Kaela Carter

Kaela Carter is the Principal Solicitor and Director of Umbrella Legal, a law firm she founded in New South Wales, Australia. Recognised for her work in criminal law, she has been named winner of the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026 — Criminal Law Expert of the Year in Australia.

Umbrella Legal

Established in 2018, Umbrella Legal provides assistance across a broad range of legal matters, including conveyancing, family law, criminal law, workers' compensation, employment disputes, unfair dismissals, litigation, and wills, estates and probate. The firm operates from offices in Cardiff, Singleton and Sydney, serving communities across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Singleton, Gosford, Wyong and Port Stephens. It unites the legacy of the established local practices Cragg Braye & Thornton and Accent Conveyancing, giving it deep roots in the Hunter region and beyond.

By offering a general practice that spans criminal, family, civil and property law, Umbrella Legal is able to support individuals and families through a wide range of legal needs, often over the course of many years. This breadth is a strength for clients who value continuity and a single trusted point of contact for matters that can arise unexpectedly and at difficult moments.

Kaela Carter

Kaela Carter holds a Bachelor of Laws from Southern Cross University and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Australian National University. She was admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2014 and to the Register of Practitioners of the High Court of Australia in 2015, and she founded Umbrella Legal in June 2018. Her practice encompasses criminal law alongside family law, civil litigation, conveyancing and property, commercial law, and wills and estates.

She is an approved Legal Service Provider for the WorkCover Independent Review Office and serves on multiple Legal Aid panels, including the Family Law, Civil Law and Criminal Law panels. Membership of Legal Aid panels is significant: it reflects the standing and experience required to act in publicly funded matters and underlines her commitment to access to justice for clients who might otherwise struggle to obtain representation.

Criminal law in Australia

Criminal law in New South Wales operates through a framework of statute and common law, administered across the Local, District and Supreme Courts. A criminal defence practitioner advises and represents clients from the first police contact through to charge, bail, plea and, where necessary, hearing or trial and sentencing. The work demands not only technical knowledge of criminal procedure and the law of evidence, but also sound judgement, discretion and the ability to support clients through what is often a stressful and consequential process.

• Criminal defence and representation in New South Wales courts
• Legal Aid criminal, family and civil panel work
• Family law, civil litigation and property matters
• Community-focused legal services across the Hunter region and Sydney

A growing firm with deep local roots

Since its founding in 2018, Umbrella Legal has grown from a single office into a firm with a presence in Cardiff, Singleton and Sydney, serving communities across the Hunter region and beyond. Building a firm that unites the legacies of established local practices while expanding into new locations requires both legal skill and leadership, and Kaela Carter has combined the two in her roles as Principal Solicitor and Director. Her willingness to act in publicly funded criminal, family and civil matters through the Legal Aid panels speaks to a commitment to access to justice that goes beyond commercial work, ensuring that people facing serious legal difficulties can obtain experienced representation. It is this blend of criminal-law expertise, firm-building and community focus that lies behind her recognition in the 2026 awards.

As founder and Principal Solicitor of Umbrella Legal, Kaela Carter combines the leadership of a growing regional firm with a hands-on criminal-law practice and a clear commitment to access to justice. The Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026 — Criminal Law Expert of the Year in Australia recognises her expertise and the standing she has established since founding the firm in 2018.