Family lawyers help with separation, divorce, parenting arrangements and dividing property. Most matters settle through negotiation or mediation, with court as the last step.
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★5.0(99)Google rating from 99 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Top rated4.8★ or higher from at least 50 Google reviews
Melbourne Law Offices provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Property & Conveyancing and Immigration & Visas.
Wills & Estates+7 moreProperty & Conveyancing · Immigration & Visas · Probate & Estate Administration · Family Law · Domestic Violence & AVOs · Class Actions · Partner & Family Visas
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.6(98)Google rating from 98 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Aitken Partners provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Partner & Family Visas and Wills & Estates.
Property & Conveyancing+7 morePartner & Family Visas · Wills & Estates · Business & Commercial Law · Litigation & Dispute Resolution · Family Law · Tax Law · Debt Recovery
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.8(94)Google rating from 94 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Top rated4.8★ or higher from at least 50 Google reviews
Carew Counsel Solicitors provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Divorce & Separation.
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Emerald, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.9(88)Google rating from 88 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Top rated4.8★ or higher from at least 50 Google reviews
Emerald Conveyancing provides conveyancing services in Emerald, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Business & Commercial Law and Planning & Environment.
Property & Conveyancing+5 moreBusiness & Commercial Law · Planning & Environment · Licensed Conveyancing (non-lawyer) · Building & Construction · Family Property Settlement
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★5.0(84)Google rating from 84 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Top rated4.8★ or higher from at least 50 Google reviews
Fumens Lawyers 富文律师行 (Melbourne CBD) provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Family Law and Business & Commercial Law.
Property & Conveyancing+7 moreFamily Law · Business & Commercial Law · Criminal Law · Litigation & Dispute Resolution · Insolvency & Restructuring · Wills & Estates · Intellectual Property & Trade Marks
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Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.9(84)Google rating from 84 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Top rated4.8★ or higher from at least 50 Google reviews
TNS Lawyers provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Business & Commercial Law and Franchising.
Property & Conveyancing+7 moreBusiness & Commercial Law · Franchising · Commercial Litigation · Family Law · Corporate Law & M&A · Litigation & Dispute Resolution · Insolvency & Restructuring
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Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★5.0(83)Google rating from 83 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Top rated4.8★ or higher from at least 50 Google reviews
TM Collins Law provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Debt Recovery, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Wills & Estates.
Debt Recovery+7 moreLitigation & Dispute Resolution · Wills & Estates · Property & Conveyancing · Family Law · Insolvency & Restructuring · Banking & Finance · Business & Commercial Law
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.8(76)Google rating from 76 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Top rated4.8★ or higher from at least 50 Google reviews
DSA Law provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Business & Commercial Law and Property & Conveyancing.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution+7 moreBusiness & Commercial Law · Property & Conveyancing · Family Law · Commercial Litigation · Planning & Environment · Debt Recovery · Partner & Family Visas
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Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★5.0(73)Google rating from 73 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Top rated4.8★ or higher from at least 50 Google reviews
Emera Family Law Sunshine provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Divorce & Separation.
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
West Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.3(73)Google rating from 73 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Hartleys Lawyers provides legal services in West Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Parenting & Child Custody.
Family Law+7 moreProperty & Conveyancing · Parenting & Child Custody · Divorce & Separation · Wills & Estates · Domestic Violence & AVOs · Criminal Law · Skilled & Business VisasFree first consultThe firm advertises a free first consultation.
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Southbank, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.6(54)Google rating from 54 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Tolhurst Druce & Emmerson provides legal services in Southbank, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Business & Commercial Law.
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.8(50)Google rating from 50 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Top rated4.8★ or higher from at least 50 Google reviews
Melbourne Law Studio provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Business & Commercial Law and Mediation & Dispute Resolution.
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.9(48)Google rating from 48 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Smith Family Law Sunshine provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Probate & Estate Administration.
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.7(39)Google rating from 39 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Hicks Oakley Chessell Williams Lawyers - Mount Waverley provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Business & Commercial Law and Family Law.
