Family & Relationships
Parenting lawyers help separated parents agree on, or seek court orders for, where children live and how they spend time with each parent.
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.
Parenting & Child Custody firms in the directory
561 firms
C F Davies & Co provides legal services in Nowra, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Criminal Law.
Erina, NSW · Central Coast
Bilson Law - Family Lawyer provides legal services in Erina, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Family Property Settlement.
Ballarat East, VIC · Ballarat & Central Highlands
Victoria Legal Aid provides legal services in Ballarat East, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Domestic Violence & AVOs 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.
Eatons Hill, QLD · Brisbane North & Moreton Bay
Davey Law provides legal services in Eatons Hill, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Binding Financial Agreements and Property & Conveyancing.
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
Henry Family Lawyers provides legal services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Binding Financial Agreements and Divorce & Separation.
DCH Legal Group provides legal services in NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Surrogacy & Adoption.
Bentleigh East, VIC · South East Melbourne
Hamilton Thomas Lawyers provides legal services in Bentleigh East, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Wills & Estates.
Newstead, QLD · Brisbane CBD
Sambanis Family Law Pty Ltd provides legal services in Newstead, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Parenting & Child Custody.
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.
Monbulk, VIC · Hume & North East
Neesham White Gentle provides legal services in Monbulk, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Property & Conveyancing.
Mullumbimby, NSW · Northern Rivers
Universal Legal Recoveries provides legal services in Mullumbimby, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Notary Public & JP Services and Property & Conveyancing.
Bairnsdale, VIC · Gippsland
Victoria Legal Aid provides legal services in Bairnsdale, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Domestic Violence & AVOs and Parenting & Child Custody.
Varsity Lakes, QLD · Gold Coast
Bridges Family Law Specialists provides legal services in Varsity Lakes, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Parenting & Child Custody.
Cooroy, QLD · Sunshine Coast
Cooroy Legal Centre provides legal services in Cooroy, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution and Parenting & Child Custody.
South Melbourne, VIC · South East Melbourne
Gale Family Law provides legal services in South Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Parenting & Child Custody and Divorce & Separation.
Maryborough, QLD · Wide Bay-Burnett
Morton & Morton Solicitors provides legal services in Maryborough, QLD. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Property & Conveyancing and Personal Injury.
Clare, SA · Eyre, Yorke & Mid North
Voumard Lawyers provides legal services in Clare, SA. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Family Law.
Dural, NSW · Hills District
Peter Dawson & Associates provides legal services in Dural, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Wills & Estates.
Coffs Harbour, NSW · Mid North Coast
Smart Choice Law provides legal services in Coffs Harbour, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Wills & Estates.
Geelong West, VIC · Geelong & Surf Coast
Randall Bell Lawyer provides legal services in Geelong West, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Property & Conveyancing.
Loganholme, QLD · Brisbane South & Logan
Advance Family Law provides legal services in Loganholme, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Property & Conveyancing.
Erina, NSW · Central Coast
Catalyst Family Lawyers provides legal services in Erina, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Divorce & Separation.
Fremantle, WA · Perth South
Farquhar Ian R & Co provides legal services in Fremantle, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Criminal Law and Parenting & Child Custody.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Not always. A simple divorce application can be filed online without one. It's worth getting advice before you apply if you have children, shared property or superannuation, because divorce starts the clock on time limits for property claims.
Married couples generally have 12 months from the date the divorce becomes final. De facto couples generally have two years from separation. After that you need the court's permission, which is not guaranteed.