Family Lawyers for Narre Warren and Berwick
Separating is hard enough without having to work out where to find a family lawyer. For people in Narre Warren, Narre Warren South, Berwick, Harkaway and Clyde North, our Dandenong office is close by: usually 15 to 20 minutes’ drive along the Princes Highway or the Monash Freeway, or a short trip on the Pakenham line.
Coming to see us
Our office is at Level 10, 14 Mason Street, Dandenong, about five minutes’ walk from Dandenong Station. Narre Warren and Berwick stations are both on the Pakenham line, which runs straight through Dandenong. If you’d rather not travel, we also meet clients by phone and video.
What we help with
Divorce. We prepare and file your divorce application with the Federal Circuit and Family Court. If you have children under 18, the court must be satisfied that proper arrangements have been made for them before it grants a divorce, and we make sure your application deals with that.
Children and parenting. If you and your former partner can’t agree on parenting arrangements, we help you negotiate, prepare for family dispute resolution and, if it comes to it, apply to the court for parenting orders.
Property settlement. We help you work out what’s in the property pool, including real estate, super, businesses and debts, and negotiate a fair division.
Consent orders and financial agreements. Once you’ve reached agreement, we put it in a form that’s binding, so neither of you can reopen it later without good reason.
Intervention orders. We help people apply for a family violence intervention order, and we represent people who have been served with one.
Courts close to our office
Family law cases for people in the south-east can be heard at the Dandenong registry of the Federal Circuit and Family Court, at 53–55 Robinson Street. It’s close to our office, so meetings before and after court are easy to arrange. Some cases are listed in Melbourne or heard online.
Intervention order cases are heard in the Magistrates’ Court. Dandenong Magistrates’ Court, on Pultney Street, runs a Specialist Family Violence Court.
Before your first meeting
It helps to have the following on hand, if you can:
- the dates you started living together, married (if you did) and separated
- the names and ages of any children
- recent statements for bank accounts, super and loans
- any court documents, orders or letters from lawyers
Don’t worry if you don’t have everything. We can work out together what’s missing and how to get it.
Common questions
Is mediation compulsory for parenting matters?
Generally, yes. Before you can apply for parenting orders, you usually need to attempt family dispute resolution and get a certificate from the practitioner. There are exceptions, including family violence, child abuse and urgent cases.
Does the court divide property 50/50?
No. There’s no automatic 50/50 split. The court looks at what each person contributed, both financial and non-financial, each person’s future needs, and whether the overall result is just and equitable.
We weren’t married. Does family law still apply?
Yes. De facto couples, including same-sex couples, can seek property settlement and parenting orders under the Family Law Act, in much the same way as married couples.
Call (03) 9792 0221 or contact us online to book an appointment. We’re open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.