Separation is hard enough without legal uncertainty. In Hobart, family law matters are heard in the Federal Circuit and Family Court registry in the city, while family violence orders usually go through the Magistrates Court. A good family lawyer in Hobart will try to keep you out of court where it is safe to do so, through negotiation and mediation.
Property settlements here often involve a family home in suburbs like New Town or Howrah, superannuation, and sometimes a farm, shack or small business. Parenting arrangements need to work around school runs and, for some families, a move to the mainland.
When a settlement transfers a home between partners, Tasmanian transfer duty may not apply. Our guide to stamp duty in Tasmania explains the general rules.
The firms below are all based in Greater Hobart and ranked on family law depth, approach to dispute resolution and fee transparency.
Family Lawyers In Hobart At A Glance
Company
Based In
Best For
Known For
PWB Lawyers
Hobart CBD
Any family law matter
Practises only family law
Simmons Wolfhagen
Hobart CBD and Kingston
Complex property and parenting
Large statewide family team
FitzGerald and Browne Lawyers
Hobart CBD
A collaborative approach
Family team led by Oona Fisher
Mead Family Law
Hobart
Mediation-first resolution
40+ years combined experience
Advocate Lawyers
Kingston and Battery Point
Fixed-fee agreements and orders
Fixed fees for consent orders
Abetz Curtis
Hobart CBD
Business owners separating
Commercial approach to family law
Murdoch Clarke
Hobart CBD
Families wanting a full-service firm
130+ years in Hobart
Dobson Mitchell Allport
Hobart CBD
Separations with estate issues
Family and estates under one roof
D & X Legal
Hobart CBD
Separations involving visas
Family, immigration and property
Leonard Fernandez Barristers & Solicitors
Battery Point
Family matters with criminal overlap
Family, criminal and migration
Best Family Lawyers In Hobart
1. PWB Lawyers — Elizabeth Street Firm Practising Exclusively In Family Law
PWB Lawyers is at Level 1, 57 Elizabeth Street, Hobart, and practises exclusively in family law. Directors Ros Courtney and Emma Daniels lead a team that includes four principal solicitors, which gives the firm unusual depth for a single-area practice in a small city.
Its work covers separation and divorce, parenting arrangements, property settlements, spousal maintenance, binding financial agreements and child support. The firm links to its Doyle’s Guide listings for Tasmanian family and divorce law from 2022 to 2026. It is upfront about costs: enquiries are free, but the first appointment is billed at the solicitor’s hourly rate and usually runs about an hour, and reception will confirm the rate when you book. The site also lists support services such as 1800RESPECT and Relationships Australia Tasmania. It suits anyone wanting a firm where every lawyer works only in family law.
2. Simmons Wolfhagen — Statewide Family Team With An In-House Accredited Mediator
Simmons Wolfhagen runs a statewide family law team from its Hobart office at 99 Bathurst Street, with a southern office at Channel Court, Kingston, and offices in Launceston and the North West. The team is led by directors Kristi Foale and Charlotte Griffith and includes special counsel, senior associates and associates.
It handles married and de facto property settlements, binding financial agreements, parenting disputes including relocation requests, grandparents’ applications, child support, surrogacy, and family violence and restraint orders. It also lists services for the LGBTQIA+ community. Mediation is available through a nationally accredited mediator, and if that fails the firm can run the matter in the Federal Circuit and Family Court. Because the firm also has agribusiness, commercial and estate teams, it can handle settlements involving farms, trusts or businesses in-house. It suits separating couples with significant or complicated assets, or with property in more than one part of Tasmania.
FitzGerald and Browne works from the T&G building at 115 Collins Street and has acted for individuals and families since 2001. Its family law team is headed by partner Oona Fisher, who appears in the Federal Circuit and Family Court and the Magistrates Court, with associates Sarah Cullen and Tiarni Barr.
The firm says it takes a non-confrontational and collaborative approach to family law where possible. Services include property settlements, children’s matters, child support agreements, divorce and family violence orders. Because partner Richard Griggs handles conveyancing and estate planning, the firm can also manage property transfers ordered under a family law agreement and update wills after separation, which saves passing the file to another office. It suits people who want a firm focused on individuals rather than corporates, and who prefer to resolve matters by agreement while knowing their lawyer can go to court if needed.
4. Mead Family Law — Hobart Family Law Practice That Prioritises Mediation
Mead Family Law is a dedicated family law practice in Hobart. The firm says its team has more than 40 years of combined experience in the area.
Its services cover divorce, property settlement and division, parenting disputes, child support and maintenance, family violence orders and binding financial agreements. It also helps with interstate and international relocation of children, a common issue for Hobart families where one parent moves to the mainland for work. The firm says it prioritises alternative dispute resolution such as mediation and arbitration wherever practicable, with the aim of personalised, cost-effective outcomes. Arbitration in particular can resolve a property dispute much faster than waiting for a court date. It suits separating couples who want a specialist family law firm and are open to settling through mediation or arbitration rather than litigation.
5. Advocate Lawyers — Kingston Firm With Fixed Fees For Consent Orders
Advocate Lawyers has offices in Kingston and Hobart and is led by principal Kelly Dewey. Associate Hannah Fromberg works in family law, and lawyer Yosheena De Zoysa practises across criminal and family matters, which helps where a family law dispute overlaps with family violence charges.
