Carmel is an Accredited Family Law Specialist and a Principal who practices exclusively in MST Lawyers’ family law team. Her background in general legal practice enables her to draw on her particular knowledge of many areas of law which assist in the resolution of family law disputes.
Following her graduation in 1986, Carmel undertook training with a major Melbourne firm and was admitted to practice in 1987. Since approximately 1993 she has practiced almost exclusively in Family Law and Family Violence.
Carmel is fluent in the Italian and English languages and can converse and read in, French.
Carmel’s Practice
Carmel has experience in all aspects of Family Law and Family Violence Intervention Orders. Carmel has a special interest in complex property and financial matters which involve various business entities, corporate and trust structures as well as self-managed super funds, family trusts, CGT and tax issues. She is also very experienced in complex parenting cases such as those designated to the Magellan List and those which require the involvement of Child Protection and the making of Family Violence Intervention Orders. She has a clear understanding of the effect of family violence on both children and families. She is also experienced in same sex and defacto disputes, child abduction, relocation, contravention applications, child support, adult child maintenance and Appeals to the Full Court of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
With experience that spans over 35 years and a special interest in complex property and parenting cases, Carmel is able to manage those issues and aims at finding workable resolutions for her clients that are efficient and cost effective whether by negotiation, mediation or through the courts as a last resort.
Areas of Practice
- Parenting arrangements including high conflict and mental health issues
- Property and financial settlements including complex matters
- Relocation/Abduction of children
- Spousal/Adult Child Maintenance
- Child Support
- Appeals & Injunctions
- Same sex/defacto disputes
- Family/Domestic Violence
- Private Mediation & Negotiation
- Divorce
- Family Violence Intervention Orders
Qualifications/Admissions/Achievements
- 2021- LIV Accredited Family Law Specialist
- 2021 – Master of Laws (Applied Law – Family Law) College of Law
- 2021 – Winner of the Sandra Paul Memorial Prize for the Best Graduating Student in Family Law in her Master’s class.
- 1987 – Admitted to Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia
- 1986 – Bachelor of Arts / Laws Monash University
Memberships
- Law Institute of Victoria (since 1987)
- Law Council of Australia
- Fellow of the College of Law
