Corporate lawyer Laura Gibson's life falls apart over one day: she loses out on a partnership, her son Rupert is expelled from school, her husband is jailed for corporate fraud, and admits he has squandered the family savings and - worse - had an affair with her sister, and, to top it all of, she has fatally wounded the cat. After a week of depression, Laura decides to uproot her life, and relocates with her two children to the seaside town of Pearl Bay, where the family once had their best vacation, and where Laura will step up as the new local magistrate. On arrival, however, they are greeted by a town of bizarre eccentrics, and the beach house they have purchased turns out to be a wreck - the product of scheming real estate agent and Town Mayor Robert 'Bob' Jelly. Written by Sammy J

Laura struggles in her role as Pearl Bay magistrate, when she begins to realize that so much of the local law is reliant on decades of insider knowledge about the town's citizens. She must quickly rely on her surfer court clerk Angus, his tightly-wound fiancé, police prosecutor Karen Miller, and the photographic memory of bartender Meredith Monahan. Elsewhere, Rupert and Miranda struggle to deal with the new life their mother has found for them; Bob Jelly and his perfect wife Heather invite the Gibsons over for dinner; and Laura finds herself intrigued by 'Diver' Dan, a worldly, witty drifter, whose laconic personality hides a passionate streak. Written by Sammy J

Meredith's pregnant niece Carmen - a free spirit - is arraigned in town for a recurring act of fraud: posing as a restaurant critic to gain free meals. Her lifestyle, however, inspires Miranda, who is unable to accept her mother's complete disdain for her father, ever since his arrest. Laura, meanwhile, takes cooking lessons from Dan, and finds herself falling for both him and the idiosyncrasies of Pearl Bay. Written by Sammy J

Jack breaks bail to visit Rupert for his birthday, only for Laura to have to hide him from the law, and she is stunned when all of Pearl Bay come to her rescue. Bob and his son Craig prepare for the annual pool competition, but this time they have a surprising new opponent. And Sergeant Grey - still himself an outsider in town - goes up against one of the town's most loved residents, Matthew Reilly, whom he is certain is hiding a criminal enterprise. Written by Sammy J

Laura's sister Trudi arrives in Pearl Bay, hoping to heal the rift caused by her affair with Laura's husband. Sergeant Grey's teenage daughter is arrested, and his family - still dealing with being outsiders in a close-knit community - find their entire lives on public trial. And - with the arrival of the beautiful Trudi - several of Pearl Bay's male residents find an age-old pact over the sharing of an Armani suit finally gets ugly. Written by Sammy J

When a car is driven off the condemned bridge, Sergeant Grey launches an all-out war to find the culprit, which forces Laura to finally choose between her role as the magistrate and her role as a Pearl Bay resident (a task made harder when the Gibsons are the only family not invited to the Jelly's annual anniversary party). Written by Sammy J

Dan's ex-wife Dorothy - a stunning blonde - arrives in town to sue Bob Jelly. As the case drags on, it becomes clear that Dan's reputation will suffer if the truth of the matter comes out, and Laura finds herself less than impartial: she was just about to embark on a relationship with Dan, and things have now fallen apart. Meanwhile, she is finding the court of public opinion has already passed its verdict. Written by Sammy J

Laura invites Dan on a proper date, and is furious when he gets himself sentenced to jail for outstanding fines instead. Irate, Laura uses her power to force him to do community service in her office instead. Slowly but surely, the two vastly different people begin to navigate each other's idiosyncrasies. Karen's parents arrive in town but, to her surprise, they are no longer the uptight citizens they once were, but fun-loving nomads, and she isn't sure how to process this, particularly not with her fears that she and Angus will never actually tie the knot. And Harold Fitzwalter determines to beat the drink and win Meredith, the woman he loves, by having himself locked up. Written by Sammy J

A local teenager dies, and the coronial inquest is a struggle for all: for Laura, who must bring together a town in mourning; for youth Rupert, who is now fearing death; for Bob, who is struggling to connect with his own children; and for Angus and Dan, who have their own remorse after witnessing the grief of a father who never truly knew his son. Written by Sammy J

Bob supports a housing development on Brabey Point, a local make-out point. His own son Craig, however, decides to join the environmental opponents, earning him respect in Miranda's eyes, and anger in Bob's. And, as the town debate the merits of the land itself, Laura - embarking on a challenging relationship with Dan - begins to discover its magic for herself. Written by Sammy J

Dan finds himself in a moral dilemma when an old friend is charged with assaulting his wife, and the truth about their marriage leads to Dan dealing with his own painful past, and an argument with Laura over the extent of the law. The rest of the town, meanwhile, are hustling and bustling in preparation for the annual performance by the Pearl Bay Thespians. But Meredith, who is directing Harold's script, is spending an inordinate amount of time trying to get Laura into the cast. And Heather - in the lead role, as always - has a powerful chemistry with the leading man which has Bob in despair. Written by Sammy J

The Gibsons return to the city for Jack's fraud trial, where they must consider their futures, and Jack makes a stand to return to Laura's life. In Pearl Bay, meanwhile, Heather decides to separate from Bob to find her own place in life; Phrani Gupta's fortune telling has the entire town confused; Kevin's de facto wife is released from prison, but he finds their relationship has changed; and Meredith and Harold lay the foundations for their own goal - to find the daughter they gave up as a baby. Written by Sammy J

Work is completed on the bridge connecting Pearl Bay to the outside world, and the residents soon find their feelings on this change to be conflicting ones. In the midst of this turmoil, Harold and Meredith arrange a meeting with their long-lost daughter; Carmen prepares for the birth of her first child; Bob falls to pieces without Heather; Kevin prepares to take a grand sailing voyage with his son; and Laura faces her toughest criminal trial in Pearl Bay, while her kids consider the option of returning to live with their father. Written by Sammy J