Two nominations. Two years in business. One very proud little team.
Two years ago, Clean Break was just a big idea and a leap of faith. Today, our little Nelson law firm is being recognised among New Zealand’s best.
We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that Clean Break has been named one of just four finalists for Family Law Firm of the Year at the 2026 New Zealand Legal Excellence Awards!
And as if that wasn’t exciting enough, our founder and Principal Lawyer, Sarah Moon, has also been named a finalist for Emerging Leader of the Year!
From a leap of faith to national recognition
A little over two years ago, Sarah Moon walked away from a successful career in a law firm to start something of her own. She had a vision for a different kind of law firm. One that delivered excellent legal advice without the traditional approach to legal fees, and where both clients and lawyers could feel genuinely supported.
What she didn’t have was much money, a team, or any certainty that clients would come knocking.
“When I started Clean Break, I wasn’t sure if anyone would hire me“, says Sarah. “And when I walked away from Big Law, I thought I left challenging work and a glittering career behind me. I had these big dreams about what a law firm could look like, but I had no idea whether it would actually work.”
Fast forward just over two years, and Clean Break is now shortlisted against some of the country’s most established law firms as a finalist for Family Law Firm of the Year.
“Words actually fail me with how much this means. We’re still a small, scrappy start-up, so to be recognised alongside firms of this calibre, is incredibly humbling.“
Doing law a little differently
From day one, Clean Break has had a pretty simple philosophy: great legal advice and a genuinely good client experience should go hand in hand.
Separation is hard enough without confusing legal advice, unpredictable bills or lawyers who make an already stressful situation feel harder.
That’s why we created Clean Break.
We’re a specialist relationship property law firm based in Nelson, helping people across New Zealand sort out the financial side of separation.
We believe getting legal help should be straightforward, supportive and as stress-free as possible.
Our fixed-fee packages give clients greater certainty about costs. Our plain-English advice helps people understand their options and make confident decisions. And our approach recognises that there’s a real person behind every legal problem.
We’re also doing things differently behind the scenes, building a workplace where our team can do meaningful, challenging legal work while enjoying a healthy, supportive and energising environment.
“I’ve always hoped Clean Break could be a model of what’s possible,” says Sarah. “That you can deliver excellent legal work on a fixed-fee basis. That you can genuinely care about your clients and your team. And that you don’t have to follow the traditional law firm model to do exceptional work.“
A double celebration for Clean Break
Alongside the firm’s nomination, Sarah has been recognised individually as a finalist for Emerging Leader of the Year.
It’s another incredibly special moment for our team. Sarah founded Clean Break with a belief that the legal profession could do things differently, and she’s spent the past two years turning that belief into a growing business. Her leadership has shaped everything from the way we support our clients to the culture we’ve created within our team.
And while we’re enormously proud of what we’ve achieved so far, we’re even more excited about what’s still to come.
Small firm. Big dreams.
We’re incredibly proud to be named alongside fellow Family Law Firm of the Year finalists Denham Bramwell Lawyers, McVeagh Fleming and Haigh Lyon Lawyers Limited. These are firms we respect enormously, and being recognised alongside them is something we won’t take for granted.
We’re also grateful to the judges and organisers of the New Zealand Legal Excellence Awards for recognising that innovation and excellence can come from firms of all sizes.
And, of course, none of this would be possible without our wonderful clients. Thank you for trusting a little law firm with some of the biggest and most personal challenges in your lives. Thank you for sharing your stories, recommending us to others and helping us build something we’re incredibly proud of.
To our team, thank you for believing in the vision and bringing so much heart, care and expertise to your work every day.
When Sarah started Clean Break, she hoped it might show that there was another way to practise law. Two years later, we’re starting to see just how far that idea can go.
And if our story encourages even one person to back themselves, challenge the status quo or build something better for their clients, that’s something worth celebrating too.
Here’s to small beginnings, big ideas and doing things a little differently.
We’re just getting started!
The New Zealand Legal Excellence Awards recognise excellence and innovation across New Zealand’s legal profession. Clean Break is a finalist for Family Law Firm of the Year, with founder Sarah Moon also a finalist for Emerging Leader of the Year.
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