Family & Relationships · Perth CBD
16 parenting & child custody firms in Perth CBD, Western Australia, including Perth.
16 firms
Perth, WA · Perth CBD
Hickman Family Lawyers Perth provides legal services in Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Mediation & Dispute Resolution.
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.
When comparing Perth CBD firms, ask about the exact area of Western Australian practice relevant to your matter. For family work, the state’s separate Family Court makes it especially useful to choose a practitioner familiar with the applicable process.
For parenting & child custody, ask which parts of the work the firm handles itself and whether it has relevant WA experience. Let the lawyer know if a property, employer, other party or existing proceeding is outside Perth CBD. 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.
Western Australia is the only state with its own family court: the Family Court of Western Australia hears parenting and property matters for both married and de facto couples. Other matters start in the Magistrates Court, with the District and Supreme Courts for serious cases, and the State Administrative Tribunal for planning, guardianship and many licensing reviews. Lawyers are admitted and regulated by the Legal Practice Board.
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 District Court or the Supreme Court of Western Australia. Family law matters are heard by the Family Court of Western Australia.
Perth, WA · Perth CBD
West Coast Legal provides legal services in Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Property & Conveyancing.
West Perth, WA · Perth CBD
Baily Family Law provides legal services in West Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Parenting & Child Custody and Mediation & Dispute Resolution.
Perth, WA · Perth CBD
O'Sullivan Davies Lawyers provides legal services in Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and De Facto Relationships.
Perth, WA · Perth CBD
Perth Wills Centre provides legal services in Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Planning & Environment and Powers of Attorney & Guardianship.
Nedlands, WA · Perth CBD
Crossing Family Lawyers provides legal services in Nedlands, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution and Property & Conveyancing.
Loukas Law provides legal services in West Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Binding Financial Agreements and Parenting & Child Custody.
Perth, WA · Perth CBD
Farquhar Ian R & Co provides legal services in Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Criminal Law and Parenting & Child Custody.
Perth, WA · Perth CBD
Leach Legal - Family Lawyers Perth provides legal services in Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Property & Conveyancing.
DCH Legal Group provides legal services in NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Surrogacy & Adoption.
Nedlands, WA · Perth CBD
Davies & Co Lawyers provides legal services in Nedlands, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution and Contested Wills & Family Provision.
Perth Cbd, WA · Perth CBD
Anthony R Clarke & Associates provides legal services in Perth Cbd, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Family Property Settlement.
Subiaco, WA · Perth CBD
Brightside Family Law provides legal services in Subiaco, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution and Divorce & Separation.
Perth, WA · Perth CBD
Wise Family Lawyers provides legal services in Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Wills & Estates.
West Perth, WA · Perth CBD
Fort Knox Legal provides legal services in West Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Planning & Environment and Probate & Estate Administration.
Perth, WA · Perth CBD
Holden Barlow provides legal services in Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
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 Western Australia are managed by the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia. You can check a solicitor's status on its public register or by contacting it directly.