The firm helps clients at any stage of a relationship, from before cohabitation to after separation. It offers fixed fees for consent orders and binding financial agreements, so couples who have already reached agreement can formalise it at a known cost. More complex matters are billed hourly, and the firm says it gives clear cost estimates before starting and can discuss litigation funding and legal aid eligibility. Conveyancing is handled in-house if the family home needs to be transferred or sold. It suits Kingborough and Huon Valley families who have largely agreed terms and want them documented properly for a predictable fee.
6. Abetz Curtis — Davey Street Firm Bringing A Commercial Lens To Family Law
Abetz Curtis has practised from 83 Davey Street, Hobart, since 1987. Family law sits alongside its commercial, property, employment and estates work, and the firm says it takes a clear commercial approach to family law advice.
That is a real advantage where a separation involves a company, a family trust, commercial property or a share of a business. The firm advises clients before, during and after a marriage or de facto relationship, including on financial agreements that protect business assets. Because its commercial and property lawyers are in the same office, questions about valuing a business, restructuring a trust or transferring title can be answered without engaging a second firm. A Chinese-language version of its website is available. It suits business owners, professionals and investors whose separation involves more than the family home and superannuation.
7. Murdoch Clarke — Victoria Street Firm Handling Family Law And Wills Together
Murdoch Clarke is at 10 Victoria Street, Hobart, and says it has been trusted by clients for more than 130 years. Family law is one of its core personal services, alongside wills, home sales and purchases, and compensation claims.
That combination matters after separation. Most people need to update their will and superannuation nominations, and many need to sell or transfer the family home once a property settlement is reached. Murdoch Clarke can handle the family law matter, the conveyancing and the new will within one firm, which keeps costs and paperwork down. The firm says its focus is on helping everyday clients reach their goals rather than corporate work. It suits Hobart families who want a long-established local firm for a straightforward separation and the practical tasks that follow it.
Dobson Mitchell Allport, or DOMA, has practised in Tasmania since 1834 and works from 59 Harrington Street, Hobart, with a second office in Devonport. Family and relationships is one of its five main practice areas.
The firm’s estate planning and administration team works alongside its family lawyers, which helps in situations such as a separation where one party has recently inherited, a blended family planning new wills, or a dispute over a deceased parent’s estate after a relationship breakdown. DOMA also has a migration practice, relevant where one partner holds a partner visa and separation affects their status. It acts for individuals as well as businesses and governments, so it can handle settlements that include commercial property. It suits separating clients whose matter involves estates, migration or business interests and who want a long-established CBD firm.
9. D & X Legal — Murray Street Boutique Covering Family And Immigration Law
D & X Legal is a boutique firm at 106A/86 Murray Street, Hobart, open on weekdays. Its practice covers commercial and property law, immigration law including appeals, and family law, wills and estates.
The firm acknowledges the trauma that comes with the breakdown of a marriage and says it aims to resolve separation disputes promptly. The pairing of family and immigration law is the stand-out feature. For migrant families in Hobart, separation can affect a partner visa application, sponsorship or a child’s travel, and having both issues advised on by one small firm avoids conflicting advice. Its property practice can also manage title transfers once a settlement is agreed. It suits migrant and multicultural families going through separation, and people whose family law matter has an immigration dimension that a general family firm may not handle in-house.
Leonard Fernandez Barristers & Solicitors works from Level 3, 15 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, on the Hobart waterfront. As the name suggests, Leonard Fernandez practises as both barrister and solicitor, so the same lawyer can prepare a matter and appear for you in court.
The practice covers relationships and family law, criminal law, immigration and migration law, civil disputes and business disputes. That mix suits family law matters with a second legal dimension, such as a family violence order running alongside parenting proceedings, or a separation affecting a visa. As a smaller practice, it offers direct contact with the principal, and staff can be reached by phone or email during business hours. Client testimonials on its site describe help through difficult personal matters. It suits clients who want one lawyer to handle a family law matter from first advice through to a court appearance.
How To Choose A Family Lawyer In Hobart
Do They Focus On Family Law?
Some Hobart firms practise only family law, while others have a family team inside a general practice. Both can work well. Ask what share of the lawyer’s work is family law, whether they regularly appear in the Federal Circuit and Family Court in Hobart, and who else in the firm will work on your file.
How Are Fees Charged?
Most family lawyers in Hobart charge by the hour, often with the first appointment billed. Some offer fixed fees for consent orders or binding financial agreements. Ask for written cost disclosure, an estimate for each stage, and whether legal aid or a payment plan is available.
Will They Try To Resolve It Without Court?
Before most parenting cases can go to court you must attempt family dispute resolution, unless there is family violence or urgency. Ask whether the lawyer offers mediation or arbitration, and how they decide when negotiation is no longer working.
Can They Handle Your Particular Assets?
Farms, family trusts, businesses and shacks on the East Coast make property settlements more complex. Ask whether the firm works with valuers and accountants, and whether it can handle the conveyancing or business transfer once you reach agreement.
What Support Do They Offer In Family Violence Situations?
If safety is a concern, ask how quickly the lawyer can seek a family violence order and whether they work with services such as the Safe at Home program and Women’s Legal Service Tasmania. A good family lawyer will make your safety the first item on the plan.
Conclusion
Family law in Hobart is served by dedicated practices such as PWB Lawyers and Mead Family Law, as well as large family teams inside firms like Simmons Wolfhagen. Smaller firms add useful overlaps with immigration, criminal and commercial law.
Book a first meeting with one or two Hobart family law firms, bring a list of assets and your key questions, and ask for a written cost estimate. Choose the family lawyer in Hobart who explains your options clearly and treats resolving matters early as a goal.
