Specialist family lawyers with offices in Mount Eliza & Malvern, serving the Mornington Peninsula, Bayside, and Melbourne’s inner east. Clear advice, calm guidance, and a resolution-first approach.
If you are separating and trying to understand your rights, around your children, your property, or your financial future, you are in the right place.
Village Family Lawyers works exclusively in family law. Our team includes two LIV Accredited Family Law Specialists, Bryn Stevens and Anna Bulner. LIV Accreditation is awarded by the Law Institute of Victoria to a small number of lawyers each year. It reflects advanced expertise, complex case experience, and rigorous ongoing development.
Two of our senior lawyers, Lauren Wilson and Maria Stipic, trained and previously qualified as Nationally Accredited Mediators. This means they have formal, assessed training in how mediation works from the inside. Neither conducts mediation sessions. What their training gives them is an intimate understanding of the process that uniquely positions them to prepare, advise, and support clients through it far more effectively.
Over 1,000 families across Victoria have trusted us with their most personal legal matters.
We are specialist family lawyers and work exclusively in family law. Whatever your situation, our family law Mount Eliza and Malvern team has the expertise to guide you through it.
Step-by-step guidance from the moment you decide to separate through to final orders. We coordinate parenting and property alongside divorce from the start.
Child-focused advice on parenting plans, consent orders, and dispute resolution. The wellbeing of your children guides everything we do.
Expert advice on dividing assets fairly. From straightforward settlements to complex matters involving business interests, trusts, and significant property.
Thorough preparation and expert support through the mediation process. Our Nationally Accredited Mediators bring inside knowledge that produces better outcomes.
Binding financial agreements, consent orders, and strategic advice to protect your financial position before, during, or after separation.
Most people are not ready to launch into legal proceedings. They are trying to understand where they stand.
We answer all of these questions clearly, calmly, and without jargon from your first consultation.
Here is what to expect when you book with Village Family Lawyers in Mount Eliza or Malvern.
Use our online booking form or call 1300 413 997. Choose in person at Mount Eliza or Malvern, or secure phone or video.
Expect a calm, guided conversation. Your lawyer will listen to your situation and explain your rights and options clearly.
You leave with practical next steps tailored to your situation, protecting your family, your finances, and your future.
Mornington Peninsula and Bayside clients
Melbourne inner east and citywide clients
Discovery Calls are made over the telephone and all other consultations are available via a secure online video call.
All consultations available in person or by phone and secure video. Three ways to connect:
Not sure yet? Book a free 15-minute Discovery Call.
Free
15 min
Initial Consultation
90 min
Pre-mediation conference
90 min
It is worth speaking to a family lawyer as soon as you feel uncertain about your rights, your children, your finances, or what the future may look like after separation.
At Village Family Lawyers, there is no pressure to make immediate decisions or begin legal proceedings. For many people, the first conversation is simply about understanding their situation, exploring their options, and gaining clarity about what comes next. Some clients are ready to take action straight away. Others may spend weeks or months considering their next steps before moving forward.
We see part of our role as helping you understand, for your unique situation, what your options and rights are — and when needed, we will strongly protect and defend those rights. Our focus is always on helping you move forward with clarity, confidence, and the right support around you.
Every separation is different, which means your rights and options will depend on your personal circumstances, your finances, your children, and the dynamics of your relationship.
You may need guidance around parenting arrangements, property settlement, financial support, superannuation, business interests, or protecting important assets. Many people are also unsure about what they should — or should not — do in the early stages after separation.
At Village Family Lawyers, we take the time to understand the full picture before giving advice. We help you understand where you stand legally, what practical pathways are available to you, and how to make informed decisions that protect your future and your family.
Divorce is the legal process that formally ends a marriage. In Australia, divorce itself is separate from parenting arrangements and property settlement.
In most cases, you need to have been separated for at least 12 months before applying for divorce. You can apply jointly with your former partner, or individually. (fcfcoa.gov.au)
At Village Family Lawyers, we help clients understand not only the divorce process itself, but also how divorce fits into the bigger picture, including parenting matters, financial arrangements, property settlement, and planning for the future.
For many people, divorce is not just a legal step. It is part of rebuilding life after separation. Our role is to help make that process feel clearer, calmer, and more manageable.
Yes. It is possible to be separated while continuing to live under the same roof.
This is more common than many people realise, particularly where children, financial pressures, housing availability, or practical family arrangements are involved.
Being separated under one roof generally means the relationship has ended, even though you may still share a home for a period of time. The Court may look at factors such as sleeping arrangements, finances, communication, and whether family and friends are aware of the separation.
At Village Family Lawyers, we regularly guide clients through this situation and help them understand how separation under one roof may affect divorce applications, parenting arrangements, and financial matters.
There is no automatic rule about who children live with after separation. The focus should always be on what arrangements are in the children’s best interests and support their wellbeing, stability, and safety.
Parenting arrangements can include where children live, how time is shared, schooling, holidays, communication, and important decisions about their care. Many families are able to reach agreements through discussion, negotiation, or mediation without needing to go to court.
At Village Family Lawyers, we are strong advocates for resolution-focused parenting arrangements wherever possible. With several trained mediators within our team, we help parents work through difficult conversations in a structured and supportive way, often helping families reach practical agreements that can later be formalised through Consent Orders if appropriate.
Where matters are more complex, or conflict is high, we provide strategic advice and strong representation focused on protecting both children and our clients’ rights.
Property settlement is not automatically a 50/50 split. Every situation is different, and the outcome will depend on a range of factors including contributions, future needs, financial circumstances, children, and the overall asset pool.
A settlement may involve property, savings, investments, superannuation, inheritances, businesses, trusts, companies, or other financial structures.
At Village Family Lawyers, we guide clients through both straightforward and highly complex financial matters. Through The Village Circle, we also work alongside a trusted network of financial specialists, accountants, valuers, and other professionals when needed to help unravel and understand more sophisticated financial structures, business interests, and high-net-worth settlements.
Our focus is on helping clients reach practical, well-informed outcomes that protect both their immediate position and long-term future.
No — though sometimes court involvement is unavoidable.
Many family law matters can be resolved through negotiation, mediation, lawyer-assisted mediation, or Consent Orders without the need for lengthy court proceedings.
At Village Family Lawyers, we are strongly resolution-focused. We believe court should generally be a last resort wherever appropriate and safe to do so. Our team includes several trained mediators, allowing us to support clients through structured discussions that often reduce stress, cost, and conflict.
That said, there are situations where urgent action or court intervention is necessary — particularly where there are serious disputes, safety concerns, non-compliance, or significant power imbalances. When that happens, we provide clear strategic advice and strong representation to help protect what matters most.
Our goal is always to help clients move forward in the most practical, constructive, and effective way possible.
