Byron Bay Family law

Slide Helping families facilitate outcomes in the best interests of the child – that’s the heart of our practice Helping families facilitate outcomes in the best interests of the child

Parenting Law

What is this about?

Parenting law covers a diverse and often sensitive range of topics, including; parental responsibility, child’s best interests, same sex parenting, parenting plans, relocation and international parenting issues.

With extensive experience, we understand the importance of giving you options to achieve your parenting goals in a timely manner, while putting your children’s best interests first.

How We Can Help

Whatever your family circumstances, Byron Bay Family Law advise and prepare you in all areas of parent and child-related family law issues. We’ll help you reach agreement about parenting arrangements and formalise these with a parenting plan or consent court orders (a written agreement approved by a court).

Alternatively, we can guide you through Family Dispute Resolution (mediation) to negotiate an agreed outcome, without having to go to court. In the event agreements cannot be reached, our experienced litigators will advocate for you and your children in court. Our Parenting Coordination service provides ongoing support with the implementation of complex court orders.

First Steps

If you are seeking early advice about your options or looking to begin a particular process, book a free initial consultation by calling us or filling in our online form.

We’re happy to arrange whichever time and means (in person, telephone, or online) suits you best for this consultation.

If you are seeking early advice about your options or looking to begin a particular process, book a free initial consultation by calling us or filling in our online form.

We’re happy to arrange whichever time and means (in person, telephone, or online) suits you best for this consultation.

Byron Bay Family Law Services

Byron Bay Family Law Services

Children and Parenting

  • Best Interests of the Child’ considerations
  • Same sex parenting
  • Parental responsibility
  • Living and spend time arrangements
  • Relocation
  • International parenting issues
  • Parenting Plans
  • Co-parenting
  • Varying parenting court orders
  • Rights of grandparents and others

Slide What is this about? If you are seeking early advice about your options or looking to begin a particular process, book a free initial consultation by calling us or filling in our online form.
We’re happy to arrange whichever time and means (in person, telephone, or online) suits you best for this consultation.
First Steps Parenting law covers a diverse and often sensitive range of topics, including; parental responsibility, child’s best interests, same sex parenting, parenting plans, relocation and international parenting issues.
With over 60 years’ combined experience, we understand the importance of giving you options to achieve your parenting goals in a timely manner, while putting your children's best interests first.
How We Can Help  Whatever your family circumstances, Byron Bay Family Law advise and prepare you in all areas of parent and child-related family law issues. We’ll help you reach agreement about parenting arrangements and formalise these with a parenting plan or consent court orders (a written agreement approved by a court).
Alternatively, we can guide you through Family Dispute Resolution (mediation) to negotiate an agreed outcome, without having to go to court. In the event agreements cannot be reached, our experienced litigators will advocate for you and your children in court. Our Parenting Coordination service provides ongoing support with the implementation of complex court orders.
  • Best Interests of the Child’ considerations
  • Same sex parenting
  • Parental responsibility
  • Living and spend time
  • arrangements
  • Relocation
  • International parenting issues
  • Parenting Plans
  • Co-parenting
  • Varying parenting court orders
  • Rights of grandparents and others
Mathews
Family Law
Services
Parenting law covers a diverse
and often sensitive range of topics,
including; parental responsibility,
child’s best interests, same sex parenting, parenting plans, relocation and international parenting issues.
With over 60 years’ combined
experience, we understand the
importance of giving you options
to achieve your parenting goals in
a timely manner, while putting your
children's best interests first.
Whatever your family circumstances, Byron Bay Family Law advise and prepare you in all areas of parent and child-related family law issues. We’ll help you reach agreement about parenting arrangements and formalise these with a parenting plan or consent court orders (a written agreement approved by a court). If you are seeking early advice about your options or looking to begin a particular process, book a free initial consultation by calling us or filling in our online form. Children and Parenting Alternatively, we can guide you through Family Dispute Resolution (mediation) to negotiate an agreed outcome, without having to go to court. In the event agreements cannot be reached, our experienced litigators will advocate for you and your children in court. Our Parenting Coordination service provides ongoing support with the implementation of complex court orders. We’re happy to arrange whichever time and means (in person, telephone, or online) suits you best for this consultation.
  • Best Interests of the Child’ considerations
  • Same sex parenting
  • Parental responsibility
  • Living and spend time arrangements
  • arrangements
  • Relocation
  • International parenting issues
  • Parenting Plans
  • Co-parenting
  • Varying parenting court orders
  • Rights of grandparents and others

Essentials Of A Good Parenting Plan

No two are families alike, especially no two divorcing families.  So parenting plans will differ, depending on the size of the family, religious affiliation, professional status of parents, income, educational needs and location, just to name a few.  The first step to creating the plan is simply sitting down together and talking.  If parents were unable to open the lines of communication during marriage, this might be an even harder task now.  But both sides must remember that the children’s needs and best interests are the priority and they come first in the parenting plan.  With that in mind, below are some essential issues that every plan should have, along with some extra ideas that families might want to consider for their plan.

A schedule for the children

This is a schedule for the children for school vacations, national and religious holidays and day-to-day living.  In the ideal, it looks towards the future, so schedules can be created on a yearly basis, with holidays and visitation days switching each year (ie Mom has the children for Christmas in odd years and Dad has them for summer holidays in even years).

