Family law is undergoing seismic change with recent legislative reforms and landmark case law developments. Join some of Australia’s leading family law specialists for this advanced one-day conference in Brisbane or online to gain expert insights and understand the practical implications of these shifts—and more. Stay abreast with essential updates on the reforms, Shinohara and the new Kennon provisions, plus practical guidance on trusts, third-party interests and working effectively with experts. Deepen your understanding of ethical obligations in family law property matters, master third-party joinder and explore practical strategies for managing your practice with confidence and care given high-conflict and trauma-impacted clients.

Presenters

Genevieve Dee, Partner, Lander & Rogers
Accredited Family Law Specialist Genevieve Dee is a partner at Lander and Rogers and has worked exclusively in family law and has fifteen years’ experience. Genevieve specialises in all aspects of family law, including parenting and property matters, financial agreements, spousal maintenance and child support issues. Doyle’s Guide 2022 has recognised Genevieve as a Pre-eminent Family & Divorce Lawyer, Leading Parenting & Children’s Matters Lawyer and Recommended Complex and High-Value Property Matters Lawyer in Brisbane. In addition, Genevieve has been named as recommended Family & Divorce Lawyer in the Doyle’s Guide 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 national listings.

Kate Alroe, Partner, Lander & Rogers
Kate is a Partner who specialises in family law and has an interest in helping families navigate the complexities of separation. Kate takes a commercial approach to her matters, while appreciating that an effective advocate understands the nuances of the personal relationships involved. Prior to specialising in family law, Kate worked in estate, commercial, property and criminal law. As well as complementing her work in family law, this broad experience allows her to provide her clients with holistic legal advice. Kate is experienced in all aspects of family law, including complex parenting and property matters, de facto and same sex relationships, financial agreements both pre- and post-relationship, spousal maintenance and child support, relocation and appeals. She also has a passion for assisting not-for-profit organisations, having volunteered for Townsville Community Law and the Women's Legal Service. Kate was also a Management Committee Member for Althea Projects, a service providing emergency, crisis and foster care for children, amongst other community initiatives.

Adam Cooper, Principal, Cooper Family Law
Adam Cooper is the Principal of Cooper Family Law, now in its fifteenth year of operation. However, Adam is more commonly known for his ‘almost’ professional football career, just like his almost professional legal career. Prior to the beginning of Cooper Family Law, Adam was at the private bar, before taking on a special counsel role at Barry.Nilsson Lawyers. Adam also completed social science qualifications, and was a counsellor for some years in the prison system, which he believes has benefitted his practice in Family Law. Adam is also a regular on the conference circuit, having recently given papers on the new section 65DAAA, applications for leave under section 44, negotiating relocation cases, and managing clients with impaired capacity. Adam has advised the District Court of Mecklenburg, North Carolina about Australian superannuation splitting orders, a task not made easy by the Judge’s comments suggesting grave concerns regarding how far sunk in communism Australia had become. Adam speaks French, but often wonders why.

Madeleine Murphy, Barrister, 19 Inns Chambers
Madeleine Murphy was called to the Queensland Bar in 2018, having been admitted as a solicitor in 2015. She maintains a general practice with a focus on administrative, family law, regulatory and child protection matters. Prior to commencing at the private Bar, Madeleine was a Legal Associate in the Family Court of Australia from 2014 to 2018 working for a number of Judges of both the Trial and Appellate divisions. In doing so she developed a keen awareness of the practices and procedures of the Family Court and was exposed to a vast array of matters. Madeleine also volunteered as a solicitor at the Queensland Public Interest Law Clearing House (as it then was) for a number of years where she gained experience in a number of general civil practice areas including immigration, employment, debt disputes and contract disputes. Madeleine holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland.

Julie Johnston, Clinical Psychologist, Founder, Wellbeing Options Psychology
Julie Johnston holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology), a Bachelor of Science (Honours), and a Master of Clinical Psychology (with Merit) from the University of Sydney. With over twenty years of clinical experience, Julie brings a wealth of expertise working with adults with a range of mental health conditions. She is a registered psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia, and holds an endorsement in Clinical Psychology. She has worked in various public and private hospital inpatient and outpatient clinics, as well as private practice health care settings in both Sydney and Brisbane and has supervised many university postgraduate training psychologists. She has also provided invited guest lectures and workshops to postgraduate training Psychologists at a number of Universities, in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders. Over her career Julie has worked with many people who struggle with anxiety and depression. She has also developed specialised skills in the treatment of adults suffering from PTSD. Julie has treated a range of populations and individuals who have experienced adult trauma. She has for many years worked with current and ex-serving Police and Emergency Service workers in Queensland and New South Wales, who have sustained a psychological injury during the course of carrying out their duties. Julie welcomes you to Wellbeing Options Psychology and looks forward to working with you to create positive and meaningful change in your life!

