LAWYER MONTHLY LEGAL AWARDS 2025 20 AUSTRALIA FAMILY LAW LAWYER OF THE YEAR I represented a father who was falsely accused of serious family violence. The allegations, in my assessment, were retaliatory in nature and appeared to be part of an effort to sever his relationship with his children. There was no corroborating evidence, only very vague assertions. Yet, based on those assertions alone, my client was evicted from his home, denied access to his personal effects, and most painfully, separated from his children. He was treated not just with suspicion, but as if he had already been convicted. It was a stark reminder of the power of narrative, and the danger of substituting allegation for evidence. That matter forever changed my approach to advocacy. It exposed the risk of procedural injustice where allegations, particularly of family violence, are accepted at face value without proper scrutiny. While I remain unwavering in my commitment to protecting genuine victims, and I have acted for many, I have also seen the misuse of complex concepts such as coercive control in ways that ultimately harm both parties and children. Cases like these are not isolated. Reports from the Australian Institute of Family Studies and recent commentary in judgments point to a growing tension between ensuring victim protection and reaffirm the need for a measured, evidence-based approach and highlighted the urgency of early intervention to prevent protracted and adversarial litigation. Family law should never become a proxy for punishment. It must remain a space for truth, justice, equitability, healing, and the best interests of children. We fought long and hard and ultimately, after three years in and out of various courts, resolved the matter with a set of orders that were beyond the client’s wildest dreams and saw his time move from mere hours a fortnight to a reversal of care. A few years after the matter concluded, I happened to run into the client and his children at a local grocery
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