John Spender-CBD on Bourke St

We can and do assist clients in the following ways:

1. Drafting pre-marital and pre-relationship agreements (including agreements which can be valid and enforceable both in Australia and in another jurisdiction);
2. Assisting clients with their divorce applications and representing them in relation to these;
3. Assisting clients in relation to parenting disputes, including sensitive and difficult matters involving:
   1. Allegations of abuse or domestic violence;
   2. Matters where a child is apparently alienated from one parent;
   3. Applications by the parent to relocate the residence of the child away from Melbourne (including to locations interstate and overseas); and
   4. Abduction cases, where a child or children has been moved unilaterally by a parent to another location (often across international boundaries);
4. Advising in relation to child support matters, including:
   1. Drafting child support agreements; and
   2. Acting in Court applications to confirm, modify or vary child support orders made in another country;
5. Assisting clients in need of spousal maintenance as well as achieving the best outcomes for payers of such maintenance;
6. Assisting clients with respect to division of property upon relationship or marital breakdown, including:
   1. Identifying, locating and valuing available assets (in Australia or overseas);
   2. Achieving injunctions to prevent the disposal or dissipation of assets; and
   3. Working with taxation and other advisers to ensure division of assets occurs in the most tax-effective manner;
7. Assisting clients in obtaining an intervention order (or defending an application for such an order), in circumstances where there has been, or there is alleged to have been, domestic violence in the relationship;
8. Advising clients, where appropriate, if they are better off proceeding with a case in Australia or another country (in conjunction with lawyers in that other country);
9. Acting in forum disputes to determine if Australia should hear a particular matter; and
10. Advising in relation to de facto relationship cases, including arguments as to whether such a relationship existed or not. 

I can assist Fresh members (or their contacts) for advice and assistance in circumstances where:

1. A couple is commencing their relationship (particularly a second relationship) and wishes to protect assets they have each separately built up together;
2. A person is unsure about his or her relationship, including whether it could amount to a de facto relationship, and the rights and obligations that might result from that;
3. A client is contemplating ending his or her marriage or intimate relationship and wishes to know his or her rights, obligations and what should be expected, including how best to approach matters;
4. The relationship or marriage of a client has broken down and she or he wishes to sort out parenting, property division, child support and/or spousal maintenance issues; and
5. The parties have spent time overseas during their relationship or marriage, or the client or her or his former spouse or partner is from overseas, and the client wishes to know what difference that makes to their situation and their options.

1. Other lawyers (including, at times, other family lawyers), but also those who practice in other areas;
2. Social workers and psychologists;
3. Accountants;
4. Financial planners; and
5. Real estate agents (including vendor and buyer advocates)

1. High net worth individuals;
2. Individuals who may be income poor, but have considerable assets; but
3. Kennedy Partners Lawyers also prides itself on assisting many clients in "average" circumstances. If a client's case is meritorious and/or raises a legal point of interest, we will do our best to accommodate the client with respect to legal costs and to assist.