Terry Gray

Hi, I’m Terry.

I grew up in Warrnambool, a coastal town in South-West Victoria. After high school, I enrolled to study a double degree of Law and Commerce at La Trobe University in Melbourne.

After graduating in 2022, I moved to the Whitsundays. I felt like taking a leap and seizing an opportunity to begin my career in a completely new place which I had never set foot in.

The move has had its challenges but I’m so happy to be where I am, and I wouldn’t change my decision for a second. Being new to the area was scary but everyone has been very supportive and welcoming – I left my friends & family back home in Victoria, but I feel like I’ve gained a second family here at PD Law, and I will be forever grateful for them.

Why Law?

Criminal

Criminal law is very multi-faceted, and I enjoy the variability it has to offer. I am always meeting new people and learning from them & their situation. It feels like a very practical form of law and offers a hands-on approach.

Growing up in a tight knit community and seeing the impact crime had on my community, I always found criminal law to be interesting. From seeing the impact crime had on family members & friends of offenders, not to mention the offenders themselves – it seemed to generate a lot of pain for everyone involved and getting into the legal profession felt like a way to be part of working to help solve that.

Whilst studying, I was a volunteer as a researcher in the social justice space on a project called ‘The Justice Map’ for 6 months in 2021-2022. During my time on the project, I assisted with:

• Contributions to research and drafting of a Senate inquiry submission.
• Research and investigation into private actors in the Australian prison industry, government contracts.
• Identifying and mapping key organisations and stakeholders in the criminal justice system, reviewing public funding breakdowns.
• Interviewing with key criminal and social justice stakeholders, organisations, judges, and cultural leaders.
• Analysis of public narratives through newspapers, digital and social media and compiling into a matrix to identify common terms and language used with key themes.

Family

Family law can be complex, dealing with families, emotions & hard topics of discussion. I enjoy this work as I have a strong desire to support clients through one of the hardest times of their lives, ensuring we get the best result possible & help them move onto the next phase of their lives.

Succession Planning

It goes without saying that implementing and reviewing your estate plan is one of the most important, responsible, and rewarding things we can all do during our lifetime. It is also sensible to give it particular attention at any pivotal time in our lives. Given my expertise also encompasses family law, it made perfect sense to gain proficiency in estate planning as well. This has enabled me to provide well rounded and comprehensive advice to all my clients on what can arguably be the most important decisions of their lives.

How would you describe your approach?

Matters in law are often time sensitive in nature and very important to our clients. I think a lot of people in this industry forget that not everyone has studied a law degree for the past 4 years like we have. I always remind myself that for our clients, exposure to the law is often a very new and confronting experience.

I’m professional, but relatable. I keep clients updated and work with them to ensure we are making the right decisions about their matters. I take the time to explain what’s happening and what needs to happen next. I always work hard for my clients to ensure I get the best outcome available for them.

Career Highlights

• Making my first appearance before the Court, I’ve appeared several times since, but the first feels like a big deal.
• The smile and a handshake received from a client after we obtained a great outcome in their matter.
• Instructing Counsel in higher Courts on plea and sentencing matters.
• Assisting in mediation to reach settlement for family law matters.
• Admitted as a lawyer in August 2023.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor of Commerce – La Trobe University
• Bachelor of Laws – La Trobe University
• Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice – College of Law