Divorce Lawyers Melbourne - Counsel Family Lawyers

What Divorce Lawyers Melbourne - Counsel Family Lawyers does

Caroline Counsel Family Lawyers is a privately held, boutique family law practice based at Level 7, 365 Queen Street, Melbourne, Australia. Founded on 1 July 1999 by Caroline Counsel — an Accredited Family Law Specialist with over 30 years of experience who previously was a partner at a middle-tier commercial firm — the firm operates as a sole-Melbourne practice with a 51–100 person team built around a Principal-led 'team approach' to maintain client continuity and control legal fees. The firm holds Professional Standards Legislation liability scheme coverage.

The core service offering is structured around five dispute resolution pathways spanning the spectrum from do-it-yourself 'Kitchen Table' negotiation through Collaborative Practice, Mediation/Family Dispute Resolution, lawyer-to-lawyer negotiation, and full Court litigation. Substantive practice areas include divorce, property settlements (including complex matters involving company assets, trusts and superannuation), parenting orders, child support and Binding Child Support Agreements, financial/prenuptial agreements, spousal maintenance, intervention orders, and grandparent access. The primary customer segment is individuals and families navigating separation, with secondary segments comprising companies with family-law-related commercial interests, grandparents, and de facto/same-sex couples.

Revenue is generated via traditional professional-services hourly billing for legal consultations, negotiation, mediation and representation, and is supplemented by content-based brand assets including a blog, podcast series ('Done & Dusted'), YouTube channel ('The Informer'), a published book ('Divorce the Court: A Better Life Together...Apart'), and recurring earned media on ABC Radio and 3AW. Distribution is direct through phone, email, in-person and online consultations from the single Melbourne office; no third-party channel or reseller infrastructure exists. The firm is privately held by its founder with no external investors, parent company, or M&A activity.

Name

Divorce Lawyers Melbourne - Counsel Family Lawyers

Legal name

Caroline Counsel Family Lawyers

Website

https://ccfamlaw.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Caroline Counsel Family Lawyers is a privately held boutique family law firm in Melbourne, Australia, founded in 1999 and led by Principal Caroline Counsel. It serves individuals, families, companies and grandparents across divorce, parenting, property and financial agreement matters via five dispute resolution pathways from negotiation through litigation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family Law Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAAAB

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Legal Services

SECONDARYBPAHAAAK

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Legal Services

Keywords

• Family law services
• Divorce representation
• Property settlements
• Child custody disputes
• Mediation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Consultation Services: Professional legal services billed at hourly rates for family law matters including divorce, property settlements, parenting disputes, and court representation. Team approach helps reduce client legal fees while ensuring continuity of service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Caroline Counsel Family Lawyers is a boutique family law firm in Melbourne providing legal advice and representation across divorce, property settlements, parenting/children's issues, financial agreements, and intervention orders. The firm offers five dispute resolution pathways — Kitchen Table (DIY), Collaborative Practice, Mediation/FDR, Family Lawyer Negotiations, and Litigation — and serves individuals, companies, and grandparents in family law matters.

