Child Custody Lawyers

When parents can’t agree on where the children should be living, then speak to our child custody lawyers about how a court will make a decision about where the children should live. The best child custody lawyers will give you practical advice on how to finalise your matter quickly.

Child custody lawyers in Australia

We are child custody lawyers offering our services in Sydney and Melbourne.

Generally speaking, it’s often in the child’s best interests to have a loving relationship with both parents, but arranging
such relationships can be the main challenge in resolving a dispute. Our child custody lawyers provide the highest level of service, whilst remaining affordable and easy to talk to.

Child Custody Lawyers FAQ

Who is the best child custody lawyer?

There are a number of law firms that claim to have the best child custody lawyers.

All of these lawyers are highly reputable and have different strengths and weaknesses.

They also have a strong online presence with a number of good reviews about their handling of child custody cases. So how do you find the best child custody lawyers?

Our firm currently has an outstanding success rate in finalising matters before going to court.

We also have over 55 online reviews with a 4.8 star average. This means that we have a fantastic reputation amongst the Australian community.

Our child custody lawyers frequently appear on TV and Radio as sources of authority for family law.

You should investigate which child custody lawyer you feel most comfortable talking to and consider proceeding with them.

How much does it cost for a child custody lawyer?

The cost for a child custody lawyer is approximately $300 – $500 per hour.

The final amount that you could pay for a non contentious matter could be $3,000 – $6,000.

For a contentious matter it could be $15,000 – $100,000 depending on the complexity of the matter.

How to find the best child custody lawyer?

To find the best child custody lawyer, you should speak to as many lawyers as possible and ask for advice about what is a realistic outcome according to your circumstances and how much it will cost you.

The child custody specialist will have experience in dealing with such matters and should be able to clearly advise you about how much time the child should spend with each parent or where the child will live.

The lawyer can also provide ideas as to what types of contact between parent and child will take place.

How to get a lawyer for child custody?

To find the best child custody lawyer, you should speak to as many lawyers as possible and ask for advice about what is a realistic outcome according to your circumstances and how much it will cost you.

The child custody specialist will have experience in dealing with such matters and should be able to clearly advise you about how much time the child should spend with each parent or where the child will live.

The lawyer can also provide ideas as to what types of contact between parent and child will take place.

How to get a lawyer for child custody?

To get a lawyer for child custody cases, you should ask your friends and family for someone they know, or look for reviews online to find the best child custody lawyer for you.

You may want to seek the help of Legal Aid if you are in financial difficulty.

Our family law firm has offices in Sydney and Melbourne ready to assist you.

What does a child custody lawyer do?

A child custody lawyer works with their client to try and settle their parenting dispute with the other parent.

If the matter goes to court, they will try persuade the court that their client is better fit to take care of a child. They typically analyze and explain the case to the court, and give legal advice to their clients.

What questions should I ask a lawyer about child custody?

Questions you should ask a child custody lawyer include:

How long will this matter take?
What are the fees involved for this matter?
What is the best case scenario for me if this goes to court?
What is the worst case scenario for me if this goes to court?
What is a likely outcome a judge will reach if a judge hears this matter?
Do you have experience with child custody matters?

Can I get custody of my child without a lawyer?

You can get custody of your child without a lawyer.

Many couples negotiate their own parenting agreements and are able to amicably reach a position by consent.

Some people are unable to pay for a child custody lawyer, so choose to self represent in court.

A child custody lawyer can assist you with your case, however you need to ensure that you have a good lawyer who understands and will fight for your case.

You can get custody of your child without a lawyer.

Many couples negotiate their own parenting agreements and are able to amicably reach a position by consent.

Some people are unable to pay for a child custody lawyer, so choose to self represent in court.

A child custody lawyer can assist you with your case, however you need to ensure that you have a good lawyer who understands and will fight for your case.

Child Custody

Child custody is often one of the most difficult issues a person may face in their lives. Justice Family Lawyers assures you that your appointed solicitor will be working closely with you on your case, you’ll be able to get the best parenting agreement for you and your children.

Research has shown that children in separated families are able to have full loving relationships with both parents and if both parents have a positive outlook and do not involve the children in the dispute.

Where Will The Children Live After Separation?

If parents can’t agree on where the children should be living, the court will make a decision about where the children should live.

In order for the court to make this decision, they’ll look at the relevant child custody laws in the Family Law Act to make this decision. Our law in Australia says that the courts must look at the two primary considerations:

a) the benefit to the child of having a meaningful relationship with both of the child’s parents; and

b) the need to protect the child from physical or psychological harm from being subjected to, or exposed to, abuse, neglect or family violence.

There are other things that the court looks at when making a decision about physical custody of the children.

Views of the child in the Family Court

The Court may ask the child themselves about their views and where they would like to live, however, this is only something that the court will consider and not necessarily listen to.

The views of a child may also be expressed through an independent children’s lawyer.

You should also consider the relationship that the child has with each of the child’s parents and extended family members and as a result put the child in the care of people that they are comfortable with.

The court may also look at the history of the parents and make a decision based on whether or not they have taken opportunities to spend time and communicate with their child.

Remember. this is why we advise that you take notes of what you and your ex-partners have been doing before child custody matters go before the court.

The past will be taken into consideration, however, the future of the child is also largely important.

An assessment will be made about the ability of the parents to provide for the upcoming needs of the child, including the ability to be available financially, emotionally and intellectually for the child.

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Family Law Child Custody Lawyers

If the parents can agree on where the children will live and the visitation schedule of the other parent, then either a parenting plan or consent orders should be entered into.

