Presenters

Caroline Counsel, Principal, Caroline Counsel Family Lawyers
Caroline Counsel is the principal of Caroline Counsel Family Lawyers and author of ‘Divorce the Court: A Better Life Together…Apart.” Caroline is an Accredited Family Law Specialist and Chair of the Specialisation Board at the Law Institute of Victoria. Caroline is also qualified as a Collaborative Lawyer, Mediator & Arbitrator and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner of some 40+ years’ experience. Caroline is a Past President of the Law Institute of Victoria (2011) and Honorary Life Member. Caroline has been a Board member of the LIV, LCA and presently holds the Family Violence Portfolio for the Institute as well as Co-Chair of the Family Violence Working Group at the LIV. Caroline is a State government appointed member of the Industry Taskforce on Family Violence. She was one of the inaugural board members of the Victorian Legal Admissions Board (appointed by Victorian Attorney General June 2015) and until recently she sat on the VLAB Board as well as the Admissions Committee.

Jason Walker, Partner, Forte Family Lawyers
Jason Walker is a partner of Forte Family Lawyers and has over 20 years of experience helping clients through family and relationship breakdown. He is accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as a specialist in Family Law (2005). Jason has particular expertise in complex parenting matters and complex financial litigation. Jason’s practice includes international family law, often involving jurisdictional and forum disputes. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, a worldwide association of practising lawyers who are recognised by their peers as the most experienced and skilled family law specialists in their respective countries. Jason is a member of the IAFL Executive Committee. In December 2018, Jason was elected as the Victorian solicitor representative to the Executive of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, the peak national body for Lawyers. He is the current Deputy Chair of the Family Law Section. Jason is the editor of Australian Family Lawyer and regularly presents on family law issues. Jason has also served as the Chair of the Family Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria. He was a founding member of the LIV Children’s Law Specialisation Advisory Committee, responsible for assessing and examining candidates for specialisation in Children’s Law. Jason is regularly named in the Doyle’s Guide list of Leading Family and Divorce Lawyers (Melbourne). Jason has also been ranked in the Doyle’s Guide list of Preeminent Family & Divorce Lawyers (Melbourne), Leading High-Value & Complex Property Matters Family Lawyers (Melbourne), and list of Preeminent Parenting & Children’s Matters Lawyers (Victoria). Doyle’s Guide is drawn from peer opinion. Jason is also named in Best Lawyers Australia.