Family & Relationships
Divorce lawyers help you separate properly, apply for divorce and deal with the issues that follow.
Divorce formally ends a marriage. Parenting arrangements, property and financial support are separate issues, so ask which applications or agreements your circumstances require. Check eligibility, documents and dates before applying.
Ending the marriage does not itself divide property or settle parenting arrangements. Property applications generally need to be made within 12 months after a divorce becomes final; obtain advice about the deadline and any exception that may apply.
Divorce is based on the breakdown of the marriage, rather than fault. The FCFCOA removed the counselling-certificate requirement for applicants married less than two years from 10 June 2025. Check the current application process with the relevant court; Western Australia has its own Family Court.
Divorce & Separation firms in the directory
738 firms
Kingscliff, NSW · Northern Rivers
Family Law Gold Coast provides legal services in Kingscliff, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Parenting & Child Custody.
Box Hill, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Hartleys Lawyers provides legal services in Box Hill, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Parenting & Child Custody.
Wodonga, VIC · Hume & North East
KPW Lawyers provides legal services in Wodonga, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Family Law and Business & Commercial Law.
Katoomba, NSW · Western Sydney
MCKENZIE LAWYERS provides legal services in Katoomba, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Family Law and Wills & Estates.
North Sydney, NSW · Sydney North Shore & Northern Beaches
Modern Family Law Solutions provides legal services in North Sydney, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Parenting & Child Custody and Property & Conveyancing.
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
MPB Lawyers provides legal services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Family Law.
Glenelg, SA · Adelaide Metro
Phoenix Family Law provides legal services in Glenelg, SA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Mediation & Dispute Resolution.
Byron Bay, NSW · Northern Rivers
Richardson Murray provides legal services in Byron Bay, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Mediation & Dispute Resolution.
Bendigo, VIC · Bendigo & Loddon
Sarah Stewart Family Law provides legal services in Bendigo, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Parenting & Child Custody.
Milton, NSW · South Coast
Shoalhaven Lawyers provides legal services in Milton, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Criminal Law and Drink & Drug Driving.
Tuggerah, NSW · Central Coast
Strive Family Law and Mediations provides legal services in Tuggerah, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution and Litigation & Dispute Resolution.
North Lakes, QLD · Brisbane North & Moreton Bay
Zande Law provides legal services in North Lakes, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Wills & Estates.
Penrith, NSW · Western Sydney
Amanda Little & Associates provides legal services in Penrith, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Wills & Estates.
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
Belleli King & Associates provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Family Law and Wills & Estates.
Gosnells, WA · Perth East
Biddulph & Turley provides legal services in Gosnells, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Probate & Estate Administration.
Newcastle, NSW · Newcastle & Hunter
Boyd Olsen Lawyers provides legal services in Newcastle, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Wills & Estates.
Chatswood, NSW · Sydney North Shore & Northern Beaches
Chatswood Family Lawyers provides legal services in Chatswood, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Binding Financial Agreements.
Merimbula, NSW · South Coast
David Griffiths Lawyers provides legal services in Merimbula, NSW. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Property & Conveyancing and Family Law.
Hobart, TAS · Hobart & South
East Coast Conveyancing provides legal services in Hobart, TAS. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Family Law and Business & Commercial Law.
Fremantle, WA · Perth South
Elizabeth Wiese & Associates provides legal services in Fremantle, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and De Facto Relationships.
Forest Lake, QLD · Brisbane South & Logan
Forest Lake Law Practice provides legal services in Forest Lake, QLD. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Business & Commercial Law and Wills & Estates.
Kilcoy, QLD · Brisbane North & Moreton Bay
Hawthorn Cuppaidge & Badgery Lawyers provides legal services in Kilcoy, QLD. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Business & Commercial Law and Family Law.
Castle Hill, NSW · Hills District
Hills Family Lawyers provides legal services in Castle Hill, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Property & Conveyancing.
Ipswich, QLD · Ipswich
Ipswich Family Lawyers provides legal services in Ipswich, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Domestic Violence & AVOs.
Understand the next step
Ending a marriage and resolving parenting or financial arrangements are different tasks. Ask the lawyer to explain which applications or agreements you actually need and the sequence in which to address them.
Make sure a fixed divorce fee is not being mistaken for advice about dividing assets or arrangements for children.
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
Yes. You can be separated while still living in the same home, but you'll need extra evidence, usually affidavits, to show the relationship had ended.
Once filed, a divorce order usually becomes final one month and one day after it's granted. The overall time depends on court scheduling and whether there are children under 18.
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.
