Parenting matters are becoming more complex, more contested and more strategically demanding. Throughout this intensive symposium you will tackle the issues that are genuinely challenging family lawyers now; from coercive control, asymmetric conflict and relocation disputes to non-compliance, self-represented litigants and developmentally complex children and families. Gain practical strategies from exceptional Counsel, leading family law practitioners and specialist experts who understand the pressure points in these matters. Hear from a former Senior Judicial Registrar of the FCFCOA, giving you a candid view on what works, what does not and how to approach certain situations in difficult parenting cases with greater confidence. Leave with sharper judgment, stronger strategies and practical guidance you can use immediately in complex parenting disputes.

Presenters

Elizabeth Bedford, Partner, Pearson Emerson
Libby is an accredited family law specialist and is collaboratively trained. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Masters of Law, studying in both Sydney and Calgary. She worked for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the Republic of Kiribati as a Child Justice specialist for 2 years. She is on the Independent Children Lawyer’s Panel. Libby is a Partner at Pearson Emerson Family Law.

Mark MacDiarmid, Principal, Mark MacDiarmid Family Law Specialist and Mediator
Mark MacDiarmid has been a lawyer for over 30 years. He is an Accredited Family Law Specialist, a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and a registered Family Law Arbitrator. Mark is a former Director of national law firm Gadens Lawyers (where he worked in the commercial law and banking & finance sections), a former specialist family law consultant for Coleman & Greig Lawyers, and for many years was the Principal Solicitor of the Elizabeth Evatt Community Legal Centre. As a lawyer Mark's practice is currently focused on Independent Children's Lawyer appointments, and as a mediator he focuses on legally assisted property mediations. He holds degrees in Arts & Law from the University of Sydney, as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology.

Claire O’Connor SC, Villeneuve Smith Chambers
Claire O'Connor SC is a barrister practising in criminal, family, and civil law, with a focus on children’s matters, complex financial matters, personal injuries, inquiries, and inquests. In addition to handling cases involving car accidents, murders, rapes, and family disputes over children, assets, and pets, she is well known for her work in refugee and detention centre cases. Notably, she acted for the plaintiff in Al Kateb v Secretary Dept. of Immigration in the High Court, represented Cornelia Rau in the Palmer Inquiry into her unlawful detention (and her subsequent rescue from Jordan where Ms Rau was detained under their mental health provisions), and appeared in the inquest into the sinking of the SIEV 221 off the coast of Christmas Island in 2010, representing the survivors and families of the deceased. Claire has also worked extensively on Aboriginal justice issues, including the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the Hindmarsh Island Royal Commission, and as in-house counsel at the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement. She juniored Julian Burnside AO QC in the first and only successful stolen generation case of Trevorrow v The State of South Australia. Additionally, Claire has represented numerous asbestos victims in litigation against employers and suppliers of asbestos, particularly in the successful test case of Parker v BHP in South Australia. Claire is known in SA legal profession for her interest in gender equity issues. She was involved in the establishment of the women's legal service around 30 years ago and served on its management committee for many years and, until recently, was on the Board of the Working Women’s Centre also in South Australia. She has practiced in family law matters in NSW, Victoria and SA and has acted in matters involving, significantly for this paper, both contraventions and applications in relation to parties seeking amendments to Final Orders applying the new understanding of the Rice and Asplund principles.


Megan Norris, Barrister, Culwulla Chambers
Prior to being called to the Bar in 2025, Megan worked as a solicitor at Legal Aid NSW for over 10 years. Megan was a solicitor advocate and appeared in complex interim hearings and final hearings. Megan has been practicing in both family law (parenting and property) and the care and protection jurisdiction since 2011. She has a strong passion for advocacy representing both parties and children. Megan regularly appears on Circuit in Dubbo, Orange, Wagga Wagga and Albury.


Carolina Soto, Barrister, Family Law Chambers
Carolina Soto was called to the Bar in 2018 and maintains a practice in criminal and family law. She has appeared unled at trial level in a broad range of jurisdictions including the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Supreme, District, Local and Children’s courts across NSW. She appears at the Mental Health Review Tribunal and acts within the Guardianship division of NCAT. Carolina’s practice also extends to international jurisdictions, including Vanuatu where she was called to the Bar in Vanuatu in 2023 and appeared in the Court of Appeal thereafter. Carolina often appears across both family and criminal jurisdictions and it is the intersection between these two disciplines that enables her to provide effective advice and representation of clients in complex parenting matters where criminal allegations are made, or issues of risk are involved. She has expertise and interest in domestic violence jurisprudence and has presented widely on such topics. She lectures extensively in criminal law, children and the law, human rights law, trial practice and procedure at the University of New England, Western Sydney University and the University of New South Wales. She is currently an advocacy instructor at the College of Law and recently completed the Pathways to Politics Program for Women at the University of New South Wales. Prior to being called to the Bar, Carolina practised as a criminal Legal Aid lawyer for a decade, worked as the Associate to His Honour Judge Williams in the District Court and interned at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland.