Pippa Colman, Director, Pippa Colman Family Law
Pippa is one of the most distinguished and highly sought after Accredited Family Law Specialists in the field of family law and also as a Mediator and Arbitrator. She is renowned for her expertise in navigating complex legal matters with discretion and precision, as well as her compassionate approach to clients in distress, and her willingness to go the extra mile to help them, which sets her apart as a trusted advisor. Pippa is also well known for her dedication to continuing professional development and has, since the 1980s, delivered seminars and talks for the Queensland Law Society, the Sunshine Coast Law Association, the Accord Group of Sydney, in Australia, Hong Kong and Malaysia, Legalwise seminars, the Television Education Network, the Queensland University and the Sunshine Coast University. Pippa has been an active member of the Sunshine Coast Law Association since the 1970s, has been a president of the Association and is and has been a committee member for many years. Pippa was a member of the Committee which established the Maroochydore Neighbourhood Centre in the 1970s. She was an active member of the Sunshine Coast Community Legal Service for many years. In 1995, she helped establish the Sunshine Coast Family Contact Centre Association (Inc) which helps children maintain relationships with both of their parents and was recognised by the Supreme Court for her efforts. Pippa has been a member of the Suncoast Business Network, an association of Sunshine Coast business owners, for more than 10 years and is a current member of the Maroochydore Chamber of Commerce.

Damon Hatchett, Special Counsel, Hopgood Ganim Lawyers
Damon is a trusted advisor who practices exclusively in Family Law. He advises clients on both matrimonial and de facto complex property settlements, as well as divorce and parenting matters. He is an active member of the Family Law Practitioners Association and was previously the Vice-President of Queensland Young Lawyers (2020). Damon holds qualifications in Laws (Honours) and Arts from the University of Queensland.

Alexandra Moles, Partner, Mills Oakley
Alexandra is a Partner and co-manages our Brisbane Family and Relationship Law practice. Alex has almost 20 years of experience practising exclusively in family law. Her philosophy is simple - highly personalised, commercial and direct advice. She is a people person who is committed to her clients obtaining the earliest possible resolution of the legal issues arising from the beginning or end of a relationship. Alex places emphasis on ensuring her clients understand all of their options and can make an informed decision in often stressful and difficult circumstances. Alex’s expertise and guidance is highly sought after and she is regarded as Preeminent in her field. Alex has a reputation for acting in high value and complex property matters including cases with businesses, companies (private and publicly listed), trusts and taxation issues. Alex has been involved in many cases involving intergenerational family businesses, succession planning and where the divorce of a parent or child affects a broader family dynamic. Alex also has extensive experience about how a loan (documented or not) or gift may be dealt with in a property settlement. Alex also has a strong parenting practice with a particular interest in high conflict cases, coercive control, personality disorders, psychiatric issues, alienation and drug and alcohol abuse. Alex has experience in mediation, child-inclusive mediation, and litigation about children. She frequently advises about how children’s wishes are taken into account in determining children’s arrangements in separated families. Alex is also trained in collaborative law, which is an interest based style of negotiation where former spouses adopt a “settlement only” strategy from the outset, which is reflected in a written agreement between the parties that neither of them will threaten or go to Court. Negotiations occur in a open and facilitated way to achieve a mutually beneficial and agreed outcome. Research shows the collaborative law process sets up former spouses for better co-parenting in the future, fosters openness, cooperation and ensures voices are heard and listened to in the process.

The Hon. Colin Forrest SC, Mediator, Arbitrator, Sessional Judicial Member, QCAT
Family court/federal magistrates court - jurisdictional interaction

Kay Feeney, Director, Feeney Family Lawyers
Kay has been an expert in family law for more than 35 years. She was admitted as a solicitor in 1985 and has been the director of Feeney Family Law since 2011. Kay is an accredited Family Law Specialist. She combines her Family Law expertise with an understanding of her clients’ issues and expectations to promote a safe, calm, and respectful rapport. She possesses a high level of legal technical competency and holds a clear tenacity of purpose. She ensures that her clients feel supported and are not vulnerable to any imbalances of power. Kay boasts extensive litigation experience with particular interest in mediation, collaboration, and arbitration. She is a Nationally Accredited Mediator having undertaken additional training in 2025 and is an Advanced Mediator in the terms of the recent changes. She has also undertaken training in Elder Mediation. She is a qualified Arbitrator for family law matters and a qualified Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. Her wisdom and experience as a mediator are highly requested. She has experience in property matters involving high value and working in complex corporate structures. She is also an expert across a range of other family matters, including parenting disputes complicated by parental deficits and special needs children. She also has vast experience as an Independent Children’s Lawyer although no longer undertaking the roll. She is also a Parenting Co-Ordinator. Kay comes recommended in the Doyle’s Guide in Brisbane.

Simone Fraser, Barrister, Level 19, Inns of Court
Simone has been admitted as a legal practitioner since 2007 and commenced practice at the Bar in 2013. Simone regularly appears in the Federal Circuit and Family Court. She practices primarily in the area of family law and is a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, a nationally accredited mediator and a nationally accredited family law arbitrator. Prior coming to the Bar, Simone was an Associate to Justice Philippides of the Supreme Court of Queensland and worked in private practice. Simone subsequently spent several years working in-house before returning to private practice as a solicitor. Simone was the recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship from Bond University where she completed a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and a Bachelor of International Relations. She also holds an MBA which she completed at the European School of Management, Paris. Between 2018 and 2026, Simone has consistently been named in Doyle’s Guide in the Family Law Junior Counsel & Mediator Recommended categories for Queensland. Simone was one of the Counsel Assisting to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. Simone has chambers in both Brisbane and the Gold Coast.