Decision Making

A good plan should determine the authority and responsibilities of each parent.  The parenting plan should determine who makes which decisions.  Some parents decide that when the children are with a parent, that parent makes day to day decisions.  For young children, this might include what they eat, how often they bathe, how homework is done and when they go to sleep.  For older children decision-making will involve issues of computer and cell phone use, dating, curfews, car use and more.

www.interventionordersmelbourne.com.au

A Family Violence Intervention Order grants the affected family member experiencing family violence immediate short-term and long-term protection.

We explain what this means and what your options and rights.

www.divorce-online.com.au

For a simple fast and cost effective divorce with minimal fuss we offer a fixed fee standard online divorce application. The fee includes an application for divorce, court filing fees and disbursements.

Unbundling breaks up the family lawyer’s role into a number of agreed limited legal services. This empowers the client to select only those legal services that they require and can limit the lawyer’s involvement to a single issue, court or mediation process including:

  • Advice only
  • Research only
  • Drafting letters or court documents
  • Reviewing client prepared letters and court documents
  • Negotiation coaching in preparation for mediation or settlement meeting
  • Negotiating on behalf of the client
  • Attendance at mediation or court appearance on behalf of the client
  • Drafting settlement agreements
  • Providing independent legal advice for financial agreements
  • This is supported by a written ‘unbundled limited scope engagement /
    ­agreement’ (costs agreement) and fixed fees by agreement.
Family law advice is expensive. To assist you, Byron Bay Family Law offers a free initial telephone consultation:

Fixed Fee Services

Intervention Order 1,950 + GST
Online Application for Divorce 895 + GST
(+disbursements)
Family Dispute Resolution and Property Mediation
Intake Meeting (per hour) 385 + GST
Joint Session  (up to 3 hours) 1,650 + GST
Unbundled Legal and Mediation Service (per hour) 385 + GST

Your initial conference with us is important. It warrants the attention of an accredited family law specialist who will apply their knowledge of the law to the special circumstances of your matter. For this reason we do not offer a ‘free half hour’ service.

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Everything You Need To Know

Your Questions  Answered

Where to Start

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Numbers Tool

Resource Hub

Articles

Your Rights

Video/Vlog

Where to Start

Lets Talk

Calculators

Numbers Tool

Resource Hub

Articles

Your Rights

Video/Vlog

Accredited Family Law Specialist, FDRP,
Mediator and Parenting Coordinator

Vanessa Mathews is the founder and managing director of Byron Bay Family Law & Mediation Specialists, and has the rare combination of social work qualifications and experience, combined with nearly 20 years’ experience as a lawyer and mediator; it makes her approach to resolving legal relationship issues both sensible and sensitive.

She is a fully accredited family law specialist, mediator, family dispute resolution practitioner and parenting coordinator with a commerce degree – adding a financially astute aspect to her practice.

Vanessa has extensive experience in complex issues that arise from relationship breakdown, and works in partnership with her clients,
who regularly describe her as empathetic

Vanessa is an active member of the family law profession and
a member of the:

  •  Law Institute of Victoria, Family Law Section
  •  Law Council of Australia, Family Law Section
  •  Resolution Institute
  •  Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators
  • National Mediation Accreditation System
  •  Relationships Australia Family Lawyers Panel
  • Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers
  •  Relationships Australia / Federal Circuit Court ‘Access Resolve’ Mediation Service
  • Relationships Australia ‘Property Mediation’ Service

Vanessa and Byron Bay Family Law & Mediation Specialists
are regularly recognised as a ‘Leading Victorian Family
Lawyer’, ‘Recommended Family Law Mediator’ and a
‘Leading Victorian Family Law Firm’ by Doyle’s Guide to
the Australian Legal Profession.

Get Started With Vanessa

Book A Free Consult

Accredited Family Law Specialist, FDRP,
Mediator and Parenting Coordinator

Vanessa Mathews is the founder and managing director of Byron Bay Family Law & Mediation Specialists, and has the rare combination of social work qualifications and experience, combined with nearly 20 years’ experience as a lawyer and mediator; it makes her approach to resolving legal relationship issues both sensible and sensitive.

She is a fully accredited family law specialist, mediator, family dispute resolution practitioner and parenting coordinator with a commerce degree – adding a financially astute aspect to her practice.

Vanessa has extensive experience in complex issues that arise from relationship breakdown, and works in partnership with her clients,
who regularly describe her as empathetic

Vanessa is an active member of the family law profession and
a member of the:

  •  Law Institute of Victoria, Family Law Section
  •  Law Council of Australia, Family Law Section
  •  Resolution Institute
  •  Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators
  • National Mediation Accreditation System
  •  Relationships Australia Family Lawyers Panel
  • Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers
  •  Relationships Australia / Federal Circuit Court ‘Access Resolve’ Mediation Service
  • Relationships Australia ‘Property Mediation’ Service

Vanessa and Byron Bay Family Law & Mediation Specialists
are regularly recognised as a ‘Leading Victorian Family
Lawyer’, ‘Recommended Family Law Mediator’ and a
‘Leading Victorian Family Law Firm’ by Doyle’s Guide to
the Australian Legal Profession.

Get Started With Vanessa

Book A Free Consult