Stephanie Lau, Educational and Development Psychologist, Single Expert, Papaleo & Associates
Stephanie Lau is an educational and developmental psychologist, expert witness and board approved supervisor. She works with individuals over the developmental lifespan who present with complex developmental conditions in specialist paediatric, educational and forensic roles. Stephanie works extensively in an assessment and therapeutic capacity, including as Team Coordinator/Senior Psychologist in the Specialist Autism Team at the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Children’s Court Clinic, the Federal Circuit and Family Court in Melbourne and in private practice. She is a teaching associate at Monash University and speaks on the intersection between Children’s and Family Court matters, developmental concerns and child maltreatment. As the child of Chinese-Vietnamese refugees, she is passionate about creating nurturing environments where children can thrive and reach their full potential across the developmental lifespan.

Lauren Patford-Smith, Director & Independent Children’s Lawyer, FDRP & Parenting Coordinator, Patford-Smith Legal Services
Lauren holds a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Legal Studies, and a Masters of Applied Law (Family Law). She has also completed the additional training to be an Independent Children’s Lawyer and a Parenting Coordinator.

Al Huntoon, Mediator, Coparenting Connection
Albert J. Huntoon, MSW, Coparenting conflict specialist and founder of Coparenting Connection, leveraging over three decades of social work experience in high-conflict family law, domestic violence intervention, nonprofit leadership, and systemic reform. Combines extensive domestic violence training with family court mediation experience to identify asymmetric conflict patterns in coparenting that extend beyond traditional domestic violence frameworks. Bridges legal frameworks with practical insights by recognizing patterns in cases where standard mediation and therapeutic approaches fail.

Katerina Stratilas, Clinic Director & Clinical Psychologist, The Social Space
Katerina is a Clinical Psychologist and the Founding Director of the Social Space Psychology Clinic. She holds an endorsed area of practice in Clinical Psychology and has extensive experience supporting neurodivergent children, adoloscents, and adults. Her work spans autism, ADHD, developmental differences, emotional regulation, and identity development, alongside a range of mental health presentations. Katerina has experience across assessment, therapy, and program delivery, and is committed to providing care that is collaborative, respectful, and grounded in evidence-informed practice. She has completed formal training in internationally recognized programs including PEERS

Jennifer Crawley, Director, Novera Solutions
Jennifer Crawley is a former Senior Judicial Registrar at the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA). She has worked in private practice, Legal Aid ACT and the Australian Government Solicitor, and was the Director of National Registrar Operations at the FCFCOA from 2022 until recently leaving the Court in January 2026. Jennifer is now a Director at Novera Solutions, a unique consultancy providing comprehensive services to the legal profession and the broader justice system, including high-quality training and education for lawyers and tailored strategies to support practice excellence within the legal sector. Jennifer is an Accredited FDR Practitioner and is on the Board of the Women’s Legal Centre ACT.

Cassandra Kalpaxis, Director & Principal, Kalpaxis Legal incorporating Turnbull Legal Solutions
Cassandra’s passion for collaborative family law has been recognised through awards, testimonials and accolades. She is an accredited divorce practitioner and works tirelessly in media interviews creating awareness about collaborative family law to help women & families work together through domestic & family matters.

Fiona Darroch, Psychologist, The RelationSpace
Fiona Darroch is a Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years' experience working with children and families across multiple roles, including registered nurse, teacher, school psychologist, family therapist and as an expert witness. She specialises in child and adolescent mental health and provides evidence-based advice for professionals and families in Court cases involving children. Fiona is trained in forensic interviewing of children and has authored more than 1000 expert reports for Australian courts. She lectures postgraduate psychology students at the University of Newcastle, speaks at conferences globally, edits the Pacifica Congress online journal, and belongs to several professional associations, including being a Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists. Her areas of expertise encompass Assisted Reproductive Technology and Donor Conception, with a particular emphasis on child identity, as well as the evaluation of attachment within family law contexts.

Antonia Marran, Special Counsel, Mills Oakley; Accredited Specialist in Family Law
Antonia Marran is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and a Special Counsel in the Mills Oakley Family Law Team. Antonia works exclusively in the field of family law and has developed extensive expertise in all aspects of the jurisdiction, including: High Conflict Parenting Matters: Managing parenting matters involving serious allegations of family violence, complex mental health concerns and high conflict parenting dynamics, Complex Property Settlement Matters: Advising on property matters involving asset pools with multiple corporate and trust structures and high-net-worth clients, International Family Law: Including cross-border parenting disputes and international relocation matters, with experience in cases engaging the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, Financial Support Matters: Providing strategic guidance on child support and spousal maintenance tailored to each client’s financial and personal circumstances. Antonia combines careful analysis, strategic clarity, and a strongly client‑focused mindset in her approach to family law. She is known for navigating complex matters with precision and foresight, while remaining attentive to the practical realities facing families in transition. Her work is informed by a deep appreciation of both the legal framework and the emotional dynamics that underpin family law disputes, enabling her to guide clients toward outcomes that are not only sound in law but sustainable over the longer term. Antonia has been recognised in the Doyle’s Guide List in 2024 and 2025, Rising Star. She presents regularly on a broad range of family law topics and is actively involved in community and professional education. Antonia is the Director of the Kidman Centre, a not‑for‑profit focused on youth mental health and brings extensive knowledge and experience in complex parenting matters. She also has a substantial media background as a journalist specialising in parenting and social issues and is the host of Beyond Borders: International Family Law podcast on international family law.

Juliette Kratochvil, Registered Psychologist, The Social Space