Our Family Law Solicitors

Just Family Law is a specialist family law firm with a client and result-focused approach, dedicated to providing advice in all aspects of family law at our Dandenong and Melbourne law offices.

Our family law lawyers are a complete family law service team. They deal with separation, divorce and family law issues including dividing assets after separation, arrangements for children, grandparent’s rights, inheritance disputes, business valuations, loans from parents and claims to property.

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Chris is a longstanding and prominent member of the family law profession… 

Chris Woods

Founder & Principal
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David joined Just Family Law in 2015 to continue his long career in family law…

David Chalmers

Family Lawyer
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Sally joined Just Family Law in 2012 and has practiced exclusively in the area of family law…

Sally O'Connor

Family Lawyer

Family Law Specialists

We understand the stress of relationship breakdowns, and the impact that this has on not only the parties involved, but the children also. We’ll help you move forward by providing you with clear advice about your legal rights and entitlements and by assisting you to identify your goals and priorities. We’ll empower you to make informed decisions about your future, and use our experience to ensure you obtain the best possible outcome.

Urgency.

Your matter is urgent to you.  You need to put your best facts forward in the most effective way to get your matter treated as urgent above the competing claims of other litigants.  As specialist family lawyers we have experience in knowing how to define urgency in the eyes of the court.

Urgency generally depends on these factors:

  • Children’s matters are more urgent than property matters.
  • Risk to children is urgent.  Most of our client’s cases don’t have physical risk to children but unfortunately there are enough cases to take up considerable resources.
  • Allegations of physical and psychological harm, drug abuse by parents, change of schools, overseas travel are examples of urgent matters.
  • Allegations of domestic violence increase urgency.
  • Where a parent has any time with a child, but argues for more, that is less urgent than a child who has no time with a parent.
  • Agreed or easily proved facts are more important than he said, she said opinions in assessing priority.
  • Travel to overseas locations are urgent.  But these cases will be easier to decide now.
  • Preserving the assets is urgent.  Deciding who gets what will not be urgent.  Deciding who gets what can be decided without judges unless there are serious issues of facts and credibility.

Tactics and experience

You must anticipate that tactics will need to shift somewhat.  We always look to negotiate first and litigate last.  Until March 2020 you could rely on us assessing the strength of the case and negotiate knowing that you could seek justice in the court promptly.  That is not the case now.  More focus on out of court results is needed.

The economy

Asset prices have changed downward – shares certainly, real estate possibly.  Rejecting a reasonably decent offer may have terrible consequences in a negative market.  Then, sometime, a rebound occurs.

The focus on family law tax provisions to avoid capital gains on asset splits may switch focus to acquiring capital losses to offset other gains.
Often a business owner will claim the value of their business suddenly dropped at separation.  Maybe now it’s true.  Maybe?
A downswing in the economy usually affects solicitors in commercial law and family lawyers just get busier.  Some of our lawyers remember the recession we had to have (1990) and most remember the GFC (2008).  Back then solicitors from commercial law, without many client’s, dabbled in Family law.  It wasn’t pretty.  Be cautious.

On the bright side, now under utilised experienced family law barristers, unable to attend the adjourned court hearings, will be available for mediation.  You need to know who’s worth your legal budget.

You can conduct your interviews by telephone, Skype and Zoom.
We offer free 30 minute appointments upon request.

                    Divorce Lawyer | Family Law Solicitors
Phone: (03) 9793 7888
Fax: (03) 9793 7889
Suite 2/37 Princes Highway Service Road
Dandenong, VIC, 3175