Family & Relationships
Family lawyers advise on separation, parenting arrangements, property division and divorce.
A family lawyer's early advice shapes everything that follows: what a fair property split looks like for your circumstances, how parenting time is likely to be arranged, and which steps must happen before court. Most matters resolve through negotiation or mediation, with consent orders making the agreement binding.
Separation affects where children live, the home, super and future finances. Decisions made in the first months, often informally, can shape the final outcome, so early advice avoids costly mistakes.
Family law is federal. The Family Law Act 1975 governs parenting and property for married and most de facto couples, heard by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, except in Western Australia, where the Family Court of WA hears these matters. Parenting disputes usually require family dispute resolution before court.
Family Law firms in the directory
2,444 firms
Maroochydore, QLD · Sunshine Coast
Trianon Law provides legal services in Maroochydore, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Criminal Law and Litigation & Dispute Resolution.
Noosaville, QLD · Sunshine Coast
Cooroy Legal Centre provides legal services in Noosaville, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Mediation & Dispute Resolution and Parenting & Child Custody.
Sydney, NSW · Sydney CBD
Go To Court Lawyers Woolloongabba provides legal services in Sydney, NSW. Listed practice areas include Drink & Drug Driving, Wills & Estates and Immigration & Visas.
Coburg, VIC · Northern Melbourne
Go To Court Lawyers Woolloongabba provides legal services in Coburg, VIC. Listed practice areas include Drink & Drug Driving, Wills & Estates and Immigration & Visas.
Coffs Harbour, NSW · Mid North Coast
Vincent Butcher Lawyers provides conveyancing services in Coffs Harbour, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Family Law and Business & Commercial Law.
Mornington, VIC · Mornington Peninsula
Carroll Goldsmith Lawyers provides legal services in Mornington, VIC. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Property & Conveyancing and Business & Commercial Law.
Reservoir, VIC · Northern Melbourne
De Maria & Associates provides legal services in Reservoir, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Family Law and Litigation & Dispute Resolution.
Brunswick, VIC · Northern Melbourne
Randles, Cooper & Co provides legal services in Brunswick, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Commercial Litigation.
Browns Plains, QLD · Brisbane South & Logan
Raniga Lawyers provides legal services in Browns Plains, QLD. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Family Law and Property & Conveyancing.
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
Schetzer Constantinou provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and Property & Conveyancing.
Maroochydore, QLD · Sunshine Coast
Catton & Tondelstrand Lawyers provides legal services in Maroochydore, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Divorce & Separation and De Facto Relationships.
Daisy Hill, QLD · Brisbane South & Logan
Francis & Binnie Lawyers provides legal services in Daisy Hill, QLD. Listed practice areas include Family Law.
Ballina, NSW · Northern Rivers
Gibson John F. Solicitor provides legal services in Ballina, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Parenting & Child Custody.
Gosford, NSW · Central Coast
Kent Law Group provides legal services in Gosford, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Notary Public & JP Services and Business & Commercial Law.
Adelaide, SA · Adelaide CBD
Scammell & Co. Lawyers provides legal services in Adelaide, SA. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Personal Injury and Litigation & Dispute Resolution.
Sivan Legal provides legal services in Rockingham, WA. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Property & Conveyancing.
Nuriootpa, SA · Barossa & Adelaide Hills
Thomas David provides legal services in Nuriootpa, SA. Listed practice areas include Building & Construction, Property & Conveyancing and Family Law.
Atsils Cairns provides legal services in Ipswich, QLD. Listed practice areas include Criminal Law, Family Law and Business & Commercial Law.
Dandenong, VIC · South East Melbourne
Go To Court Lawyers Woolloongabba provides legal services in Dandenong, VIC. Listed practice areas include Drink & Drug Driving, Wills & Estates and Immigration & Visas.
Ulverstone, TAS · North West & West Coast
McVeity Dean Lawyers provides legal services in Ulverstone, TAS. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Child Protection & Care Matters.
Miranda, NSW · Southern Sydney
MCW Lawyers provides legal services in Miranda, NSW. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Commercial Litigation.
Sutherland, NSW · Southern Sydney
MCW Lawyers provides legal services in Sutherland, NSW. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Commercial Litigation.
Innes Park, QLD · Wide Bay-Burnett
Payne Butler Lang provides legal services in Innes Park, QLD. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Family Law.
Payne Butler Lang provides legal services in NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Family Law.
Understand the next step
Start by separating immediate arrangements from longer-term decisions. A family-law consultation can identify whether parenting, finances, divorce or personal safety requires a separate step, and who should advise on each.
A general family-law engagement should specify which issues it covers rather than promising to resolve every consequence of separation.
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
Consent orders are an agreement about parenting or property that the court makes into formal, enforceable orders without a hearing. Both parties must agree and sign.
Most family matters are resolved without a trial. Court becomes necessary when negotiation fails, when there is urgency, or when safety is at risk.
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.
