Child Protection Lawyers
Melbourne & Rural Victoria.

At TP Legal & Associates, we believe children are our future, and therefore it is important they be nurtured and supported in a safe living environment. Our children’s court lawyers in Melbourne help vulnerable children by emphasising on family connectedness, with our aim always being to keep children with their families, cultures, and communities.

As a leading Melbourne law firm specialising in children’s court cases and child protection, our highly qualified child protection lawyers have over 25 years of experience in helping and supporting vulnerable children. TP Legal & Associates are members of the S29A Panel at Victoria Legal Aid, which means we accept referrals from Legal Aid, and appear as duty lawyers across the Metropolitan and Country courts of Victoria.

Our passion for advocating children’s rights and safety combined with our extensive experience handling various children’s court cases allows us to guide you through the entire process, provide detailed advice specific to your case, and ensure you are being treated fairly to give you the best chance of keeping your family together.

We pride ourselves on being able to make the best decisions for our youngest clients and we are dedicated to providing expert child protection advice and children’s court representation for family division matters that involve children.

Family Division Matters

Family division matters are heard in the children’s court. The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) receives reports of child neglect and abuse and is obliged to investigate. After investigation, if they believe intervention is necessary, DFFH will lodge an application with the Children’s Court.

Our children’s court lawyers in Melbourne are ready to represent you in relation to these applications. We represent children, parents, stepparents, and carers. Our expert knowledge and experience with child protection help us approach each case with better understanding and compassion, resulting in more effective interactions and communications with our clients.

Indigenous Representation

Our legal team is a strong advocate for the indigenous population of Australia. We acknowledge and respect indigenous connections to land and culture, and advocate for your legal rights with this in mind.

We regularly receive client referrals from the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and from other Aboriginal organisations.

At TP Legal employees have undergone Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training with the Koori Heritage Trust and have a strong commitment to advocating for the indigenous peoples of Victoria. We work hard to keep indigenous children with their families and cultures, taking a respectful, compassionate, non-judgmental approach to our service.

Legal Aid

TP Legal & Associates is predominantly a legal-aid-focused law firm. We are members of the S29A Panel at Victoria Legal Aid.

This means we accept referrals from Legal Aid and appear as duty lawyers across the Metropolitan and County courts of Victoria.

We are committed to ensuring underprivileged families have access to legal aid to get the justice they deserve.

Children’s Court Representation

We represent all parties to proceedings in children’s court cases and do so with empathy for everyone involved.

Children Under 10 Years Old

If a child is under 10 years of age, the Children’s Court may appoint an Independent Children’s Lawyer. At TP Legal & Associates, Victoria Legal Aid regularly refers children under 10 to our team for support. Our experienced child protection lawyers have the responsibility of reading all associated materials, and then make a decision based on the best interests of the child. Our careful attention to detail and wealth of expertise is well known in the industry, and we pride ourselves on being able to make the best decisions for our youngest clients.

Children 10 Years or Older

If a child is over 10 years of age it means they take an instruction-based approach, telling our child protection lawyers what they would like to happen in the children’s court. Our lawyers are well-versed in talking to children and teenagers. A number of our lawyers are parents themselves and therefore have an innate ability to make our younger clients feel comfortable, understood, and heard.

Parents and Carers

If we’re representing you as a parent or carer, we act for you and your interests. If you’re not a parent and haven’t joined as a party to proceedings, we can assist in your application to join. We advocate strongly for children to maintain a connection with their family and caregivers where possible and will fight for your rights and the rights of your child. TP Legal is one of the few law firms in Melbourne able to offer expert specialised advice and strong advocacy skills in relation to your Child Protection Matter.

We’re here to support our youngest clients

Based in Melbourne, our child protection lawyers service all courts within the metropolitan city and rural Victoria. We travel regularly to courts in rural areas to support and provide legal services to Aboriginal people as well as legal aid to underprivileged families.

Help us help you. Contact a TP Legal & Associates children’s court lawyer today.