Family & Relationships · Canberra
14 parenting & child custody firms in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, including Canberra City, Belconnen, Woden, Tuggeranong.
14 firms
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
Farrar Gesini Dunn provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Wills & Estates.
Australian courts decide parenting arrangements based on the child's best interests, with safety the first consideration. Parents can record an agreement in a parenting plan, which is flexible but not enforceable, or in consent orders, which are. A lawyer helps you understand what arrangements are realistic and how to present your case if agreement isn't possible.
Parenting arrangements shape children's daily lives for years. A clear, workable agreement reduces conflict and gives children stability.
Under the Family Law Act, the child's best interests are paramount and safety is the first consideration. 2024 reforms removed the presumption of equal shared parental responsibility, so each case turns on its own facts. Agreements can be recorded in a parenting plan or made binding as consent orders.
Understand the next step
Describe the children’s current arrangements and the practical problem you want resolved. School, health, travel, communication and safety issues may need different discussions from a disagreement about time spent with each parent.
Ask how a proposed plan differs from a court order and what process would be required to record or change arrangements.
A Canberra address does not automatically mean ACT law is the only law involved. Commonwealth decisions, workplace matters and transactions involving nearby NSW can require different experience and procedures.
For parenting & child custody, ask which parts of the work the firm handles itself and whether it has relevant ACT experience. Let the lawyer know if a property, employer, other party or existing proceeding is outside Canberra. Your home address alone does not determine the applicable process.
Explain the relationship history, current arrangements and outcome you want. Identify immediate concerns and provide every existing order or agreement.
Discuss negotiation and family dispute resolution. Parenting applications generally involve prior dispute resolution unless an exception applies; ask the lawyer to assess the appropriate process.
Ask how an agreement would be documented and implemented. Clarify who handles related transfers, finance and estate-planning work.
Ask for separate estimates for advice, negotiation, document preparation and court work. A fixed divorce-application fee does not necessarily cover parenting or financial disputes.
Ask for a written scope identifying the work you are authorising, the person responsible and when costs will be reviewed. If you only want advice on one step, say so before the firm begins wider work.
Highlight court dates, proposed travel or relocation and any planned property sale. Ask which time limits apply to your particular issues rather than assuming there is one deadline for everything.
In the ACT, the Magistrates Court and Supreme Court share the caseload without an intermediate court. Tenancy, discrimination, planning and guardianship disputes go to ACAT. Canberra also hosts many federal bodies, so public law and Commonwealth employment matters are common. The ACT Law Society regulates practitioners and handles complaints.
Good to know
No. The law focuses on the child's best interests. Equal time can be ordered where it suits the child, but there is no automatic starting point of equal time.
Relocating in a way that affects the other parent's time usually needs their agreement or a court order. Get advice before moving.
Most matters start in the Magistrates Court. More serious cases go to the Supreme Court of the ACT. Family law matters are heard by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
Parker Coles Curtis provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, International Family Law & Hague Abduction and Divorce & Separation.
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
Foster Johnson Family and Collaborative Lawyers provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Partner & Family Visas and Parenting & Child Custody.
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
HCC Lawyers provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Business & Commercial Law.
Belconnen, ACT · Canberra
Yellow Legal provides legal services in Belconnen, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
Robinson McGuinness Family Law provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Franklin, ACT · Canberra
Infinity Legal provides legal services in Franklin, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Binding Financial Agreements and Parenting & Child Custody.
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
Nicholls Anzani Family Lawyers provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Parenting & Child Custody and Divorce & Separation.
Canberra City, ACT · Canberra
Mazengarb Family Lawyers provides legal services in Canberra City, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
Chapman & Smyth Family Law provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution and Divorce & Separation.
Belconnen, ACT · Canberra
Bridges Family Law Specialists provides legal services in Belconnen, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Canberra, ACT · Canberra
Certus Law provides legal services in Canberra, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Parenting & Child Custody.
Canberra City, ACT · Canberra
Divorce.com.au provides legal services in Canberra City, ACT. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Domestic Violence & AVOs.
NSW · Canberra
Mahons with Yuncken & Yuncken Lawyers provides legal services in NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Family Law and Business & Commercial Law.
Directory guidance updated 19 September 2026. General information to help you prepare for a conversation with a professional; not advice about your individual matter. Check current requirements with the relevant authority.
Practising certificates in Australian Capital Territory are managed by the ACT Law Society. You can check a solicitor's status on its public register or by contacting it directly.