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Family Lawyers in Melbourne
Senior family law advice for Melbourne clients whose separation involves real complexity: substantial property, a business or company interest, a trust, or a parenting dispute that needs careful handling. We act on the matters where the stakes, financial or personal, are high.
Family law in Melbourne, handled with senior judgement
Most Melbourne separations that come to us share one thing: there is something at stake that a standard approach does not deal with well. A property pool built over a long relationship. A privately held business. Wealth sitting in a family trust. Children, and a dispute about their future that has become difficult. These are the matters we focus on.
We advise individuals, business owners and professionals across Melbourne under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and the rules of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. The work is built around understanding your position in full, protecting what matters to you, and resolving the matter on terms you can live with, by negotiation where possible and in court where it is needed.
Complex and high-value pools, valuation strategy, and the four-step approach the court applies.
Separations involving an operating business, shareholdings or a professional practice.
Discretionary trusts, inherited wealth, and what forms part of the pool.
Pre-nuptial, cohabitation and post-separation agreements drafted to hold up.
High-conflict, relocation and international matters that turn on expert evidence.
Where family law meets estate litigation and second-marriage planning.
Guiding you through every step of your matter
Listen and understand your position
We start with the full picture: the asset pool, the structures behind it, the parenting arrangements, and the outcome you are working towards. The strategy depends on getting this right.
Build the legal strategy
We set out the realistic outcomes, the evidence needed to support them, and the path most likely to get you there at the lowest cost and risk. Where disclosure, valuations or expert evidence are needed, we plan for them early.
Advocate for the outcome
We negotiate firmly, and where a matter cannot resolve we run it. Our advocacy is measured and well prepared, focussed on the result rather than the noise.
Family law for Melbourne business owners and professionals
Where a separation touches a business, a company interest or family wealth, the family law and the commercial position have to be handled together. This is the work we are known for.
Business & company interests
A business is part of the property pool and has to be valued and dealt with. We advise on valuation, buy-outs, the interaction between Family Court orders and your duties as a director, and keeping the business running through the process.
Family law for business ownersTrusts & family wealth
Where a discretionary trust, inherited wealth or family money is in issue, the question of what forms part of the pool and what is treated as a financial resource is rarely simple, and the outcome turns on control and benefit.
Trusts and family lawHigh-net-worth property settlements
Larger and more structured asset pools, significant superannuation, overseas assets, and settlements that need careful tax structuring. Where assets are at risk of being moved, we act quickly on urgent applications and freezing orders under section 114 of the Family Law Act.
High net worth property settlementsClear guidance and a realistic read on where you stand
Initial consultations are confidential and run by senior practitioners who will tell you, plainly, what the path forward looks like.
Book a consultationComplex parenting, property and financial agreements in Melbourne
Complex & high-conflict parenting
Relocation, international and cross-border parenting, contested allegations, and matters that turn on expert and family report evidence. We act in the parenting cases where senior judgement makes a measurable difference, with the focus kept on the child's best interests.
Property settlements
Identifying and valuing the pool, contributions, current and future circumstances, and the four-step approach the court applies under section 79 of the Family Law Act.
Property settlementBinding financial agreements
Pre-nuptial, cohabitation and post-separation agreements drafted to hold up, including agreements covering business interests and trust-held assets.
Binding financial agreementsFamily law rarely sits apart from a client's wider wealth and succession planning. Where a matter touches estate litigation, second-marriage planning, or the next generation's exposure to a future separation, we coordinate the family law advice with your estate and commercial position so the strategy holds together.
Trusted on the matters that mattered most
After speaking to many law firms, I felt that getting legal help was not for me. But my view completely changed after speaking with Special Counsel Peter Wood. He was knowledgeable, generous, kind, and genuinely caring. Peter listened with compassion and made me feel supported during a difficult time.
Highly professional, compassionate staff with a high level of knowledge and competence. Reliable, reassuring and there when you need them. Highly recommend.
I had a positive experience with Emily recently regarding a family dispute. I found her to be professional, knowledgeable and efficient. Her excellent communication skills made me feel comfortable and assured moving forward.
Questions Melbourne clients ask before they engage
Senior family law advice when the matter is complex.
If your separation involves substantial property, a business, a trust, or a parenting dispute that needs careful handling, arrange a consultation and we will give you a clear read on where you stand.
See also: Separation & Divorce, Family Law for Business Owners, HNW Property Settlements, Trusts & Family Law, Binding Financial Agreements.
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