Product overview

Caroline Counsel Family Lawyers is a boutique family law firm offering a comprehensive range of legal services for separation and divorce matters. The firm provides five distinct dispute resolution pathways: Kitchen Table (DIY negotiation), Collaborative Practice, Mediation/FDR, Family Lawyer Negotiations, and Litigation. These services cover property settlements, financial agreements, children's issues including parenting orders and child support, and divorce proceedings. The core offering centers on guiding clients through the family law maze using the most appropriate resolution method for each situation, with Caroline Counsel serving as a qualified Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and Nationally Accredited Mediator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kitchen Table A do-it-yourself family law resolution option where clients negotiate directly with their former partner, with legal advice available before and between discussions.
• Collaborative Practice A dispute resolution method where clients and their former partners work with lawyers and other professionals without going to court, focusing on children's interests and privacy.
• Mediation and FDR (Family Dispute Resolution) Facilitated discussions between separating couples with a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner to reach agreement on children and financial matters.
• Family Lawyer Negotiations Traditional lawyer-mediated negotiation where independent lawyers represent each party, exchanging financial information and developing settlement options.
• Litigation Court-based dispute resolution for matters that cannot be resolved through alternative methods, including property settlements and parenting orders.
• Financial Agreements Legally binding agreements (including prenuptial and mid-nup arrangements) that contract out of Family Law Act provisions to minimize litigation risk on separation.
• Property Disputes and Settlements Legal services for dividing assets, liabilities, superannuation, and trust interests following relationship breakdown.
• Children's Issues Parenting orders, parenting plans, child support agreements, child maintenance trusts, relocation matters, and school/education disputes.
• Divorce Services Legal representation and assistance with divorce proceedings and related court documentation.
• Divorce the Court: A Better Life Together...Apart (Book) A book authored by Caroline Counsel providing insights, checklists and strategies for a better separation process.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Law Institute of Victoria (LIV)coreOthersProfessional membership organization. Caroline Counsel serves as Chair of the Accredited Specialist Board at the Law Institute of Victoria and is a member of the LIV Ethics Committee. Firm displays LIV logo indicating active membership.
• Law Council of Australia - Family Law SectioncoreOthersProfessional membership in national family law section. Caroline Counsel is a member of the Law Council of Australia and its Family Law Section.
• International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP)coreOthersGlobal professional organization for collaborative practice. Firm displays IACP logo and references the 76% success rate data collected by IACP for collaborative law matters.
• International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)minorOthersCaroline Counsel is a member of IAFL, an international organization of family law practitioners.
• Victorian Legal Admissions BoardminorOthersCaroline Counsel serves as a member of the Victorian Legal Admissions Board, involved in the regulation and admission of legal practitioners in Victoria.
• Collaborative Professionals Victoria (CPV)coreOthersVictorian professional body for collaborative practitioners. Listed as resource on firm website with link to collaborativeprofessionals.org.au.
• Relationships AustraliaminorOthersFamily relationship services provider. Listed as resource link for clients seeking additional support services.
• Family Relationships CentresminorOthersGovernment-funded family dispute resolution services. Listed as resource link for clients.
• Family TransitionsminorOthersFamily law support service. Listed as resource link on firm website.
• LifeworksminorOthersFamily and relationship services provider. Listed as resource link on firm website.
• Vic Family Pathways (Centacare Melbourne)minorOthersFamily support and pathway services. Listed as resource link on firm website.
• Child Support AgencyminorOthersGovernment agency managing child support. Listed as resource link on firm website for clients seeking information.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Shine Lawyers: Major Australian plaintiff law firm with a family law division. Offers overlapping family law services through a much larger national platform with broader marketing reach.
• Lander & Rogers: Large Australian commercial law firm with established family law practice. Competes for high-net-worth family law matters, particularly those intersecting with corporate/trust issues.
• Hall & Wilcox: Mid-tier Australian law firm with a family law practice group, providing full-service coverage that overlaps with Caroline Counsel on family law matters.
• Slater and Gordon: Large national Australian law firm with a substantial family law practice. Competes with Caroline Counsel on family law matters but operates across many practice areas and geographies.
• Arnold Thomas & Becker: Mid-tier Melbourne law firm with family law capability alongside broader commercial practices. Comparable to Caroline Counsel's commercial-family intersection work.

Direct peers

• Holley Norton Family Lawyers: Melbourne-based boutique family law firm specialising in divorce and family law matters with similar boutique positioning, single-office footprint, and ADR emphasis.
• Stary Norton Halpern: Melbourne family law practice focused on divorce, parenting, and property disputes. Directly comparable boutique family law competitor in the same geography.
• Forte Family Lawyers: Melbourne-based boutique family law firm offering divorce, parenting, property settlement and ADR services. Directly comparable to Caroline Counsel in size, geography, and practice focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnmI7a1Ykg3c
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/counsel-family-lawyers

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Divorce Lawyers Melbourne - Counsel Family Lawyers