Brighton, Brighton East and Hampton are among Melbourne's wealthiest suburbs, and family law matters from this catchment routinely involve substantial property pools, business interests, family trusts, and offshore assets. The legal work is the same Family Law Act four-step process applied elsewhere, but the practical complexity is significantly higher.
High-value family law work
Brighton family law matters often involve property pools well into eight figures, with the legal complexity to match. Discretionary family trusts, private company structures, offshore investments, art and collectible assets, and superannuation accumulations that can themselves exceed several million dollars are all common features.
These matters benefit from a lawyer who is willing to work closely with the client's accountant and financial advisers from the outset rather than treating the legal advice as a siloed exercise. I take a coordinated approach — the property pool is built collaboratively with the client's existing advisers, and the settlement is structured to optimise the overall position rather than just the legal one.
Why a smaller firm
Many Brighton clients have used CBD firms in the past and come to me looking for something different — direct contact with the principal lawyer, personal attention to detail, and an hourly rate that does not punish careful work. Working with me means working with me, not with three layers of lawyers and a partner who appears for the strategy calls.
Reviewed by Elisa Rothschild BA/LLB — Principal Lawyer, Fogarty Oliver Rothschild. Last reviewed 2026-05-22.