Headquarters:
Melbourne
Year founded:
2013
Number of employees:
25
Phone:
03 8672 5222
Email:
stacey.nelson@blackwoodfamilylawyers.com.au
Website:
blackwoodfamilylawyers.com.au
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/blackwood-family-lawyers
“We put our customers at the centre of our business, responding to brokers in a proactive and timely manner and working with the customer to understand their unique risk profile and tailor appropriate solutions”
Erica Kofie, QBE
Caroline Khoury
Principal – Accredited Family Law Specialist
Cassandra Selvaggio
Principal – Accredited Family Law Specialist
Marita Bajinskis
Founder/Consultant – Accredited Family Law Specialist
Leadership
Caroline’s clients benefit from her comprehensive knowledge of the law, pragmatism and outcome-oriented approach, coupled with her empathetic and understanding nature. Caroline’s primary objective is to assist her clients achieve a resolution in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, while meeting the client’s personal and commercial objectives. Caroline does this in a straightforward and easy to understand manner. Where litigation is necessary, Caroline has extensive court experience, both as advocate and instructing solicitor. Caroline is experienced in negotiating complex property settlements which involve companies, trust structures and self-managed superannuation funds. Caroline also assists clients with all aspects of parenting, including parental responsibility, living arrangements for children and relocation.
Principal – Accredited Family Law Specialist
Caroline Khoury
Cassandra is a pragmatic and resourceful lawyer who combines her comprehensive knowledge of the law with a realistic approach. She understands that being a family lawyer is about more than providing legal advice and ensures that her clients feel supported and informed throughout the process.
Cassandra advises and represents people across a broad range of areas, including in high conflict parenting matters and complex property matters involving companies, trusts and self-managed superannuation funds. Cassandra appears for clients at private mediation and in Court and is a confident and determined advocate. Cassandra is also passionate about maintaining expertise in the family law industry and is a member of the Law Institute of Victoria Family Law Specialisation Advisory Committee. The Committee is responsible for setting examinations for, and assessing lawyers seeking to gain recognition as an Accredited Specialist in family law.
Principal – Accredited Family Law Specialist
Cassandra Selvaggio
Marita has a particular interest and expertise in complex financial settlements. She has substantial experience acting in matters involving complicated business structures, many with multiple trusts, companies and self-managed superannuation funds. Marita particularly enjoys the detective work involved in reviewing complex financial documents and in helping her clients unravel themselves or their spouse from companies, trusts and self-managed superannuation funds. She has a thorough understanding of business valuation and tax issues in family law. Marita takes a practical and realistic approach to even the most intractable disputes. Marita's clients value her professionalism, understanding and caring approach.
Founder/Consultant – Accredited Family Law Specialist
Marita Bajinskis
“We put our customers at the centre of our business, responding to brokers in a proactive and timely manner and working with the customer to understand their unique risk profile and tailor appropriate solutions”
Erica Kofie, QBE
“We continue to see cyber as a key opportunity and will be further developing customer-centric solutions across various geographies and segments in line with our growth aspirations”
Erica Kofie, QBE
Leadership
“We continue to see cyber as a key opportunity and will be further developing customer-centric solutions across various geographies and segments in line with our growth aspirations”
Erica Kofie, QBE
“We put our customers at the centre of our business, responding to brokers in a proactive and timely manner and working with the customer to understand their unique risk profile and tailor appropriate solutions”
Erica Kofie, QBE
Leadership
Mary Young
Principal Lawyer – Accredited Family Law Specialist
Mary understands her family law clients are often navigating challenging emotional matters. She provides compassionate and practical legal advice to make the process easier. Mary's family law expertise covers complex property matters, high-conflict parenting matters, spousal maintenance, child support and cases involving family violence. As an advocate, she represents clients in mediations and in Intervention Order matters in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria. Mary’s primary focus is to achieve the best possible outcomes for clients in a timely and cost-effective manner, avoiding litigation where possible. In cases requiring litigation, Mary is pragmatic and assertive. Mary is fluent in Greek and gives legal advice with a broad and inclusive perspective
Principal Lawyer – Accredited Family Law Specialist
Mary Young
Stephen Burton
Managing Partner – Queensland
Stephen Burton is a highly regarded construction and infrastructure lawyer with nearly 20 years of experience. As managing partner and national head of the firm’s construction, infrastructure & projects team, he leads with integrity and is known for his approachable style, fostering a culture of open communication, trust and collaboration. Under Burton’s leadership, the construction team has contributed to the delivery of several of Queensland’s most-high profile developments, including Howard Smith Wharves, Queen’s Wharf and the Eagle Street Pier Waterfront Precinct.
Managing Partner – Queensland
Stephen Burton
Blackwood Family Lawyers is a specialist family law firm located in the Melbourne CBD. The team, consisting of thirteen family lawyers, including seven accredited family law specialists, provides high-quality advice and representation in all aspects of family law, including separation and divorce, property settlements, parenting arrangements and child support.
With extensive experience, Blackwood can resolve most family law matters by agreement. When agreement is not possible, strong and expert representation is provided in court.
The firm has significant experience handling complex family law cases. Understanding the stress associated with relationship breakdowns, the team at Blackwood Family Lawyers helps clients move forward by offering clear advice on legal rights and entitlements and assisting in identifying their goals and priorities.
The firm strives to empower clients to make informed decisions about their future and uses its experience to achieve the best possible outcomes. Clear and direct communication is a priority, avoiding legal jargon in favour of practical guidance and realistic advice, even when it is difficult to hear.
Blackwood Family Lawyers is commercial, upfront and transparent about legal costs and genuinely cares about its clients.
“We continue to see cyber as a key opportunity and will be further developing customer-centric solutions across various geographies and segments in line with our growth aspirations”
Erica Kofie, QBE
Mitch Grant
Director, Operation Excellence
Kane Bradford
Head Professional Practice,
Innovation and Partnership
Constantine Osuchukwu
Reverend
Simon Williams
Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International
and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955
Mitch Grant leads the operational excellence function, bringing together the firm’s experts in knowledge, legal operations and research services. His team is responsible for shaping the way Maddocks lawyers work, ensuring the delivery of exceptional client experiences.
Director, Operation Excellence
Mitch Grant
Kane Bradford oversees the school’s teaching and learning agenda, with a particular focus on harnessing strategic partnerships to the benefit of our staff and students. He brings significant experience from his previous work as a teacher and leader in independent schools to his leadership spanning senior roles at the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC).
Head Professional Practice, Innovation and Partnership
Kane Bradford
Constantine Osuchukwu joined Lindisfarne as chaplain in 2021. Previously, he was the parish priest of St Matthew’s in Wendouree, Diocese of Ballarat, Victoria. He has a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy and Theology), a Masters of Counselling and a Graduate Diploma in Community Development. Osuchukwu brings experience in a variety of parish roles, plus ministry work in prisons and the tertiary sector.
Reverend
Constantine Osuchukwu
Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.
Partner
Kimi Shah
Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.
Partner
Kimi Shah
Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.
Partner
Kimi Shah
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Broker communication, training and development
BDM support
Turnaround time – claims
Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance
Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability
Small business
