Family Lawyers in Melbourne

Family law in Victoria is federal law. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia can hear most types of family law matters, including parenting and financial orders, and it deals with the majority of divorce applications outside Western Australia. Western Australia has its own family court, so the federal court is the one Melbourne families deal with.

Many separating couples try to reach agreement through negotiation or mediation before going to court. A family lawyer can explain your options and draft an agreement or consent orders that reflect what you have settled on. Some firms in this list practise only in family law, while others have family teams inside larger firms.

Forte Family Lawyers
Level 15, 600 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9248 5800

Forte Family Lawyers is a Bourke Street family law practice led by partners who are accredited family law specialists. The team gives strategic advice and represents clients in court, covering divorce and separation, parenting disputes, property settlements and dispute resolution. It also handles prenuptial and other financial agreements, child support and spousal maintenance, family violence matters and international family law, including cases involving complex asset structures, superannuation or bankruptcy.

Nicholes Family Lawyers
Level 12, 460 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9670 4122

From its Lonsdale Street office, Nicholes Family Lawyers acts in separation, divorce, parenting matters and property division. The firm prepares financial agreements before and after a relationship ends, and advises on child support, adoption and surrogacy, family violence orders, child protection and cross border disputes. It has a second office in Geelong and describes its approach as trusted expertise with a human touch.
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Kalus Kenny Intelex
Level 1, 4 Riverside Quay
Southbank VIC 3006
Tel: (03) 8825 4800

Kalus Kenny Intelex has a Family Law team based at Riverside Quay in Southbank. The team helps clients through separation with divorce, parenting arrangements and disputes, property division and financial agreements made at any stage of a relationship. It also advises where complex business and trust structures, superannuation, spousal maintenance or international issues are involved. Eligible clients may be able to use a JustFund arrangement, with legal fees repaid at settlement.
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Stuart Family Lawyers
Level 11, 456 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9070 9832

Stuart Family Lawyers practises in family and relationship law for people in married and de facto relationships, including same sex couples. Services include divorce advice and property settlements, parenting matters such as relocation, spousal maintenance and child support. The firm also handles prenuptial agreements, mediation, family violence matters, court proceedings and third party representation. Its office is on Lonsdale Street in the CBD.
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Pearce Webster Dugdales
Suite 1, Ground Floor, 99 Queens Bridge Street
Southbank VIC 3006
Tel: (03) 9614 5122

Pearce Webster Dugdales has family law specialists accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria working from its Southbank office. The firm advises on divorce, parenting and children’s orders, property settlements and financial agreements, as well as child support and spousal maintenance. It also acts in family violence and intervention order matters, de facto and same sex relationship matters and family law appeals. A free 15 minute consultation is offered, and JustFund is available as a funding option.
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Macpherson Kelley
Level 7, 600 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 8615 9900

Macpherson Kelley’s family law team works from the firm’s Bourke Street office and handles divorce, de facto financial settlements, property disputes and child support. Its lawyers also act in children and parenting matters, including interstate and overseas child abduction cases. The team prepares binding financial and prenuptial agreements, which can be used to protect business assets, and advises on complex commercial family law matters across state borders.
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Russell Kennedy Lawyers
Level 18, 500 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9609 1555

At Russell Kennedy, the family law team advises on property separation, parenting orders, binding financial agreements and spousal and child maintenance, including for de facto couples. The team prefers to reach agreement through roundtable meetings and mediation, and can represent clients in court where that is not possible. Clients can also draw on the firm’s lawyers in related areas such as tax and corporate structures.
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Family dispute resolution before parenting cases

According to the Federal Circuit and Family Court, you must attempt family dispute resolution before you can file an application for parenting orders, and file a valid section 60I certificate with that application. The certificate is valid for 12 months. There are exceptions, including some urgent matters and cases with a risk of family violence or child abuse, and a certificate is not needed for financial or property orders only.

A lawyer can tell you whether an exception may apply in your situation and help you prepare for mediation.

Choosing a family lawyer

Some family lawyers in Victoria are accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as family law specialists. Ask how the firm charges and who will handle your matter day to day. A few firms in this list mention funding options for legal fees that are repaid at settlement, which may help if cash flow is tight while assets are being divided.

Bring a summary of your assets and debts to the first meeting, along with any orders or agreements already in place. Having this ready often makes the first appointment more useful, and it can help the lawyer give you a clearer view of the likely next steps.