Family Lawyers in Melbourne and South-East Victoria

Freemont Family Lawyers is a Victorian firm that practises family law and the areas that sit alongside it: divorce, property settlement, parenting arrangements, intervention orders, child protection and estate planning. We act for people across Melbourne and south-east Victoria from four offices in the Melbourne CBD, St Kilda Road, Dandenong and Pakenham. Phone and online appointments are available Victoria-wide, so you can get advice without taking a day off work.

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Family law is all we do. The lawyer handling your matter appears regularly in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, the Victorian Magistrates' Courts and the Children's Court of Victoria, and deals with cases like yours every week rather than a few times a year. That means faster, more accurate advice about where you actually stand, and a realistic view of what a court is likely to do if your matter does not settle.

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What we help Melbourne families with

Separation and divorce. Ending a marriage is a separate legal step from dividing property or arranging care of your children. You must have been separated for twelve months before applying, and the application goes to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. We prepare and file sole and joint applications on fixed fees.

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Property settlement. Dividing assets after a marriage or de facto relationship is usually the largest financial transaction of a person's life. The Family Law Act sets out how the court identifies the asset pool, weighs each person's contributions and future needs, and arrives at a division that is just and equitable. Most of our property matters resolve without a trial, by negotiation, consent orders or a binding financial agreement.

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Parenting and children. Parenting arrangements are decided by what is in the best interests of the child, not by any preset formula and not by a starting assumption of equal time. We help parents reach workable arrangements through parenting plans and consent orders, and we represent parents in court when agreement is not possible.

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Intervention orders. We act for both applicants and respondents in family violence and personal safety intervention order matters in the Victorian Magistrates' Courts, and we advise on how an intervention order interacts with parenting proceedings.

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Wills, estates and probate. Separation changes what happens to your estate. We prepare wills and powers of attorney, and we act in probate and estate administration. We recommend every client review their estate planning when a relationship ends.

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Family law changed in 2024 and 2025

The Family Law Act 1975 has been substantially amended twice in the last two years, so advice written before those changes may no longer be right.

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From 6 May 2024, the Family Law Amendment Act 2023 removed the former presumption of equal shared parental responsibility and replaced the long checklist of parenting considerations with a shorter set of factors centred on the child's safety, the child's views, their developmental and emotional needs, and the benefit of relationships with people who are significant to them.

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From 10 June 2025, the Family Law Amendment Act 2024 wrote the property settlement framework directly into the Act, expressly requiring courts to consider the economic effect of family violence where it is relevant, codifying the duty of financial disclosure, and adding specific provisions dealing with companion animals.

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If you were given advice, or read something online, before mid-2024, have it checked before you rely on it.

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Clear fees, and a free first conversation

Every new enquiry gets a free, no-obligation 30-minute phone assessment. We hear what has happened, identify what is urgent, and tell you honestly whether you need a lawyer at all. It is protected by legal professional privilege.

Where the work allows a fixed fee, we publish one: divorce applications from $1,200 plus court filing fees and disbursements, initial consultations with a family lawyer from $400, and wills from $990. Property and parenting matters are scoped and quoted individually, and you receive a written estimate before we start. If paying legal fees before your settlement is the obstacle, we work with litigation funding providers so your matter is not held up by cash flow.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need a family lawyer?

Not always, and we will tell you if you don't. But early advice matters most in family law. Decisions made in the first weeks after separation about money, housing and the children often shape the final outcome. A single consultation can prevent an expensive mistake.

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How much does a family lawyer cost in Melbourne?

It depends on the work involved. Our divorce applications start from $1,200 plus court filing fees and disbursements, initial consultations start from $400, and wills start from $990. Your first 30-minute phone assessment is free. Property and parenting matters are quoted individually and you always receive a written estimate first.

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How long do I have to wait to get divorced?

You must be separated for at least twelve months before you can apply for a divorce in Australia. You can be separated while still living under one roof, though you will need to provide additional evidence. Property settlement and parenting arrangements do not have to wait for the divorce, and in many cases they should not.

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Is my de facto partner entitled to my property?

Possibly. De facto couples have substantially the same property rights as married couples under the Family Law Act where the relationship lasted at least two years, there is a child of the relationship, or significant contributions were made. Strict time limits apply. You generally have two years from separation to bring a claim, and an out of time application may not be successful, so get advice early.

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Do we have to go to court?

Usually not. Most family law matters resolve by negotiation, mediation or consent orders. In parenting matters you are generally required to attempt family dispute resolution before filing, unless an exception applies. We prepare every matter as though it may go to court, which is a large part of why most of ours don't.

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Which court hears family law matters in Victoria?

Almost all divorce, property and parenting matters are heard in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Family violence intervention orders are heard in the Victorian Magistrates' Courts, and child protection matters in the Children's Court of Victoria. We appear regularly in all three.

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Do you have a family lawyer near me?

We have offices in the Melbourne CBD, on St Kilda Road, in Dandenong and in Pakenham, and we act for clients across Melbourne and south-east Victoria. Phone and video appointments are available anywhere in Victoria.

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Speak to a Melbourne family lawyer today

You don't have to work out your next step alone. Book a free 30-minute phone assessment, call 1800 976 214, or visit us in the Melbourne CBD, St Kilda Road, Dandenong or Pakenham.