Find Lawyers in Melbourne, Australia for Family Law
Practice Area Overview
Family law deals with issues arising from domestic relationships, both marital relationships and de facto relationships. While the most common aspects of family law are those arising from the breakdown of relationships, family law also encompasses aspects of relationship planning, such as cohabitation agreements and prenuptial agreements, as well as issues dealing with surrogacy law and parentage issues.
Typically, the type of work undertaken by family lawyers in Australia may include:
- Divorce and relationship breakdown including, the issues arising from that breakdown, whether financial or non-financial. These issues usually include: applications for divorce, a consideration of property settlement entitlements (including superannuation splitting arrangements) for each party, spousal maintenance issues, child support and the appropriate parenting arrangements for any children of the relationship. It also encompasses relocation cases, dealing with grandparents’ rights, step-parent applications and applications for parenting orders by other carers concerned with the care, welfare or development of a child.
- Family violence including applications for protection orders and other issues arising from family violence.
- Child abuse matters.
- Child abduction, domestic and international, including matters arising under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Abduction and related issues about the recognition of orders made in other jurisdictions.
- Parentage testing.
- Relationship planning including structuring and planning prenuptial agreements and cohabitation agreements for both married couples and de facto couples.
- Adoption including step-parent adoptions and applications for leave to the Family Court of Australia prior to an application being made for step-parent adoption.
- Surrogacy and parentage issues arising from artificial conception procedures including IVF
Less commonly, family lawyers will also deal with issues arising from:
- Questions about the determination of the validity of marriages and nullity of marriage.
- Special medical procedures requiring Court authorisation.
Family law is an area that is becoming increasingly specialised and complex and often involves the intersection of other areas of law including taxation issues and issues dealing with corporate and trust structures. Matters increasingly require family lawyers to deal with accounting and valuation issues as part of their day-to-day practice. Family law may also have an international element requiring a consideration of conflict of laws and forum issues.
Family law includes both litigation and non-litigation pathways to resolve disputes. Many family law matters in Australia settle using alternative dispute resolution methods including mediation, arbitration and collaborative law. Many family lawyers have training in one or more of these alternative dispute resolutions methods.
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Jodylee is an accredited family law specialist with more than 20 years’ experience. She advises in relation to all issues involving married and de facto couples, including same-sex couples. She is a Principal Lawyer in Schetzer Papaleo Family Lawyers. Her practice covers everything from separation and divorce to parenting disputes, including IVF, as well as binding financial agreements and all aspects of financial issues and property settlements. Jodylee uses negotiation, mediation, arb...
Carolyn is an Accredited Family Law Specialist and has particular skill in negotiating and structuring complex pre-nuptial agreements and financial settlements. Carolyn joined Taussig Cherrie Fildes in 2010 and has practised exclusively in the area of family law since her admission in 2005. She became an Accredited Family Law Specialist in October 2011 and brings to every matter a high attention to detail, strategic advice and a comprehensive knowledge of family law. Carolyn has a strong comm...
Justine Clark is an experienced and formidable family lawyer, and an accredited family law specialist. Justine was trained by Michael Taussig QC, after working as a legal associate to His Honour Justice Hugh Fraser QC of the Queensland Court of Appeal, then to the Honourable Peter Young QC and the Honourable Paul Cronin of the Family Court of Australia, Melbourne. She is highly skilled in running complex family law matters, has an extensive and precise understanding of all aspects of family l...
Cath Devine has extensive experience in all areas of Family Law, with a particular interest and expertise in Child Support advice and advocacy. Cath has appeared as junior counsel and on appeal on numerous occasions. Cath has a reputation as a fearless and forceful advocate for her clients, and also on behalf of children when she appears as Counsel for the Independent Children's Lawyer. Cath is a qualified mediator and arbitrator. Cath has been an Adjunct Lecturer in the Masters of Laws progr...
Stephanie Doyle is a highly respected family lawyer in Australia, known for her extensive experience and expertise in family law matters. With over 17 years of experience, Stephanie is committed to continuing her professional education and is currently serving as the Chair of the LIV Family Law Section Education Work Group. She is also a member of the LIV Family Law Section Courts Practice and Executive Committees, where she advocates for the family law profession and education of the profess...
Paul Fildes is a Principal of Taussig Cherrie Fildes and an Accredited Family Law Specialist. He has been practising exclusively in family law since 1988 and is ranked as a leading family lawyer in Australia, and one of only five preeminent family lawyers in Melbourne, by Doyles Guide 2022. Paul specialises in complex property litigation, high net worth matters, cross-border disputes, prenuptial Financial Agreements, and restructuring family property in a tax effective manner. He also has a s...
Rebecca is a Principal Lawyer and Co-Head of Family Law at KCL Law. With over 20 years' experience practising exclusively in family law, she has comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of family law. Rebecca’s practice in family law focuses on parenting, property and child support, and she acts for a broad range of clients, including many high-net-worth individuals. Rebecca’s experience includes, but is not limited to, having acted in relation to parenting disputes involving intern...
Antony has practised exclusively in the area of family law for the past 15 years, and became a consultant of Taussig Cherrie Fildes in July 2022, having previously been a principal of the firm. Antony commenced legal practice in New Zealand. He undertook his tertiary studies at the University of Auckland, prior to moving to Melbourne where he obtained his Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne. Antony is an Accredited Family Law Specialist (Law Institute of Victoria). With extensive ...
Katrina’s focus is on providing her clients with a high level of service and care. Drawing on her experience and expertise in Family Law, Katrina provides considered, strategic and practical legal advice to her clients. Katrina has extensive experience advising clients on all aspects of the Family Law process, including negotiated agreements, mediation and defended litigation. She ensures her clients have a clear understanding of their entitlements and obligations, so that they can make...
Jason Walker is a Partner at Forte Family Lawyers and is an accreditation specialist in Family Law (2005). Jason has over 20 years of experience helping clients through family and relationship breakdown. He has particular expertise in complex parenting matters and complex financial litigation, acting for high net worth individuals in matters involving trusts, companies and businesses. Jason’s practice includes international family law, often involving jurisdictional and forum disputes. ...
After being admitted to practice in 2015, Natalie has worked exclusively in the area of family law. Prior to joining Taussig Cherrie Fildes in August 2019, she was employed at a top tier family law firm in Perth for over six years. Natalie is experienced in all aspects of family law including parenting arrangements, interstate and international child relocation applications, interim and final property arrangements, spousal maintenance applications, litigation funding applications and financia...
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