, limited licences

Barristers

All Barristers at Hibiscus Coast Legal Chambers are employed by Madeleine Flannagan Barrister
  • Madeleine Flannagan
    LLB – Barrister & Director
    Madeleine has expertise in Family and Rights and Freedoms Law, including Appeals and Public Law.

     More about Madeleine

  • LLB - Staff Barrister

    Joanna Edwards
    LLB – Staff Barrister
    Joanna is a Family Law specialist with expertise in all areas of Parenting and Protection law.

    More about Joanna

  • Reagan Darby

    Reagan Darby
    LLB – Staff Barrister
    Reagan offers assistance with Criminal and Family Law, including Relationship Property.

     More about Reagan

Madeleine Flannagan Barrister

Madeleine Jane Flannagan

Barrister

Madeleine FlannaganMadeleine began her law degree at the University of Waikato where she was elected Vice-President of the student body. Then, whilst employed by Sanitarium Health Food as an in-house Legal Assistant, she resumed and transferred her studies to the University of Auckland, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB).

Since 2011, Madeleine has worked in law firms on the Hibiscus Coast. She fell in love with the Coast so in 2013 she officially became a “Coastie” when she moved to the region.

On being made a Barrister sole, with the right to practice law on her own account, she founded Hibiscus Coast Legal Chambers Ltd in Orewa on 4 July 2016.

While she and her team have a large number of Hibiscus Coast / Rodney based clients, Madeleine is regularly sought out by those needing her particular legal skills from all over Auckland and beyond. She often has clients based in various parts of New Zealand, and even some based overseas. With modern technology, location is not a barrier.

Madeleine has a long-held interest in Natural Justice, Public Law, Rights and Freedoms Law, with particular interest in the rights to freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion or belief, and the rights to express, practise, live and parent in accord with the same.

She is increasingly working in Appeal and Judicial Review areas, she also does some Family, Harassment, Media, Charity and Animal Welfare Law.

Some of her work has set precedents, been reported in the media, law journals, and is taught in law schools throughout New Zealand. She is periodically asked to speak on her specialist topics to her profession and to the public.

Family Law SectionMadeleine is a member of the New Zealand Bar Association, the The Law Association,  and the Family Law Section of the New Zealand Law Society. She is a Level 3 Lead Provider of Family Legal Aid for the Ministry of Justice. In 2023, she was appointed to the The Law Association’s Friends Panel.

In March 2017 the Ministry of Justice released a Quality and Value Audit on Madeleine’s Family Law Legal Aid work. That report is available here: Ministry of Justice Quality and Value Audit Report 2017 – Madeleine Flannagan.

From time to time, Madeleine offers pro-bono assistance to various charitable organisations, including the Rodney Animal Rescue Trust and the Kaimanawa Legacy Foundation, both of which she is a founding board member and the honorary lawyer for.

Joanna Edwards

Barrister
Joanna Edwards

Joanna is a graduate of the University of Auckland. She graduated with her LLB in 2018 and was admitted to the bar in 2019.

Prior to that, in 1998 she attained a BCom majoring in management from the University of Otagao. In 2001, she completed her Master of Business Studies at Massey University in Albany, graduating with first class honours. From there, she became a Massey Doctoral Scholar with a full scholarship. She completed her Ph.D in 2011.

Law was something Joanna had always wanted to do. From the start, she had a focus on family law. She knew what a difference a good family lawyer can make for someone trying to navigate the Family Court. Over the years, she has volunteered at the Waitemata Community Law Centre, volunteered at Homebuilders in Warkworth, and more recently for the Family Court community service.

She started out in practice working for the Waitemata Community Law Centre, before joining Madeleine Flannagan as a staff Barrister in 2021.

She attained Lead Provider status as a Family Law provider of Legal Aid in 2023.

Reagan Lyenko Banks Darby

Barrister

Reagan Darby

Reagan qualified as a lawyer in Australia. In 2018, he was admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia.

He began practise there, working in Criminal Law, Family Law, and Civil Litigation.

A lifestyle change saw him leave Australia. In June 2013, he was admitted to the High Court of New Zealand.

Support Staff

The support team for Hibiscus Coast Legal Chambers
  • Rebekah Witt

    Rebekah Witt
    Office Manager
    Rebekah balances the books, handles the accounts, and manages Legal Aid.

     Email Rebekah

  • Bishoy Mekhaiel

    Bishoy Mekhaiel
    Law Clerk – LLB
    Bishoy is almost a lawyer. He assists our barristers and their clients.

     Email Bishoy

Madeleine Flannagan Barrister

Contact Us

Contact us today or send us an inquiry using the form below.
Phone

(09) 421 0582

Location

First Floor Elan House, 19 Tamariki Avenue, Orewa, Auckland 0931

Post

PO Box 559, Orewa, Auckland 0946

Hours

Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM






    Client Testimony

    What our clients have said about our services.
    • “I just want to let you know I’m so grateful for all the work that you have done for my case Madeleine, you are the most incredible lawyer and you really worked hard for me. I really appreciate everything that you have done.”

      TV – September 2019
    • “Madeline, thank you for all your hard work, and your faithfulness. Your clear headed direction helped to get me through the hardest period of my life. You’ve been great, and you’ve given me a real sense of respect for the dedication lawyers have to exert on behalf of their clients late into the night sometimes, rushing to court, and having to put up with endless minutia that seems so important at the time to frustrated and frightened, or angry clients. Thank you for your patience with me, I was like a fish out of water in this whole process.”

      PS – March 2017
    • “My case ended up being multiple years and the support, commitment and communication from the HBC Legal team was fantastic. It remained the same consistently throughout the years. I am so happy with the outcome of everything.”

      AD – June 2020
    • “I was having major anxiety and suffering panic attacks about facing court and this whole family court process. You have eased them. Thank you for being so lovely and understanding. You do an amazing job Madeleine. I appreciate all of your hard work.”

      TA – May 2017
    • “We are thrilled with the wonderful outcome. I know we have said thanks for your great work on the case; but once again – thanks so much Madeleine, you were the right person for the job!”

      CH – January 2015
    • “Madeleine, you supported us greatly in a time of dire need, when we were drowning in sorrow, stress and confusion. You showed us the love which Christ speaks of. Please accept our deep, heartfelt, thankyou.”

      MG – March 2014
    • “Thank you for everything. Madeleine, you are an angel. You got us our children back.”

      RL – December 2013
    • Thankyou for all the support Madeleine. Words seem not enough. I will never forget you seeing the truth and understanding and being here for us.”

      MK – August 2014
    • “Everyone that works here is utterly awesome. There is never anything too hard for them to do. They all go above and beyond what is needed from them. I have been using Madeleine as my lawyer for a couple of years now through a lengthy and difficult case and she is fantastic. Her team is fantastic. They all do an amazing job.”

      TG – June 2015
    • “Thank you again for all of your support and work for us this year. Things are so incredibly different now; basically they are how we always wanted them to be – friendly, cooperative, balanced. We know that this would not have happened without going through this tough process and we are glad we did and that we had you.”

      AL – December 2015
    • “I have had experience with lawyers and I found Madeleine so efficient, clever and straight forward. She was awesome.”

      BT – April 2016