Lauren has been working in family and relationship law since her admission to practice in 2022.
In her final year of study Lauren was the top graduating law student at Melbourne Law School, winning the prestigious Supreme Court prize. Lauren also received subject prizes for family law, legal research, remedies, employment law, corporations law, and equity and trusts. She was also the top student in her second year, during her Juris Doctor.
Lauren is attentive to her clients' interests and desired outcomes. She recognises the significant challenges that can arise out of a separation and is passionate about guiding her clients emotionally through their family law experience. She prides herself on her responsiveness and attention to detail when communicating with her clients and places significant importance on reaching an expeditious outcome.
Prior to commencing the Juris Doctor at Melbourne University, Lauren studied opera performance at the Conservatorium of Music. She also volunteered at Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre.
Expertise
Lauren's expertise includes:
- drafting binding financial agreements
- complex parenting matters including disputed care arrangements and relocation matters
- family violence and intervention order proceedings.
Career highlights
Lauren's career highlights include:
- obtaining a court order that a client's child spend six nights per fortnight with them, in circumstances where the child had spent only eight hours with the client over the previous two months. The court was convinced that there was no risk to the child in spending time with the client and that the child had been unreasonably withheld by the other parent
- obtaining orders by consent that there be a reversal of primary care so that the parties' child was to live with her client and spend only three hours of supervised time with the other parent, in circumstances where the family report demonstrated significant risks to the child in the other parent's care
- obtaining a court order for parental responsibility for a non-parent client, in circumstances where one parent was deceased and the other posed a significant risk to the child.
Client feedback
"Massive massive thank you Chloe! You, Lauren, Holly and the team have been outstanding. I'm so happy with how today went. I'm so grateful to all of you."
"Thanks for your kindness and support."
"Thank you so much, you have no idea what a relief this is for me."
FAQs
How long will it take for me to reach a settlement?
This depends if your matter resolves by consent or if court proceedings are issued.
If you can negotiate an agreement with your former partner outside of court, it can be documented in orders and filed with the court. This is usually faster than issuing court proceedings. You can also formalise a settlement in a binding financial agreement, which we can draft on your behalf.
The court aims to resolve all litigated matters within 12 months of their filing date, however the timeframe can be longer than this, particularly for complex matters.
How do I apply for a divorce?
We can file an application for divorce on your behalf. We offer a fixed pricing solution for this service which may be a valuable option for you. There are important time considerations in relation to filing an application for divorce that we will discuss with you.
What will this cost?
Costs in family law matters can be influenced by a number of factors, including the complexity of the issues in dispute and the attitude of the parties to engage in meaningful negotiations to resolve their matter.
When we meet with you, and after hearing about the issues in your case, we will provide you with an estimate of our anticipated legal costs and the options available to you to resolve your matter. We also offer a fixed fee for certain legal services, which may be appropriate for you.
View more commonly-asked questions about the legal aspects of family and relationship law in Australia here.