Family & Relationships · Perth North
9 parenting & child custody firms in Perth North, Western Australia, including Joondalup, Wanneroo, Stirling.
9 firms
Joondalup, WA · Perth North
Artham Legal provides legal services in Joondalup, WA. Listed practice areas include Immigration & Visas, Family Law and Citizenship.
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.
Joondalup, Wanneroo and Stirling are grouped as Perth North. A property settlement after separation, a home conveyance and a deceased estate may involve the same address but require different legal work.
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 North. 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.
East Perth, WA · Perth North
Ds Family Law provides legal services in East Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, International Family Law & Hague Abduction and Parenting & Child Custody.
Balcatta, WA · Perth North
Appius Lawyers provides legal services in Balcatta, WA. Listed practice areas include Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Business & Commercial Law and Family Law.
Joondalup, WA · Perth North
Wise Family Lawyers provides legal services in Joondalup, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Wills & Estates.
Stirling, WA · Perth North
Thomson Family Lawyers provides legal services in Stirling, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Joondalup, WA · Perth North
Bridges Family Law Specialists provides legal services in Joondalup, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Property & Conveyancing.
Joondalup, WA · Perth North
Perth Mediation Services provides legal services in Joondalup, WA. Listed practice areas include Mediation & Dispute Resolution, Family Law and Property & Conveyancing.
Joondalup, WA · Perth North
Reader Lawyers & Mediators provides legal services in Joondalup, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Parenting & Child Custody and Divorce & Separation.
Joondalup, WA · Perth North
Perth Family Law Centre provides legal services in Joondalup, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Parenting & Child Custody and Binding Financial Agreements.
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.