Family Lawyers for
Mums and Females
Empowering mothers with clear legal guidance on parenting, custody, and financial matters during family breakdowns.
Leading Family Law Firm for Females and Mums
When a relationship ends, whether it’s a marriage or de facto relationship, you’re faced with a lot of changes – especially when you have kids.
For many mothers, it’s common to feel disadvantaged by the family law system and it’s only natural that you may be concerned about how often and when you may see your children after a separation.
You may experience feelings of stress, anxiety or even depression. However, you’re not alone. Here at Unified Lawyers, we’re a family law firm that cares about a mother’s rights after separation. It’s important to note that if you’re a father interested in understanding your rights and options in family law for dads, we can help with that as well.
We’ll listen to your concerns and help you to plan the right strategy for your situation.
Every separation involving children is different, but you don’t have to manage it alone. Our highly experienced and empathetic team has helped thousands of mothers and female clients Australia-wide and we’re ready to help you today.
Discuss your situation with us today during a free, no-obligation consultation.
Mother needs family
lawyer?
Why would a mother need a family lawyer?
When it comes to your kids, as a mother, you have their best interests at heart and whether you’ve recently separated or you’re well and truly underway in the divorce process, when it comes to a relationship breakdown and managing parenting, it’s no secret that it can be a challenging time. A family lawyer can help mums who have recently separated understand their rights and options and help them navigate their way through parenting matters.
Some of the common parenting matters a family lawyer can help mothers with include:
Child Custody and Visitation
Navigating the division of your child’s time between you and their other parent is often fraught with emotion and concern. Questions like “Will the child stay with me?” or “Are visits limited to weekends?” are common.
Click here to learn more about Child Custody in Australia.
Many believe that family law tends to sway in favour of mothers when it comes to custody decisions. However, the reality is that the Australian family law legal system strives for fairness, with the child’s safety and well-being as the paramount concerns.
The system aims to make balanced decisions regarding visitation, living arrangements, and custody, focusing solely on what benefits the child most. If you’re encountering issues, such as difficulties in accessing your child, know that support is available to help you work through these complexities.
Parenting Orders and Plans
Not every parenting matter needs to be battled out in court – sometimes it can’t be avoided – but often, with our help, we can help you and your child’s other parent negotiate and come to an agreement about your kids and parenting arrangements.
We can help you to decide:
- Where the children will live
- How the children will divide their time
- Where they will go to school
- Who will pay for what
- Arrangements for special occasions
- Medical care
If you and the other parent can agree, then we can help you to formalize your arrangement to ensure that it is legally enforceable.
We’re also here to help when a parent breaks these agreements or breaches parenting orders.
We can help you understand your options and to file any necessary applications to ensure you can still have access with your child.
Child Support Matters
Parents have a duty to provide for their children financially. However, when it comes to child support, this can be a complex issue as there are numerous ways child support and providing for your child financially can be managed.
Whether you’re worried about having to pay excessive child support, you’re not sure how to handle the costs of raising a child, or you just have no idea where to begin when it comes to child support, we can help you. We can help you understand your obligations and make sure that your child is getting the financial support they need from both parents.
Get clarity on your rights and obligations.
Domestic and Family Violence Allegations
The welfare and safety of your child are of the utmost importance when deciding parenting matters. If your parenting abilities have been put into question or you’ve been accused of abuse or violence, this can be extremely demoralising, and unfortunately, this can be a common accusation.
Addressing these kinds of issues swiftly and properly is extremely important to ensure that you’re able to continue to enjoy your relationship with your children.
Don’t leave your rights as a mother to chance. No two situations are the same and decisions need to be made based on your unique circumstances which is where we come in.
We act fast to help you protect your children and yourself.
What to expect from working with Unified Lawyers?
Choosing Unified Lawyers for your legal matters as a mum is one of the best decisions you can make. That’s because we know how to help you. We pride ourselves on providing every client with the time, attention and communication that they deserve. Our drive to provide you with the best outcome possible combined with our knowledge and experience of the family law system in Australia and how it can impact mothers makes us the preferred choice for mother’s legal matters.
Here are some other reasons why people choose us:
Prompt and efficient
We work hard to help you resolve your matter fast – from your initial enquiry until we’ve reached a solution. We respond to all enquiries within 30 minutes and we do this because we know how stressful matters involving your children can be and timing is crucial when it comes to legal matters. While we work fast, we’re also thorough and having the right family lawyer on your side as a mother is important.
Empathetic and Understanding
We might be fierce negotiators but we also take the time to learn about you and your situation. We know that being involved in a legal matter of any kind is stressful – particularly when it’s about your kids. We’re here to guide you every step of the way, we will listen to you, offer advice, answer any questions you have and ensure that you have all of the information you need to make an informed decision every time.
