Parenting disputes continue to test even the most experienced family lawyers. Throughout this advanced one-day conference focusing on the complex issue of parenting matters arising in family law, you will join leading family law experts to examine the latest parenting case law and how the reforms are being applied, family violence across the criminal and family law jurisdictions, contravention and enforcement, and the evolving question of who is a parent. You will also examine the practical challenges of evidence, ethical decision-making and the rapidly changing role of AI in family law practice. Gain current insights and practical strategies to strengthen the way you advise, prepare and run complex parenting matters.

Presenters

Paul Sansom SC, Waratah Chambers
Paul Sansom was called to the NSW Bar in 1993 having first practiced as a Solicitor for about 10 years, in general Sole Practice and then as the Family Law partner of a large suburban firm. Since then Paul has practiced exclusively within the general area of Family Law both at first instance and in appellate work. Paul has appeared in many appeals of significance within the jurisdiction over many years. Paul has Chambers at Parramatta and more recently at Waratah Chambers, Sydney in order to better service his Instructing Solicitors and clients litigating in the Family Court and Federal Magistrates Courts at Sydney. Paul is a member of the NSW Bar Sub-Committee on Family Law. He is a member of the Committee at Parramatta responsible for ongoing legal education of Practitioners under 5 years standing. Paul is regularly asked to deliver papers for example, the National Family Law Conferences at Bowral, Sydney (2000), Tahiti and Fiji and College of Law. Paul was one of the contracted authors, responsible for the Advocacy course at the College of Law within the Applied Family Law Masters Degree course and (cross-examination in particular).

Karen Shea, Barrister, Frederick Jordan Chambers
Karen specialises in family law and children’s care and protection. Prior to coming to the Bar, Karen practiced as a family law solicitor for 18 years. Karen was a Family Law Advocate at Legal Aid NSW from 2009 to 2018. She has extensive experience in appearing for parties and children’s representatives in the Federal Circuit & Family Court of Australia, the Children’s Court and District Court. She also has experience in adoption proceedings and complex matters involving children in the parens patriae jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. In addition to her practice, Karen co-teaches Family Law Advocacy & Practice and Children & the Law at the University of NSW. Karen is named on the Doyles list of Leading Family Law Junior Counsel (NSW) 2025 and Leading Parenting & Children’s Matters Barristers (NSW) 2025.

Kimberley Morrison, Principal, Morrison Family Law
Kim Morrison is the principal of Morrison Family Law, an accredited family law specialist since 2017, and a collaborative lawyer. Kim has worked in family law since 2006, in both Queensland and Western Australia. She established Morrison Family Law in 2025 to offer Western Australian families more solutions-focussed legal advice and representation. Kim has a strong focus on continued education and learning, and is currently an elected counsellor of the Law Society of Western Australia. She was previously a member of LSWA’s education committee, and the accreditation committee which administers the specialist program in WA, and deputy chair of the family law accreditation sub-committee. She also sits on the WA Heath human research ethics committee.

Dr Jessica Henderson, Barrister, Murray Chambers
Dr Jessica Henderson is a barrister at Murray Chambers and a part-time Member at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (General and Migration/Refugee Divisions). She specialises in aviation, succession, and human rights law and has acted for commercial airlines, international insurers, government and NGOs. She is a member of the Law Society of WA Brief Editorial Committee and the Country Practitioners Committee and sits on the board of several NFP organisations. She holds a doctorate in American constitutional history and has been awarded the Richard Kiwanuka prize for International Humanitarian Law. Her three children are responsible for fine tuning her negotiation and mediation skills.

Dianne Pendergast, Barrister at Law/Mediator, Brisbane Chambers
Dianne Pendergast was admitted to practice law in 1986. Since then she has practiced predominantly in family law, wills and estates, child protection and domestic violence. Dianne was a partner in a boutique practice until 1992, when she was appointed as a registrar of the Family Court where she worked as a mediator, conciliator and conducted interim hearings for the next 14 years. In 2006 Dianne was appointed to the statutory position of Adult Guardian (Qld.). Dianne has practiced as a barrister for the last 13 years.

Stephen Page, Director, Page Provan Family Lawyers
Stephen Page is a director of Page Provan, Brisbane. Stephen was admitted as a solicitor in 1987 and has been a Queensland Law Society family law accredited specialist since 1996. He has spoken extensively about family law, domestic violence and fertility law at local, national and international conferences. Stephen is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (including co-chair of the Sexuality and Gender Identity Committee) and of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, and is an international representative on the ART Committee of the American Bar Association. He has received a number of awards, including the Queensland Law Society President’s Medal (2023). Stephen has written many legal articles. He is the author of two books: When Not If: Surrogacy for Australians (2022) and International Assisted Reproductive Technology (2024). Stephen is a member of several committees. He is the Secretary of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Cath Devine, Barrister, Foley’s List
Cath Devine has extensive experience in all areas of Family Law, with a particular interest and expertise in Child Support advice and advocacy. Cath has appeared as junior counsel and on appeal on numerous occasions. Cath has a reputation as a fearless and forceful advocate for her clients, and also on behalf of children when she appears as Counsel for the Independent Children's Lawyer. Cath is a qualified mediator and arbitrator. Cath is also currently an Adjunct Lecturer in the Masters of Laws program at the College of Law.

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.


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.

Michelle Down, Solicitor-Director, Abrams Turner Whelan Family Lawyers
Michelle was admitted to practice as a solicitor in 2006 and has practised exclusively in family law for over 13 years. Michelle has experience in the full range of Family Law matters and has particular expertise in complex Parenting and Child Support matters. Michelle has previously been on the Legal Aid panel for Family Lawyers and undertook training as an Independent Children’s Lawyer in 2015. Michelle is an experienced and capable advocate, having appeared as an agent and having run many of her own interim hearings in both the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court, as well as appearing in a number of other Courts including Local Court, District Court and Supreme Court. Michelle continues to appear regularly in the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court and has developed a practical approach to the resolution of parenting and financial matters. In 2017, Michelle completed her training in Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice and has now added collaborative practice to her repertoire. Michelle’s expertise in parenting matters has been recognised by her inclusion in the 2020 Doyles Guide to the Legal Profession as a “Recommended Lawyer in Parenting and Children’s Matters”. Michelle has also been recognised as a “Leading Family & Divorce Lawyer in Sydney” in the 2020 Doyles Guide to the Legal Profession. Michelle is on the Register of Practitioners of the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of New South Wales.