Emmalaura has a unique name and a unique approach to family law. Her methods focus around the needs of the client and creating a tailored approach to meet the specific circumstances of that matter.
Emmalaura is one of only a few Melbourne family lawyers who practises at both ends of the family law spectrum – she is trained in, and practises in, collaborative law and also highly skilled and experienced at managing high conflict litigation. She therefore has a genuine ability to think outside the box and is able to bring skills from both areas of practice to a wide variety of family law matters.
Emmalaura is experienced in a wide range of areas of family law, from simple property and parenting matters to highly complex matters. She practices in high wealth matters, same sex relationships, family violence and almost everything in between.
Emmalaura uses plain language to demystify the legal system for her clients and to keep them informed at every stage. She believes that that clients are best placed to make decisions and have control of their own family law matter and that our job as lawyers is to assist them to achieve those goals. Emmalaura’s holistic and empathetic approach means better outcomes for clients.
Having also completed undergraduate training in psychology, Emmalaura has a special interest in cases that involve psychological disorders and/or neurodiversity and a fascination about human behaviour.
Emmalaura’s legal career began at the County Court of Victoria and subsequently as a Judge’s Associate at the Supreme Court of Victoria. Following the courts, she worked at Victoria Legal Aid where she discovered her passion for family law and moved into private practice shortly after.
Emmalaura has acted in solicitor advocate roles since early in her career and has extensive advocacy experience, having appeared before both divisions of the Federal Circuit Court and Family Court of Australia (FCFOCA), the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria and the Family Court of Western Australia.
In addition to her legal training, Emmalaura holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Science and a Master of Laws majoring in Dispute Resolution. Emmalaura is trained as a collaborative lawyer and as a mediator, and in 2014 completed additional study in managing high conflict personalities in legal disputes.
Emmalaura has volunteered for many years in various capacities, including as a volunteer lawyer at Women’s Legal Service for almost 10 years. She has also done extensive non-legal volunteer work, including on an Owners’ Corporation committee, at the Starlight Room at the Royal Children’s Hospital, in a boarding school in the south of England and in a human rights NGO in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
In her spare time, Emmalaura loves to travel. When in Melbourne, she can often be found at the theatre or comedy, listening to live music or wandering in a local market.
- Bachelor of Behavioural Science (La Trobe University)
- Bachelor of Laws (La Trobe University)
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (College of Law)
- Master of Laws (Monash University)
- Accredited as a mediator in 2015
- Trained as a collaborative lawyer in 2015
- Supreme Court of Victoria
- High Court of Australia
- Law Institute of Victoria
- Family Law Section, Law Council of Australia
- Victorian Women Lawyers
- Victorian Association of Collaborative Professionals (VACP)
What clients say about Emmalaura
Emmalaura demonstrated exceptional professionalism, compassion, and strength. While always kind and understanding with me, she was also assertive and unyielding when the situation required it. Her extensive legal knowledge and experience were instrumental to the success of my case—she truly left no stone unturned. Emmalaura has consistently been responsive and accessible, whether by phone or email.
Although I had dreaded restarting the court process years after the initial proceedings, Emmalaura made it seamless. She remembered the finest details from years prior, saving me the effort of revisiting old notes. Working with her felt like reconnecting with a trusted friend. I wholeheartedly recommend her and Starling Family Law for their strong yet compassionate approach to family law.”
complex parenting matter)