Parenting plans are written agreements that set out the arrangements for the children. They include details about where the children will live, what days they will spend with the other parent, what will happen during school holidays and special events such as Christmas and birthdays and any other matter relevant to the co-parenting of the child.

A parenting plan is not a legally enforceable document.

To draft a parenting plan appropriately, you can refer to section 63C of the Family Law Act 1975.

If you complete an application for consent orders and attach a copy of your parenting plan, you could then have the parenting plan approved by the court as a Consent Order.

This is a legally enforceable agreement and holds the same weight as a Parenting Order made by the Court after a hearing.

Parenting plans are often entered into after negotiations between solicitors or after a successful mediation; however, as experienced child custody lawyers, we always recommended that this agreement be submitted to the courts for the purposes of making it an enforceable agreement.

Need A Lawyer For Child Custody

We are Family Lawyers that specialise in Child Custody with plenty of experience in handling all types of child custody matters.

Our child custody lawyers always recommend our clients to attend mediation when trying to resolve a dispute.

This can be difficult if there is resentment or if one party is not cooperating, which may leave you with no option but to make an application to change an existing parenting order.

Our child custody services are affordable and efficient.

Where one parent is unhappy with a particular aspect of their joint custody arrangement they should firstly seeking legal advice.

You need to be careful that your claim isn’t dismissed immediately because the general rule is, once a decision has been made in the courts, it will not be changed.

The Court will need to be satisfied that there has been a material or significant change of circumstances for it to be re-heard in court. This is quite commonly referred to as the rule in Rice & Asplund.

The court doesn’t want to continue listening to the same issues about the same children time and time again. However, the Court understands that circumstances in children’s lives will change over time.

Learn what steps you can take next

Speak to our legal team now

Child Custody Specialists Assisting With Visitation

When a relationship breaks down, communication between the parents becomes difficult and the children can be used as tools to manipulate the other party.

If you have been denied access to your children in Australia, there are different options are available to you depending on your situation.

No Court Orders – You will need to attend family mediation, or, if the matter is urgent or family mediation has failed, you can speak to one of our child custody lawyers about starting an Initiating Application in the Federal Circuit Court or Family Court.

In the event you have Court Orders in place – you can try and attend a dispute resolution centre to have a mediator try and resolve the problem. Finally, if this doesn’t work, you will need to get a certificate from the mediator saying that you made a genuine attempt to resolve the matter but no solution could be made.

You then need to file the certificate with a Contravention Application stating that the other parent has breached the original Court Orders. The court will then look at the breach and could potentially enforce the Orders and punish the other parent for breaking them.

Child Custody and Being Focused on Children

We recommend that upon separation you immediately come to an agreement as to how the children will be spending their time with each parent. This will be in line with best family law practice.

Our child custody lawyers will assist you in documenting your agreement, either through a Parenting Plan, or through Consent Orders.

You should definitely not just leave your agreement as unwritten – this will definitely lead to arguments and problems as there will be confusion and miscommunication.

REVIEWS

  Justice family Lawyers are a professional and very knowledgeable law firm with a great understanding of family law, my particular case was very difficult as both sides had completely different… read moreJustice family Lawyers are a professional and very knowledgeable law firm with a great understanding of family law, my particular case was very difficult as both sides had completely different views on what was fair and reasonable and we had been trying to negotiate a deal for over 2 years before I engaged JFL to assist, Laila was the lawyer appointed to my case, actually basket case would be a better description. Laila put in the effort to get to know me and my position, set out a strategy to achieve a result with the best outcome for me at the least legal costs possible, her determination and focus on this goal was the reason it was achieved. I never once felt I was not being kept up to date, i was always treated with respect in a courteous manner and Laila made sure I had a full understanding of all the correspondence between the two parties, she created a environment where I felt completely comfortable asking any questions I had or providing her with sensitive information to assist her understanding and to strengthen our case I can highly recommend JFL and in particular Laila, she is an excellent lawyer that acted with integrity and professionalism at all times, in my opinion she is a credit to her profession and I still don’t know how she managed to get the result she did, however if you are in need of a family law legal person to represent you, you couldn’t go past this firm, my only regret is that I didn’t engage JFL from day one of my separation, it would of saved a lot of frustration and time. Regards Tim read less  
Tim Masters
05/11/23
  I had the privilege of working with Justice Family Lawyers for my family law case, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the service and consultation I received. Monique Alexander… read moreI had the privilege of working with Justice Family Lawyers for my family law case, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the service and consultation I received. Monique Alexander is an exceptional family lawyer who goes above and beyond to ensure their clients’ needs are met. read less  
A Google User
03/11/23
  Awesome very helpful  
Steve
03/11/23

  Ananya Singh was fantastic, she handled my case in great time was very professional in her approach to all matters and very easy to talk to when discussing my case…. read moreAnanya Singh was fantastic, she handled my case in great time was very professional in her approach to all matters and very easy to talk to when discussing my case. I cant thank you enough for your hard work Ananya I would highly recommend her to anyone seeking help with Family Law. Thanks again Ananya and the superb effort you put in and the team at Justice. read less  
Tristan Lock
27/10/23
  Great service  
Bradley Chesworth
20/10/23
  Although this firm was in Sydney, they still took the time to assist with my questions and even gave me their partnered firms in the QLD area. I would highly… read moreAlthough this firm was in Sydney, they still took the time to assist with my questions and even gave me their partnered firms in the QLD area. I would highly recommend due to the attention to detail, the free 10 minute consult which is so useful and even a sense of being heard throughout the conversation which detailed and highlighted the important factors raised during the call. read less  
Stephanie Williams
07/10/23