Presenters

Cathie Blanchfield, Principal, Blanchfield Nicholls Family & Private Advisory
Cathie Blanchfield has practised exclusively in family law and related areas since admission over 30 years ago. After some years in partnership with Stuart Fowler, in 2007 Cathie established Blanchfield Nicholls with Nigel Nicholls. Cathie has been named as a leading family lawyer in the Doyles Guide consistently since 2016, including in High Value and Complex Property Matters. She enjoys the challenges inherent in communicating sometimes difficult concepts in family law, and working to understand each client's particular needs and expectations while giving realistic advice. In 2025 Cathie’s long standing interest and expertise in drafting and advising clients in relation to financial agreements was recognized by her inclusion as one of 15 lawyers in the inaugural Doyle’s Guide list of leading pre-nuptial and financial agreement lawyers in Australia. Cathie has written and presented many papers on family law issues for members of the profession undertaking continuing legal education.

Paul Fildes, Principal, Taussig Cherie Fildes Family Lawyers
Paul Fildes is an Accredited Family Law Specialist and has been practising in family law since 1983. He has been ranked as one of only five Preeminent Family Lawyers by Doyle’s Guide for Melbourne 2019. Paul Fildes was previously the head of Middletons’ Family Law Practice Group (now K & L Gates), which he merged with Taussig Cherrie & Associates in 2010, to become Taussig Cherrie Fildes. Paul specialises in large scale family law property litigation, complex Financial Agreements, defacto property cases and restructuring family property in a tax effective manner. He also has a special interest in international relocation cases, and cross-border disputes involving the adjustment and treatment of assets located internationally, including Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Paul is a presenter of Case Watch on the Television Education Network which produces educational presentations and material for lawyers. He has published numerous papers and comments on current family law issues. Paul also regularly presents at seminars on behalf of various professional bodies on a wide variety of family law topics, with an emphasis on complex financial matters. He is a qualified Family Law arbitrator and mediator, and is also a trained collaborative lawyer. Paul is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and was a former Chair and Executive member of the Family Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria. He was previously the Victorian Solicitor Representative of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, and a former Chair of the FLS National Biennial Family Law Conference and on the Board at Relationships Australia (Vic).