Affordable and Fair
It’s no secret that legal services can be expensive, however, engaging with a lawyer can often be less costly than you realise. It can also help to remove stress and make resolving your matters faster.
We offer flexible billing arrangements for our services, including event billing, time interval billing and fixed rate fees. We’ll also be transparent with you about the costs surrounding resolving your matter and provide you with a quote once we’ve had a consultation with you and understand your situation.
Experienced and Informative
We specialise in family law and have a diverse team with a vast range of experience and cultural backgrounds. This allows us to understand your situation more easily and work together to find the best outcomes for your situation. Like we said before, no two situations are the same, but our vast range of experience means that we can certainly help you.
600+
5 Star Reviews and Thousands of Lives Transformed
At Unified Lawyers, results matter because they matter to you. We’ve helped more than 8000+ clients across Australia resolve their family law matters with care and expertise.
Francesco Turini
I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the service you provided. I am very satisfied with the professionalism, friendliness, and courtesy you demonstrated throughout our interactions. It made a significant difference in addressing my concerns. Your support and guidance were invaluable, and I feel fortunate to have had you on my side. Especially Thank you to Kristine Tran, and Justin Pasqualino. Best regards, Francesco
Rasha Al-Ahmed
It was truly an honor to work with Jessica Balic during one of the most difficult and sensitive periods of my life — a highly complex international child custody case. Despite the challenges, Jessica managed the matter with remarkable professionalism, calmness, and precision. From the very first day, Jessica demonstrated exceptional dedication and genuine care for every detail of my case. She was always prepared, meticulous, and clear in explaining every legal step in a way that was easy to understand. I strongly recommend Jessica Balic to anyone dealing with a complex family or custody matter. She is a lawyer who combines professionalism, intelligence, and deep human compassion — a rare and invaluable combination in this field, Thank you Jessica for helping me get my daughter and my life back.
Rachael Belle Myers
I am truly grateful for the support and guidance I received from Diana Melas throughout my financial separation. She was calm, compassionate, and incredibly knowledgeable from start to finish. Diana explained my rights clearly, outlined all available options, and ensured I felt informed and confident in every decision I made. Diana led with both empathy and strength. I feel very fortunate to have found a lawyer who combines expertise with such kindness and professionalism. Highly Recommend.
Fiona Henderson
I engaged Unified Lawyers for a family law matter at a time when I felt confused and vulnerable. From the outset, Sophia Bechara and Louise Cassar provided clear guidance, strong support, and genuine care. I never felt alone during the process. They protected me from intimidation and helped me stand my ground with confidence. Thanks to their expertise and professionalism in family law, I achieved a fair and just outcome, the best possible result for both me and my children. I’m incredibly grateful and would highly recommend Unified Lawyers to anyone navigating a family law matter who needs both compassion and strength on their side.
Eddie Gerdak
It is without hesitation that I recommend Ms. Ryan to anyone seeking dedicated and compassionate legal representation in family law matters. I also wish to commend your firm for having someone of her calibre on your team. Her commitment to her clients and her integrity as a professional reflect extremely well on your practice. I sincerely thank Ms. Ryan for her unwavering and continued support and guidance, and I would not hesitate to recommend her services and your firm, Unified Lawyers, to future clients in need of outstanding legal representation.
Ju Moon
I received professional and efficient help with my family law matter, and I couldn’t be happier with the service. The team , especially my lawyer, Ms. Jessica O’Brien was professional, thorough, and guided me with great expertise and care. Communication was always prompt, and I consistently felt confident that my best interests were being looked after. If you’re seeking a reliable and compassionate family law firm, I highly recommend them.
Francesco Turini
I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the service you provided. I am very satisfied with the professionalism, friendliness, and courtesy you demonstrated throughout our interactions. It made a significant difference in addressing my concerns. Your support and guidance were invaluable, and I feel fortunate to have had you on my side. Especially Thank you to Kristine Tran, and Justin Pasqualino. Best regards, Francesco
Rasha Al-Ahmed
It was truly an honor to work with Jessica Balic during one of the most difficult and sensitive periods of my life — a highly complex international child custody case. Despite the challenges, Jessica managed the matter with remarkable professionalism, calmness, and precision. From the very first day, Jessica demonstrated exceptional dedication and genuine care for every detail of my case. She was always prepared, meticulous, and clear in explaining every legal step in a way that was easy to understand. I strongly recommend Jessica Balic to anyone dealing with a complex family or custody matter. She is a lawyer who combines professionalism, intelligence, and deep human compassion — a rare and invaluable combination in this field, Thank you Jessica for helping me get my daughter and my life back.