Property & Conveyancing+7 moreBusiness & Commercial Law · Family Law · Litigation & Dispute Resolution · Wills & Estates · Commercial Litigation · Insolvency & Restructuring · Planning & Environment
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Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★5.0(35)Google rating from 35 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Intervention Order Lawyers provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Domestic Violence & AVOs, Parenting & Child Custody and Family Law.
Domestic Violence & AVOs+4 moreParenting & Child Custody · Family Law · Business & Commercial Law · Partner & Family VisasFree first consultThe firm advertises a free first consultation.
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.8(27)Google rating from 27 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Coulter Legal provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Business & Commercial Law.
Family Law+7 moreProperty & Conveyancing · Business & Commercial Law · Tax Law · Partner & Family Visas · Wills & Estates · Litigation & Dispute Resolution · FranchisingFree first consultThe firm advertises a free first consultation.
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★5.0(16)Google rating from 16 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Liza Pearce & Associates provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Domestic Violence & AVOs, Traffic Offences and Criminal Law.
Domestic Violence & AVOs+3 moreTraffic Offences · Criminal Law · Drink & Drug Driving
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Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★4.7(12)Google rating from 12 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Pica Criminal Law Specialist provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Criminal Law, Bail Applications and Domestic Violence & AVOs.
Criminal Law+4 moreBail Applications · Domestic Violence & AVOs · Assault & Violent Offences · Fraud & White Collar CrimeFree first consultThe firm advertises a free first consultation.
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Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★5.0(8)Google rating from 8 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Cash and Stavroulakis Lawyers provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Family Law and Parenting & Child Custody.
Verified: phone number confirmed on the firm’s website and Google
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
★★★★★★★★★★5.0(7)Google rating from 7 reviews, retrieved 18 Sept 2026
Parke Lawyers provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Wills & Estates and Property & Conveyancing.
Business & Commercial Law+7 moreWills & Estates · Property & Conveyancing · Litigation & Dispute Resolution · Probate & Estate Administration · Family Law · Planning & Environment · Health & Medical Practitioner Law
Family law in Australia is mostly federal. Parenting and property matters run under the Family Law Act and are heard in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, or the Family Court of Western Australia in WA. A good family lawyer will explain your likely outcome early, push for a negotiated agreement where it's safe to do so, and prepare you properly if a court hearing is needed. Where there is family violence, they can also help you get protection orders from your state's local or magistrates court.
Why family law matters
Family breakdown is one of the most common reasons Australians need a lawyer, and decisions made early affect children and finances for years.
The Australian context
Family law is one of the few areas run federally, under the Family Law Act 1975, with separate protection order schemes in each state and a separate Family Court in Western Australia.
Understand the next step
A practical guide to family & relationships in Melbourne CBD
Choosing the right kind of assistance
Family matters often involve several decisions at once: living arrangements, children, immediate expenses, property and formally ending a marriage. A useful first consultation separates those issues and identifies what needs attention now. Tell the lawyer about safety concerns and existing orders before arranging discussions involving another person.
Working with a firm in Melbourne CBD
A Melbourne CBD search can be useful for comparing teams with different specialisations. Ask who will do the work and who will supervise it, especially when a firm has several practice departments.
For family & relationships, ask which parts of the work the firm handles itself and whether it has relevant VIC experience. Let the lawyer know if a property, employer, other party or existing proceeding is outside Melbourne CBD. Your home address alone does not determine the applicable process.
How the engagement may progress
01
Explain the relationship history, current arrangements and outcome you want. Identify immediate concerns and provide every existing order or agreement.
02
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.
03
Ask how an agreement would be documented and implemented. Clarify who handles related transfers, finance and estate-planning work.
Fees and the scope of 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.
Dates to raise at first contact
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.
Questions to ask a family & relationships adviser
Will you handle parenting, property and divorce together or separately?
How will you communicate with me safely?
What would change the proposed approach or budget?
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
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lawyer to get divorced?
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.
How long do I have to settle property after separating?
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.
Is mediation compulsory?
For parenting disputes, you usually need a certificate from a family dispute resolution practitioner before filing in court, unless an exception applies such as family violence or urgency.
