Work with Melbourne’s and Dandenong’s top family lawyers dedicated to achieving fair and swift resolutions tailored to your family’s unique needs.
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Experienced Family Lawyers in Melbourne – Your Trusted Legal Advocates
Finding compassionate and experienced family law representation in Melbourne is essential to protecting your rights and achieving fair outcomes during challenging times.
At Pentana Stanton Lawyers, we understand the unique challenges of family disputes. Our Melbourne-based family lawyers are dedicated to providing empathetic and tailored legal support to help you navigate even the most difficult circumstances with confidence and clarity.
Our solicitors, specialising in family law, stand out for their genuine empathy and commitment. They prioritise safeguarding the best interests of both you and your children, offering solace even in the most tumultuous times.
Our approach is twofold:
- Amicable Resolutions with Mediation:
Our experienced family lawyers in Melbourne prioritise mediation to help you retain control over decisions and resolve disputes peacefully. - Skilled Court Representation:
When mediation isn’t possible, our lawyers excel at representing you in Melbourne courts, ensuring your best interests are protected.
As proud members of the Victoria Legal Aid panel, we offer accessible legal representation for eligible Melbourne clients. Our flexible payment structures ensure expert family law advice is available without financial strain.
Take the first step with Pentana Stanton, Melbourne’s leading family law firm, and turn the page to a brighter future. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
Empathetic Approach
We understand how stressful separations can be, especially when navigating family law in Melbourne. That’s why we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Our team includes multilingual solicitors, speaking nine different languages, ensuring you’ll have a lawyer who understands your unique needs and cultural background. Whether you’re seeking family mediation or legal representation, we’re here to help.
Future-focused Advice
Making the right decisions for your family’s future can be challenging, particularly during a separation or divorce.
Our experienced family lawyers in Melbourne provide tailored legal advice designed to help you achieve your goals, whether that’s securing child custody, resolving financial disputes, or moving forward with peace of mind.
Efficient Outcomes
Prolonged legal battles over separation or divorce can be emotionally exhausting and financially overwhelming.
Our Melbourne family law solicitors focus on resolving disputes efficiently, whether through mediation or court representation, so you can move forward quickly and confidently.
”“Ben Vincent of Pentana Stanton worked day in, day out, overtime and weekends to fight and advocate for myself and my children and what was best for them in our greatest time of need.
He never faltered, never buckled and was never going to give in. He always listened to myself and put the needs of my kids and myself above all else, and fought relentlessly for us.
The dedication and commitment poured into my case was absolutely phenomenal and I could never have asked for anything more. There are no words to express the gratitude.”
Kara Baker
Family, Separation, and Divorce Lawyers in Melbourne
Separation is a significant step in any relationship, whether married or de facto. It typically occurs when one or both parties decide that the relationship is over and stop living together. However, the law also recognises separation under one roof, where parties continue to live in the same household while leading separate lives.
If you and your partner are considering separation or have already separated, it’s essential to seek expert legal advice. Our experienced family lawyers in Melbourne can guide you through this complex process and provide support in areas such as:
Care arrangements for your children
Spousal and child support
Division of your marriage’s property
Divorce application lodgement
Get your free separation checklist guide.
Planning a separation can feel overwhelming, but with the right preparation, you can take control of the process. Download our Free Separation Checklist Guide to ensure you’re ready for the next steps with confidence.
What’s Inside the Checklist?
- Essential documents to gather: Identify the paperwork you’ll need for legal and financial matters.
- Securing physical and digital assets: Protect what’s important during the separation process.
- Financial review tips: Organise your finances to prepare for the future.
- Child care arrangements: Plan for parenting schedules and custody arrangements.
- Next steps to move forward: Understand what to do after separation to ensure a smooth transition.
Why Choose This Guide?
Our guide is designed by experienced family lawyers in Melbourne to help you navigate the practical and emotional aspects of separation with ease.
Child Support Lawyers
Under the Child Support (Assessment) Act (Cth), the primary carer of the child can ask the other parent for financial support to cover the costs of day-to-day care.
Factors determining child support include each parent’s income, the number of children, and the children’s living arrangements.
Each parent has the right to challenge child support decisions and have their matter reviewed.
Our Melbourne-based family lawyers can help you understand the requirements for a child support agreement, get the best possible outcome in an assessment, and provide advice about objecting to an original review decision.
Children’s Matters Involving the DFFH
When family violence or child abuse is reported, the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) has a duty to investigate – and can remove your children from your home if they’re found to be at risk of significant harm.
You can also be served with a protection application, a supervision order, or interim accommodation order.
If the DFFH has applied to remove your children, consult one of our family law specialists as soon as possible to get advice about your options.
The earlier you address the DFFH’s concerns, the better – the Court can remove the children from your care if they think it’s necessary.
Family Violence and Intervention Orders (IVO)
If a family member is acting violently, threatening you, controlling you, or coercing you, you can apply for a family violence or intervention order by going to the police or by making an application at the Magistrates’ Court.
For immediate protection, you need to apply for an interim intervention order. Our family law advice Melbourne specialists can assist with the application process, ensuring your order is obtained as quickly as possible.
Injunctions and Urgent Applications
The usual waiting period between filing a court application and your first court appearance is six to eight weeks.
In some situations, you can’t wait that long.
If your ex-partner is refusing to return your children, taking your children out of the country, or disbursing your marriage’s assets, our experienced family lawyers can help expedite your case.
Parenting Disputes and Child Custody
When you and your partner separate, working out how your children will be properly cared for is critical.
You can come to a legally binding agreement with your partner – or, if you’re unable to, the Court can issue a parenting order to protect the interests of your children.
If you’re going through a separation or think your child could be at risk of abuse or violence, our experienced child custody lawyers can help.
Property Settlement
Navigating a property settlement when you and your partner separate can be emotionally challenging.
Our experienced family lawyers act as your objective representatives – we help protect your financial future by making sure your relationship’s assets are divided fairly.
If your separation is amicable, we provide practical legal advice that helps your and your partner move on in a quick, cost-effective way.
And, if you need to go to court, we’ll work with you to obtain an equitable settlement.
Binding Financial Agreements
Protect the financial future of your relationship with a binding financial agreement (BFA).
Like an insurance policy, a BFA is a way for both you and your spouse/de facto partner to safeguard your assets if something happens.
We’ll work with you to provide holistic BFA advice that encompasses your current and future financial statuses.