Rachael Belle Myers
I am truly grateful for the support and guidance I received from Diana Melas throughout my financial separation. She was calm, compassionate, and incredibly knowledgeable from start to finish. Diana explained my rights clearly, outlined all available options, and ensured I felt informed and confident in every decision I made. Diana led with both empathy and strength. I feel very fortunate to have found a lawyer who combines expertise with such kindness and professionalism. Highly Recommend.
Fiona Henderson
I engaged Unified Lawyers for a family law matter at a time when I felt confused and vulnerable. From the outset, Sophia Bechara and Louise Cassar provided clear guidance, strong support, and genuine care. I never felt alone during the process. They protected me from intimidation and helped me stand my ground with confidence. Thanks to their expertise and professionalism in family law, I achieved a fair and just outcome, the best possible result for both me and my children. I’m incredibly grateful and would highly recommend Unified Lawyers to anyone navigating a family law matter who needs both compassion and strength on their side.
Eddie Gerdak
It is without hesitation that I recommend Ms. Ryan to anyone seeking dedicated and compassionate legal representation in family law matters. I also wish to commend your firm for having someone of her calibre on your team. Her commitment to her clients and her integrity as a professional reflect extremely well on your practice. I sincerely thank Ms. Ryan for her unwavering and continued support and guidance, and I would not hesitate to recommend her services and your firm, Unified Lawyers, to future clients in need of outstanding legal representation.
Ju Moon
I received professional and efficient help with my family law matter, and I couldn’t be happier with the service. The team , especially my lawyer, Ms. Jessica O’Brien was professional, thorough, and guided me with great expertise and care. Communication was always prompt, and I consistently felt confident that my best interests were being looked after. If you’re seeking a reliable and compassionate family law firm, I highly recommend them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Family Lawyers for Mums and Females
Can mothers get joint custody of their children?
Mums have just as much right to spend meaningful time with their children as the children’s Dad. It is not uncommon for parents to have arrangements which see their children spending time with both parents – unless the child is at risk of harm of any kind.
Children have the right to have a meaningful relationship with both parents, and the Australian Family Law Act does not favour genders or one parent over another.
What legal rights does a mother have in regard to his children?
In Australia, there is a presumption of equal shared parental responsibility. Unless an order determines otherwise, the parents of a child are equally responsible for making the major decisions relating to that child.
Under Australia family law, children have the right to have a meaningful relationship with both of their parents – unless it is unsafe for them to do so.
One parent, whether it’s the mother or father does not have more rights nor responsibilities towards their child/ren in Australia.
Can a mother get sole custody of a child?
Under Australia family law, children have the right to have a meaningful relationship with both of their parents – unless it is unsafe for them to do so.
One parent, whether it’s the mother or father, does not have more rights nor responsibilities towards their child/ren in Australia.
It is possible that a mother could get “sole custody” or in Australia what is known as sole parental responsibility of their child.
This can be for the majority of decisions or for specific decisions such as healthcare and/or schooling.
Children have the right to have a meaningful relationship with both parents, as long as they are protected from harm.
If you’re a mother and you’re concerned about the safety of your child with the other parent, you can discuss your matter with us today.
What if my child's father is withholding our child?
If the other parent of your child is not allowing you to see your child, this can be a highly upsetting situation.
One parent, whether it is the mother or father, should not stop the other parent from seeing their child, unless doing so puts the child at risk of being exposed to an unacceptable risk of harm.
If your former partner is not allowing you to see your child, the first thing you should do is try to discuss the situation. This isn’t always possible, especially if you have a contentious relationship.
The next thing you should do is talk to us. You can tell us about your situation, and we can advise you of your legal rights and some of the options you have available.
Your child has the right to have a relationship with you – as long as there is no risk of harm.
Is there a bias against mothers in the family law system?
There is no explicit legal bias against mothers; rather, the system aims to facilitate decisions that best support the child’s health, safety, and emotional well-being.
Each case is assessed on its individual merits, regardless of the parent’s gender. Over the years, there has been a shift towards recognising the importance of both parents in a child’s life, leading to more shared or joint custody arrangements, provided they serve the best interests of the child.
Australia’s Family Law Act is gender neutral.
Where are Unified Lawyer's family law services for mothers available?
Our entire family law services range, including our services for mothers
are available all over Australia. We can help you no matter where you are, and you can get in touch with us by calling us on 1800 952 338.
You can also arrange to have an in-person consultation at one our offices. We have offices located in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
We’re here to help you today.
