Award winning family law firm.
Strategic Negotiators
Fierce Protectors
Fearless Advocates
Are you dealing with a narcissist or someone with unreasonable expectations?
Here’s what that actually looks like — and what we do about it:
Your children being withheld or used as pawns
Nothing cuts deeper. Cancelled visits. Ignored agreements. Last minute excuses. When your children are being used as leverage, every day matters. We move quickly to protect your relationship with your children before unhealthy patterns become the status quo.
An Intervention Order changes everything overnight
One allegation can remove you from your home, impact time with your children, and affect every part of your family law matter. We help clients respond strategically, protect their position, and stop allegations from defining the entire case.
You are being financially controlled
Cut off from money. Left in the dark. Watching assets disappear while legal costs rise. We know the financial pressure tactics that often show up during separation and we know how to uncover the full picture.
You are constantly being intimidated or manipulated
Threats. Harassment. Pressure. Using the children to send messages or create fear. Family violence is not always physical and the Court takes these behaviours seriously. So do we.
You don’t have to keep absorbing this.
Experts for Business Owners
You didn’t build your business to lose it in a separation.
We understand business & more importantly the dedication, sacrifice, & the skill to build a successful business.
We deal with:
Protecting your business takes strategy, not just legal advice.
What we can do for you:
You built it. We make sure you don’t lose it.
Lock down your digital life
Change passwords, remove shared devices, and check cloud access. If they had access once, assume they still might.
Keep everything in writing
Communicate via text or parenting apps only.
Verbal conversations leave room for denial and distortion.
Be careful what you disclose
What you say to third parties (including support services) can be subpoenaed. Not everything is as private as you think.
Document everything
Keep a timeline of incidents, payments, and interactions. Contemporaneous notes can become powerful evidence.
Get strong legal representation early
Delay gives the other side time to control the narrative. Early strategy = stronger position and fewer surprises.
We see through the act
Charm, manipulation, playing the victim — we’ve seen it all. We know exactly how to expose what’s really going on.
We build a case they can’t dismiss
Evidence. Strategy. Precision. We identify exactly what is needed and build the strongest possible case around it.
We know how to take back control
High conflict people thrive on chaos, delay and intimidation. We shut down the games early, take control of the process, and keep the pressure where it belongs.
We level the playing field
Urgent recovery orders. Contravention applications. Injunctions. Spousal maintenance. Freezing assets before they disappear. We know how to use the Court’s powers strategically to protect your position early.
We’re in your corner the whole way
Available when you need us. Straight with you always. We’ll train you how to respond so nothing you do compromises your case.
Trust the family lawyer who business leaders, lawyers & the media get their advice from.
Melanie is trusted by the media, her peers, and her clients to speak on complex and sensitive family law issues.
When the stakes are high, experience and judgment matter.
Property settlement calculator
Find Out What You Could Actually Walk Away With
Most people going through separation have no idea what they are actually entitled to. Some walk away with far less than they should. Some assume everything is automatically split 50/50.
Some do not realise how much future needs, children, income gaps, businesses, superannuation and hidden assets can completely change the outcome.
The difference can be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This is not generic advice.
This is not AI generated.
This is not a random online calculator.
When you complete the confidential assessment below, Melanie personally reviews your circumstances against how Australian courts actually determine property settlements under the Family Law Act.
Based on real family law strategy, real court outcomes, and years of experience acting in complex property matters. You will receive a strategic indication of:
Because what you do early can change everything later.
Complete the Free Confidential Property Settlement Assessment. Personal, strategic, tailored to you.
Worried about legal costs? We have thought about that too.
Separation is already overwhelming. Worrying about how you are going to afford the right legal support shouldn’t make it harder.
Free first
appointment
Meet Melanie and get honest strategic advice before you spend anything
Fixed fees where
we can
Where appropriate, we offer fixed fee arrangements, so you have greater certainty around costs from the outset.
Funding options available
through JustFund
Eligible clients may be able to fund their legal fees and repay them at the end of their matter.
Transparent
billing
Clear communication. No hidden costs. No unexpected invoices.
We believe access to great legal representation shouldn’t depend on your bank balance. Start with a free appointment. Understand your rights. Know your options.
Need help with parenting issues?
When parenting disputes turn toxic, “just be reasonable” stops working.
This is where strategy matters.
We fight for parenting arrangements that actually work in real life. Not rushed agreements made under pressure just to “keep the peace”. When negotiation works, we negotiate hard. When Court becomes necessary, we are ready for that too.
But not every parenting matter should end in a courtroom war.
Where a workable resolution is genuinely possible, Melanie’s training in collaborative family law allows clients to resolve parenting disputes strategically, privately and with less damage to the children involved.
Because temporary arrangements have a way of becoming permanent.
Your children’s future is too important to compromise.
A Practical Guide for Mothers Navigating Parenting After Family Violence
A Practical Guide for Fathers where an IVO is preventing contact with your children
A Practical Guide for Fathers where an IVO is preventing contact with your children
The First 7 Days After Separation
The First 7 Days After Separation
The First 7 Days After Separation
How it works:
A rare qualification — and a real alternative
Collaborative law is not common in Australia. Melanie is one of a small number of lawyers in Victoria — and across the country — who is fully trained and accredited in collaborative law. That means when the conditions are right, you have access to something most people in your situation simply don’t.
Both sides commit to resolution — before it begins
In collaborative law, both lawyers are trained in the process and agree upfront to work toward a mutually acceptable outcome. No posturing. No tactical games. If a settlement isn’t reached, neither lawyer can represent their client in court. Everyone at the table has one goal. And only one goal.
Open conversations. Real solutions.
Instead of entrenched positions and point-scoring, collaborative law creates space for honest discussion about what each person actually needs. The result is an agreement built around your real goals. Not one imposed by a judge who doesn’t know your family.
Not every matter is right for collaboration. But when it is, it changes everything.
We are collaborative law accredited
Spousal Maintenance
Cut Off Financially After Separation? You May Be Entitled to Urgent Spousal Maintenance. And You May Need It Now.
You don’t have to wait for a final settlement
When your former partner controls the finances, separation can mean being cut off overnight. Spousal maintenance exists precisely for this situation. And it can be applied for urgently, before any final property settlement is reached. You do not have to survive on nothing while proceedings drag on.
The law is clear — capacity and need
Under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), if you cannot adequately support yourself and your former partner has the capacity to pay, you may be entitled to spousal maintenance. The court looks at your reasonable needs and their financial capacity. It is not about punishment. It’s about ensuring you are not left destitute while the legal process runs its course
It can be structured around your actual situation
Spousal maintenance is not one size fits all. Depending on what you need (and what the circumstances allow) it can be structured as:
- Weekly or periodic payments — ongoing support to cover living expenses
- A lump sum payment — a single payment where periodic payments aren’t practical
- Direct payment of bills — mortgage, rent, utilities, and other essential expenses paid directly
Urgent applications are available
If you have been suddenly cut off, the court can move quickly. Urgent spousal maintenance applications can be heard before a final hearing, giving you financial stability when you need it most, not months down the track when the damage is already done.
Being cut off financially is a form of control. The law has an answer for it.
