Village Family Lawyers

Village Family Lawyers Village Family Lawyers is a specialist family law practice located in Mount Eliza and Malvern.

CLIENT FEEDBACK / When someone is navigating parenting and property matters, feeling properly heard can make all the dif...
05/06/2026

CLIENT FEEDBACK / When someone is navigating parenting and property matters, feeling properly heard can make all the difference.

Legal knowledge matters, of course. But so does the way that knowledge is delivered.
With patience. With clarity. With care.

A recent client shared:

“What stood out most was how much time and care Bryn took to explain everything clearly and make sure I fully understood each step of the process. No question ever felt too small, and he always made me feel confident that I was being properly represented and backed every step of the way.”

At Village Family Lawyers, this is the standard we hold ourselves to.

Not just capable representation, but calm, compassionate guidance that helps clients feel steadier as they move through complex family law matters.

Congratulations, Bryn. A wonderful reflection of the work you do and the trust you build with clients.

Behind every well-run law firm is someone keeping hundreds of moving parts together.At Village Family Lawyers, that pers...
04/06/2026

Behind every well-run law firm is someone keeping hundreds of moving parts together.

At Village Family Lawyers, that person is our Practice Manager, Lauren Bicker.

Lauren plays a huge role in supporting both our team and our clients through what can often be very emotional and demanding periods in their lives. From operations and client experience through to compliance and practice management, her work helps keep everything moving smoothly behind the scenes.

Lauren recently attended the ALPMA Summit in Melbourne to stay up to date with developments in legal practice management and client service.

We are incredibly grateful to have her on our team.

Cryptocurrency can be confusing at the best of times.During separation, it can raise even more questions. Is it part of ...
03/06/2026

Cryptocurrency can be confusing at the best of times.

During separation, it can raise even more questions. Is it part of the property pool? How is it valued? What if one person understands it far better than the other?

Our latest article explains cryptocurrency and divorce in plain English, including how The Village Circle can help when specialist financial support is needed.

When property, parenting arrangements, and a history of family violence are all part of the picture, it can feel like th...
28/05/2026

When property, parenting arrangements, and a history of family violence are all part of the picture, it can feel like the only path forward is through the courts.

We want to show you that is not always the case.

In this case study, we share how Village Family Lawyers helped a client navigate exactly this kind of situation: a seven-year relationship, shared assets, children whose care needed to be formally agreed, and a power imbalance that made direct negotiation feel impossible.

The matter resolved in five months through careful negotiation and legally binding consent orders. No court proceedings. A fair property settlement. A stable arrangement for the children.

If you are wondering whether your situation is too complicated for an out-of-court resolution, this case study is worth reading. You may have more options than you think.

26/05/2026

A new episode of the Divorce, Parenting and Property Podcast is live, and this one is for business owners.

If you own a business and you are separating from your partner, your situation involves a level of complexity that standard family law advice often does not fully address. The business needs to be valued. That valuation affects your settlement position. And the strategies available to protect the business depend on decisions made early in the process.

In this episode, we cover how businesses are valued in Victorian property settlements and why the method chosen matters, what strategies allow for fair outcomes without dividing or selling the business, and why specialist advice taken before you take any other action is the most important step you can take.

It runs around five and a half minutes. Link is in the first comment.

If you own a business and you are going through a separation, one of the first questions you will have is: how is my bus...
21/05/2026

If you own a business and you are going through a separation, one of the first questions you will have is: how is my business valued?

It is the right question to ask, because the answer has a direct impact on your settlement.

Unlike a family home, a business does not have a single agreed market value. There are three main approaches used in Victorian family law matters, and they can produce significantly different numbers from the same business.

An asset-based valuation looks at what the business owns and owes. An income-based valuation looks at what the business earns and what that income stream is worth. A market-based valuation looks at what comparable businesses have sold for.

The method that applies to your business, and who applies it, matters enormously. If you and your former partner each engage a valuer using different methods, the figures can differ by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

We have written a plain-English guide to what business owners need to know about separation in Victoria. It is in the first comment.

Separation does not just raise legal questions. It raises financial ones. Emotional ones. Practical ones, about property...
20/05/2026

Separation does not just raise legal questions. It raises financial ones. Emotional ones. Practical ones, about property, superannuation, business interests, children, and what comes next.

At Village Family Lawyers, we recognised a long time ago that legal advice alone is not enough.

That is why we built the Village Circle: a curated network of trusted specialists personally selected by our team. Accountants, property and business valuers, family therapists, commercial lawyers, estate lawyers, accredited mediators, and more.

Every practitioner in the Circle is personally known to us. There are no referral fees. When you need a connection, your lawyer makes the introduction themselves, based on where you are and what you need right now.

It is not a directory. It is the professional network we have built over years of doing this work in these communities, made available to the people we serve.

If you are a current client, ask your lawyer about the Village Circle at your next appointment.

www.villagefamilylawyers.com.au/the-village-circle

19/05/2026

A new episode of the Divorce, Parenting and Property Podcast is live.

This one is about AI and family law, because it is a question we are hearing more often. People are using AI tools to research their situation, draft documents, and understand their options. And we wanted to give an honest answer about where that is useful and where it is not.

In this episode, we talk through why family law is built on human emotion and individual complexity that AI tools cannot fully grasp, what tasks AI is genuinely suited to, what Australian courts have said, and why the decisions that matter most for your family deserve human expertise.

It runs around five and a half minutes. Link is in the first comment.

If you are going through a separation, there is a good chance you have already used an AI tool to research your situatio...
14/05/2026

If you are going through a separation, there is a good chance you have already used an AI tool to research your situation. That is completely understandable. They are accessible, available at any hour, and can explain legal concepts in plain English.

But it is worth understanding what they can and cannot do.

AI tools are genuinely useful for a limited set of tasks: understanding general terminology, learning how the separation process works in principle, and preparing questions before a legal consultation.

Where AI falls short is in the areas that matter most. Recognising a power imbalance between parties. Understanding the emotional context behind a financial arrangement. Assessing what truly serves a child's individual needs. Navigating the layers of complexity in a matter involving a business, a trust, or multiple properties.

These are human skills. They require judgment, empathy, and professional accountability that no tool can provide.

We have written an article that gives an honest picture of where AI helps and where it does not in Australian family law. It is in the first comment.

This month marks seven years since Lauren Wilson founded Village Family Lawyers.The firm began with a simple but importa...
12/05/2026

This month marks seven years since Lauren Wilson founded Village Family Lawyers.

The firm began with a simple but important idea: family law could be delivered with more clarity, compassion and calm.

Since then, Village Family Lawyers has supported over 850 families across Mt Eliza, Malvern, the Mornington Peninsula, Bayside and Melbourne’s inner east.

The heart of the firm remains the same.

Clear advice. Dignified support. Practical pathways forward. A belief that family law should help people feel more steady, not more overwhelmed.

For Lauren, and for the whole team, the work has always been about more than legal process. It is about helping people feel informed, supported and able to take the next step with dignity.

Congratulations, Lauren, and thank you for continuing to lead with such care, steadiness and purpose.

Address

Suite 1, 24A Ranelagh Drive
Melbourne, VIC
3930

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+611300413997

Website

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