Coal Coast Legal // Kayleb O’Connor, Director & Principal
Coast Legal has joined WorkLife Coledale led by Kayleb O’Conner, offering a strategic and client focus style of legal advice right here on your doorstep.
Business and Entrepreneurship
Tell us about your work. How and when did you decide to start it, and what motivated you to take the plunge into entrepreneurship or remote work?
Coal Coast Legal was established to provide a more strategic, client-focused alternative to traditional legal services.
I started the firm in March of 2026 and the decision came from seeing that many clients, particularly families, business owners and agribusinesses, needed integrated advice that considered the bigger picture, not just isolated documents or outcomes.
Motivated by a desire to deliver clear, practical and commercially aligned outcomes, I took the steps to build a firm centred on private client advisory. Our focus is on protecting what matters most, with advice that evolves alongside our clients’ personal and business affairs.
What does work-life balance look like for you? How do you manage the demands of work while ensuring time for family and personal life?
Having a work-life balance is really difficult for a lot of solicitors. We are often thrown in the role of unofficial counsellor for a lot of our clients.
Maintaining a strict work mode & family mode helps me be present for both my wife and young son while still letting me throw myself into my work. I am very fortunate to have a wife who understands that sometimes work takes up more of my time than what we would both like. I think it really just boils down to being as present as I can when I am at home so that the time I am there is maximised.
In your industry, what recent disruptions or transitions have had the most significant impact on your business?
We are currently on the doorstep of the largest intergenerational shift of wealth the world has ever seen (estimated up to $5.4 Trillion in the next 20 years in Australia alone).
Personal Life
Outside of work, what are your hobbies and passions? How do you like to spend your time when you’re not focused on business or family?
I fly fish (which I do competitively), enjoy camping with my family or play golf. I love being outdoors and use it as a time to reconnect and decompress.
Are there any books or podcasts you’ve found particularly inspiring or informative recently? Any recommendations for the WorkLife community?
Since studying Law, I have really struggled to read for enjoyment, I do it enough with work.
A podcast which I absolutely love is How Other Dads Dad with Hamish Blake. It has helped me a lot as a professional, as a father and as a husband manage the work-life balance and navigate being a dad.
Each podcast asks the guest to share their ‘gold standard of dadding’, which I love listening to and seeing different perspectives and picking up different trains of thought.
How do you maintain boundaries between work and personal life? Any top tips?
Honestly, I suck at this at times.
I think it is important to accept that sometimes your work comes into your personal life, and vice versa. For me, I think it is about balance and coming down to the simple question of is this matter, deadline or issue so important that it needs to take away from time with my family.
I do set hard boundaries with certain things, such as not working in the evenings on my son’s or wife’s birthday and not missing school functions (Easter hat parades/Christmas concerts) for matters.
Design and Lifestyle
What is your taste like? Do you have a favourite item of furniture or object in your home? Anything that has special significance or tells a story about you?
I love my garage or the kitchen. If I’m not in my garage building things or fly tying, I am cooking for my family. I love sitting down at the end of the day with good food and just catching up about life/ our day.
What do you like/appreciate about the design at WorkLife? Any favourite touches or things that make you feel at home when you are at work?
I love the quiet music in the background as it helps me think. I also love meeting everyone and hearing about what they do, who their clients are and how they do it.
If you were to showcase the best of the local lifestyle to visiting friends, where would you take them and why?
I love the Royal National Park. Honestly, the morning would start with a trip to Glenbernie Orchard for an apple pie as soon as they open and then to a quiet secluded beach in the national park for a day of swimming and fishing.
Productivity and Time Management
What’s your go-to productivity hack? How do you stay organised and efficient, especially with multiple responsibilities?
I am very fortunate to have developed good time management skills early in my professional career. I use software that I am familiar with and know where to look if something isn’t quite working the way I want it to.
Benefits of WorkLife Membership
Lastly, what’s been the most valuable aspect of being a member at WorkLife for you and your work?
Having three locations is a big one for me. It allows me to market Coal Coast Legal to different regions and see clients from a broader area.
I love how fast the internet is! Mine at home sucks.
The community feel of the Coledale location is the cherry on top for me. I get to walk in, meet new people or see the usual people and it feels like I am back in a bigger office.
You can connect with Kayleb via his website, through Linkedin or follow Coal Coast Legal on Instagram and Facebook.
