Family Lawyers in Darwin NT | Divorce and Parenting

Family Lawyers in Darwin

Family law in the Northern Territory is federal law, and parenting and property cases that go to court are run through the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Most Darwin family lawyers spend much of their time helping people reach agreements without a hearing, through negotiation, mediation and consent orders.

The firms below are all in or near the CBD. Several offer fixed fees or a set price first advice session, and some advise clients in regional and remote parts of the Territory by phone or video. A few also help with domestic violence orders under Territory law, which often run alongside a family law matter. Check early whether the firm can act on both.

Ward Keller
Level 7, Northern Territory House, 22 Mitchell Street
Darwin NT 0800
Tel: (08) 8946 2999

Family lawyers at Ward Keller are based in Darwin and Alice Springs and regularly visit the Palmerston and Katherine offices. The team advises on parenting matters, child support agreements, property settlements, consent orders and divorce. It offers fixed fees for family law matters, and an initial consultation covers advice, likely costs and which lawyer is best placed to help. The firm favours negotiation, mediation and arbitration but represents clients in court when needed, and accepts referrals from the NT Legal Aid Commission.

Darwin Family Law
Level 3, 9 Cavenagh Street
Darwin City NT 0800
Tel: (08) 8946 1666

Partners Julian Barry and Tessa Czislowski run Darwin Family Law from Cavenagh Street. The firm handles parenting disputes, including where children live, relocation and holidays, and property matters involving superannuation, businesses and trusts, working with clients’ accountants on more involved cases. It also obtains divorces and advises on spousal maintenance and child support. Domestic violence orders and personal violence restraining orders are handled for both applicants and defendants, and the firm offers mediation and family dispute resolution by an accredited practitioner.
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Hunt & Hunt Lawyers Darwin
Level 2, 13 Cavenagh Street
Darwin City NT 0800
Tel: (08) 8924 2600

Hunt & Hunt’s Darwin office on Cavenagh Street has a family law team led by director Chris Osborne. Services include divorce, property settlements and consent orders, parenting plans and parenting consent orders, child support agreements and paternity testing. The team also runs court proceedings for parenting and property matters when agreement cannot be reached. An obligation free first advice session is offered at a set fee, and the office also handles wills and estates, employment law, litigation and conveyancing.
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Maleys Barristers & Solicitors
17 Cavenagh Street
Darwin NT 0800
Tel: (08) 8981 2266

Maleys Barristers & Solicitors gives family law advice across Darwin and the Territory. Its work covers separation and divorce, parenting arrangements, child support and maintenance (including departure from the standard formula), and family violence orders. The firm also drafts consent orders and binding financial agreements and acts on property settlements. It supports clients through negotiation and mediation and represents them in court when agreement cannot be reached. Criminal law and conveyancing are also handled from its Cavenagh Street office.
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Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers
1/21 Cavenagh Street
Darwin NT 0800
Tel: (08) 7929 1000

Tindall Gask Bentley’s Darwin office advises on divorce and separation, property settlement after a marriage or de facto relationship ends, and parenting arrangements with a focus on children’s best interests. The team also handles child support, spousal maintenance and financial agreements made before a relationship begins. Family dispute resolution with a qualified mediator is available, along with advice on surrogacy and IVF and on domestic violence and intervention orders. A free online tool helps people get a sense of where they stand.
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Jude Lawyers
Ground Floor, 9-11 Cavenagh Street
Darwin NT 0800
Tel: (08) 8941 8229

At Jude Lawyers, family work covers property division, binding financial agreements and consent orders, as well as advice on rights after separation. The firm helps with parenting plans and consent orders, and guides grandparents seeking time with grandchildren or custody. It also assists with Local Court applications after a child protection removal, and with domestic violence orders. Negotiation and mediation are preferred before court, and lawyers at the Cavenagh Street office speak English, Mandarin, Hindi, Tagalog and Bisaya.
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Family dispute resolution before parenting cases

According to the Federal Circuit and Family Court, family dispute resolution must be attempted before an application for parenting orders is made, unless an exception applies. A section 60I certificate shows you have attempted it and is valid for 12 months. Exceptions include urgent matters and cases involving family violence or a risk of child abuse. A certificate is not needed if you are seeking financial or property orders only, even if you have children.

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

Help on the day and with violence orders

Legal Aid NT runs a family duty lawyer service in Darwin and Alice Springs for people without a lawyer whose family law case is in the Federal Circuit Court. It also has a service for people who must go to the Darwin Local Court to respond to a domestic violence order.

Private firms in this list can help with both family law and violence orders. Bring any existing orders, agreements and a summary of assets and debts to the first meeting, as this often makes the appointment more useful.