Katalin is a Senior Associate and Accredited Family Law Specialist in the Family and Relationship Law team at Lander & Rogers.
Practicing exclusively in family law since 2016, Katalin is known for her technical expertise, practical approach, and compassionate advocacy. She has a highly respected reputation in the legal community as a commercially savvy and deeply client-focused family lawyer.
Katalin represents clients both within Australia and internationally, and advises on a wide range of matters in all areas of family law. Katalin regularly assists individuals and families from all walks of life, including those with high-value property pools, complex corporate and trust structures, complex parenting issues and third-party interests—always tailoring her advice to meet each client’s unique needs and circumstances.
Katalin is frequently engaged to draft and review binding financial agreements, particularly those prepared for the purposes of asset protection and intergenerational wealth transfer. She works closely with her clients' family offices and financial advisors in this component of her practice. She also has extensive experience in parenting disputes, including those involving family violence, relocation and international issues.
Through delivering clear, practical advice, Katalin is committed to empowering clients to navigate the legal process with confidence. She balances strong and strategic advocacy with a considered sensitivity to the emotional complexities of family law matters to achieve the best outcome in every case.
Katalin regularly appears in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1, Division 2, and the Appellate Division), as well as the Magistrates' Court of Victoria.
In addition to her litigation work, Katalin is a strong advocate for achieving collaborative and negotiated solutions for her clients. She has an extensive mediation practice, with a particular focus on helping clients resolve disputes outside of court through both private mediations and lawyer-assisted conferences.
Katalin’s contributions to the profession have been widely recognised. She was named Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year at the 2023 Australasian Law Awards, a finalist for Senior Associate of the Year at the 2022 Lawyers Weekly Awards and featured in the 2023 Rising Stars list by Australasian Lawyer.
In 2025, Katalin was listed as a Family Law Rising Star for Victoria in the nationally peer-reviewed publication Doyle’s Guide and was also recognised in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in Australia as voted by her peers for her expertise in family law.
Experience
Katalin’s areas of expertise include:
- complex financial and property settlements, particularly those involving trusts and company structures, disputed property and business valuations, and the taxation implications of settlements
- asset protection and family estate planning, including working with family offices and high-net-worth individuals to safeguard intergenerational wealth
- children’s issues and litigated parenting matters, including care and residence disputes, family violence, child support, medical and schooling disputes, and relocation applications
- international and jurisdictional disputes, including cross-jurisdictional proceedings and anti-suit injunctions in matters involving two or more jurisdictions and overseas property interests
- family violence and intervention orders.
Career highlights
Katalin's career highlights include:
- successfully acting in appeal proceedings for both parenting and financial issues, including an appeal involving a contested relocation application where international relocation was successfully appealed by the non-primary parent and the successful appeal of interim orders for the release of subpoenaed material
- representing clients in defended litigation involving asset pools exceeding $80 million, large corporate structures, and managing complex litigation involving various stakeholders, third party creditors, and the Commissioner of Taxation
- assisting a client in navigating a multifaceted property dispute involving an insolvency event, including the strategic facilitation of a personal insolvency agreement under Part X of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 and ongoing negotiations with creditors and financial advisors
- representing clients in successful parenting applications, including for medical treatment for children, obtaining preferred schooling orders for a child and vaccination disputes
- advising a high-net-worth family office in respect to asset protection and relationship breakdown in the context of a group restructure, working collaboratively with multiple family members and their advisors to develop and implement tailored financial agreements
- undertaking pro bono work and community legal assistance, with a particular focus on establishing advice lines to assist community legal centres, providing advice to survivors of family violence, and ongoing advocacy for marginalised and disadvantaged individuals within the legal system.
Client feedback
What Katalin's clients say:
"Katalin took over my case, at a point where there didn’t seem like there was a lot of prospect of having a favourable outcome. Kat worked tirelessly in ensuring that our strategy, and overall approach to our parenting case was all about focusing on the best interests of my daughter. Her intimate knowledge of the legal landscape, her patience, preparation, relentless work ethic, and her ability to take into consideration the emotional and psychological toll on my daughter, my family and me, was critical. Working around the clock to meet deadlines, and questions and queries I had along the way, cemented the fact that I was in very capable and professional hands. Kat’s advice on a regular basis, proved to always be accurate, child centric, and holistic. Not only is she an incredible legal representative, she has the element of care and understanding which is so vital in the arena of family law. Thank you, Kat."
"I'm so incredibly grateful for all your help and support throughout the entire matter. I'm so very grateful for your guidance, your support, your clarity, wisdom and intelligence. I felt incredibly confident under your leadership and I'd really like you to know how much I valued that…Thank you again Katalin - for everything."
"Thank you for all your support, guidance, words of wisdom, 'pep' talks, and kindness. Thanks for your patience and understanding in listening to me and all the emails sent explaining the process. You have made this heartbreaking and humiliating situation a much easier process."
"I sincerely cannot thank you enough for your support, understanding and professionalism. The way you speak and how you put my mind at some ease... with how much I am struggling at the moment, short of saying, you are my life saver. And for that, I am truly grateful."
"I really don't know how to properly thank you for everything you have done. What you have achieved for me in the last 5 months, I didn't think was possible. From our first court session (about a week after our initial consultation) I felt so comfortable with you and your representation. I appreciate how realistic you have been in managing my expectations in a pragmatic yet empathetic way… you lead with fairness and resolution."
FAQs
I want to protect my assets from a future relationship breakdown. How can I do that?
Under Australian law, the only means of protecting your assets from a potential legal claim by an ex-partner is by entering into a binding financial agreement (BFA), also known as a "prenup". A BFA determines from the outset how your respective assets will be divided, in the unfortunate event of a relationship breakdown, instead of a court determining the division of assets. Each party to a BFA needs to get independent legal advice. It is important to start this process as early as possible, so each party can properly consider their position and their lawyer's advice regarding the agreement.
How is child custody determined?
The fundamental principle concerning care arrangements for children is that the arrangements are in the children's best interests. Note: in some countries, parenting arrangements are known as “child custody”.
The two primary considerations in determining the best interests of a child are the benefit to the child of having a meaningful relationship with each of their parents and the need to protect the child from physical or emotional harm. Additionally, the legislation in Australia sets out several further considerations that must be addressed when determining parenting arrangements. Each family is different and the relevant factors for one family and their children may be different to another. Please contact Katalin to obtain advice that is relevant to your family's circumstances.
What is the difference between a divorce and a property settlement?
A property settlement formalises the division of a couple's assets and liabilities. This can be set out in court orders or a financial agreement. A divorce order is a separate document that marks the official dissolution of a couple's marriage. It is usually recommended to apply for a divorce after you have settled your financial matter. Please contact Katalin if you would like to discuss your property division and/or a divorce application.