Profile

Catherine is a Graduate of The University of Melbourne Law School and has extensive training also in Collaborative Law and mediation. She has been assisting Family Law clients to resolve conflicts for more than 30 years.

Cathy lives in Melbourne with her partner and 2 daughters. She has been involved in many Community organisations over the years.

Catherine has had an extensive involvement with The Law Institute of Victoria. In 1989 she became one of Melbourne’s first accredited family Law Specialists, and then worked on the Law Institute of Victoria’s Specialisation Committee for the following 6 years, to promote the spread of specialisation within the profession.

During the 1990’s, in addition to her legal practice, Catherine was busy raising her 2 daughters as a single mum, having personally experienced the separation and divorce process.

Catherine served as President of the Law Institute of Victoria in 2006.  In 2003, she was first elected to the Council of the Law Institute. In 2006 she became the 4th woman to be elected President in the Institute’s 150 year history. Catherine continues today as a Council member.

In 2008 Catherine opened her own boutique Collaborative Family Law Practice in Melbourne specialising in Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Because of her work introducing the collaborative law process to Victoria, Catherine has been appointed Chair of the Law Council of Australia’s National Collaborative practice Committee, and is actively involved in the training of lawyers in the collaborative process.

Born:
Melbourne 12 January 1954
Education:
University of Melbourne, graduated in Law 1975
Admissions:
Admitted to practice as Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, March 1977

Committees and Affiliation

  • Board Member, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals

  • Executive Member, Law Council of Australia

  • Registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner

  • Chair, Law Council of Australia, National Collaborative Practice Committee

  • Council Member, Law Institute of Victoria

  • Chair, Collaborative Practice Committee, Law Institute of Victoria

  • Member, Audit and Finance Committee, Law Institute of Victoria

  • Member, Coporate Governance Committee, Law Institute of Victoria

  • Member, Harmonisation of Laws Committee, Law Council of Australia

  • Chair, Terrorism and Anti-Money Laundering Committee, Law Council of Australia

  • Member, Equal Opportunity Briefing Policy Committee, Law Council of Australia

  • Director, College of Law Victoria

  • Director, Victoria Law Foundation

  • Member, Executive Services Group, Victoria Law Foundation

  • Law Institute of Victoria, Former President 2006

  • Author “Divorce – An Australian Womens’ Guide” (1982)

  • “Divorce – An Australian Mens’ Guide.” (1985)

  • Trainer for the LIV - Introductory Collaborative Law, for the Legal Profession

  • Member, Victorian Association for Dispute Resolution

 

History of Collaborative Law

Collaborative Law, which forms the basis of Catherine’s practice is modelled on tried and tested practices overseas. Collaborative law has been used successfully in America for almost 2 decades. It  has been so successful that it spread rapidly across Canada and the UK. More recently it has been introduced to other parts of Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand.Catherine is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and annually attends a Forum where around 600 fellow practitioners from around the world meet to discuss best practice and exchange ideas and learning about the collaborative process.