Parenting Lawyers Melbourne
Your children’s future is too important to compromise. We fight for arrangements that actually work.
When “just be reasonable” stops working.
Your ex suddenly changes the schedule. The kids stop answering calls. You’re accused of being the problem. Every conversation turns into conflict.
And somehow you’re expected to stay calm while your relationship with your children slowly shifts.
Here’s what that actually looks like, and what we do about it:
Your children are being withheld or used as leverage
Cancelled visits. Ignored agreements. Last minute excuses. When your children are being used as a bargaining chip, every day matters. We move quickly to protect your relationship with them before this becomes the new normal.
You’re suddenly the subject of an Intervention Order
One allegation can remove you from your home and affect every part of your time with your children. We help you respond strategically and stop a single allegation from defining your entire case.
You’re being intimidated, manipulated, or accused of parental alienation
Threats. Pressure. Using the children to send messages or create fear. Family violence isn’t always physical, and the Court takes these behaviours seriously. So do we.
You don’t know whether you need a parenting plan, consent orders, or a court order
This is the single biggest source of confusion for separating parents, and getting it wrong can leave you with an arrangement that isn’t actually enforceable when it matters most.
You don’t have to keep absorbing this.
How we fight for you when your ex is being unreasonable.
We see through the act
Charm, manipulation, playing the victim. We’ve seen it all, and 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’s 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. We know how to use the Court’s powers strategically to protect your position early, not just respond after the damage is done.
We’re in your corner the whole way
Available when you need us. Straight with you always. We’ll guide you on how to respond so nothing you do compromises your case.
Your ex has been controlling things long enough.
Keep everything in writing
Communicate via text or a parenting app only. Verbal conversations leave room for denial and distortion later.
Document everything
Keep a timeline of incidents, missed handovers, and conversations. Contemporaneous notes can become powerful evidence.
Don’t retaliate, even when provoked
Reacting badly hands the other side ammunition. Stay calm in writing, and let us handle the strategy.
Be careful what you disclose to third parties
What you say to support services, friends, or even on social media can be raised in proceedings. Not everything is as private as you think.
Get strong legal representation early
Delay gives the other side time to control the narrative and entrench an arrangement that becomes “the way things are.” Early strategy means a stronger position and fewer surprises.
What if you could resolve this without a fight?
Not every parenting matter should end in a courtroom war.
Melanie is one of a small number of lawyers in Victoria, and across Australia, fully trained and accredited in collaborative law. Where conditions are right, this gives you access to something most people in your situation simply don’t have.
Both sides commit to resolution before it begins
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, so everyone at the table has 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 family’s real circumstances, not one imposed by a judge who doesn’t know them.
Where a workable resolution is genuinely possible, this approach lets you resolve parenting disputes strategically, privately, and with less damage to the children involved. But where it isn’t, we’re ready to fight just as hard in court.
Worried about what this will cost you? We’ve thought about that too.
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, even if you have no funds available right now.
Transparent
billing
Clear communication. No hidden costs. No surprise invoices.