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Family Law

Families, relationships and separations can be complex and emotionally charged.  Our team of highly experienced family lawyers are committed to addressing your needs with empathy, determination, and passion.

Families, relationships and separations can be complex and emotionally charged. 

Elit Lawyers by McGirr & Snell is a boutique firm with a dynamic approach to family law practice, providing empathetic, pragmatic and strategic advice to clients in all areas of family and relationship law.  This includes binding financial agreements, divorce, property and financial settlements (married, de-facto relationships, same-sex and LBGTQIA+ relationships), maintenance, child arrangements and child support.

Led by Aggie Vlahos, our family law team is focussed on achieving the best possible outcome for clients taking into consideration their specific needs and objectives.  We strive to assist clients to negotiate out-of-court settlements; however, we are well placed to provide clients with expert representation in court should it be necessary to commence or respond to court proceedings.
 
At Elit Lawyers by McGirr & Snell, clients are at the heart of everything we do. Our approach to providing legal services embraces the spirit of entrepreneurship and modern collaboration, enabling our clients to be part of the journey, rather than removed from it.
 
 

A Smarter, Flexible Way to Fund Your Family Law Matter 

We understand that when you’re navigating a separation or relationship property matter, the financial strain can sometimes stand in the way of getting the legal support you need. That’s why we’ve partnered with JustFund – Australia’s only dedicated provider of flexible funding solutions for family law legal fees. Through this partnership, eligible clients can access a flexible line of credit to cover legal fees and expenses related to separation or relationship property proceedings. You don’t have to repay the loan until you reach a settlement, which we hope reduces the stress associated with paying costs upfront. 

Contact us for more information, or visit JustFund.com.au

Expertise

Marriage (Decree of Nullity & Validity Proceedings)

De Facto, Same Sex Relationships (Advice, property & financial rights, financial proceedings, parenting, parenting proceedings)

Divorce & Separation (Procedural advice, divorce applications, court representation, property and financial rights)

Property & Financial Settlements (General advice, dispute resolution and negotiated settlements, litigated disputes)

Superannuation Settlements (Superannuation agreements, payment splitting orders, payment flags, binding death benefit nominations, self-managed super funds)

Children & Parenting (Parenting arrangements, parenting proceedings, consent orders, contravention proceedings, variation proceedings, parenting plans, location and recovery proceedings, grandparents applications, family violence and child abuse, child support, child support agreements)

Family Violence and Intervention Orders

Binding Financial Agreements (Pre-relationship, during relationship, following separation, enforcement proceedings)

Injunctions & Urgent Applications

Dispute Resolution (Round table conferencing, private mediation)

Litigation

Expertise

Marriage (Decree of Nullity & Validity Proceedings)

De Facto, Same Sex Relationships (Advice, property & financial rights, financial proceedings, parenting, parenting proceedings)

Divorce & Separation (Procedural advice, divorce applications, court representation, property and financial rights)

Property & Financial Settlements (General advice, dispute resolution and negotiated settlements, litigated disputes)

Superannuation Settlements (Superannuation agreements, payment splitting orders, payment flags, binding death benefit nominations, self-managed super funds)

Children & Parenting (Parenting arrangements, parenting proceedings, consent orders, contravention proceedings, variation proceedings, parenting plans, location and recovery proceedings, grandparents applications, family violence and child abuse, child support, child support agreements)

Family Violence and Intervention Orders

Binding Financial Agreements (Pre-relationship, during relationship, following separation, enforcement proceedings)

Injunctions & Urgent Applications

Dispute Resolution (Round table conferencing, private mediation)

Litigation

Since the firm launched, Elit Lawyers by McGirr & Snell have won multiple awards, including:

Litigation Team of the Year 2025 - Finalist

Insurance Team of the Year 2025 - Finalist

Litigator of the Year 2025 - Finalist

Danielle Snell. Managing Partner of the Year.

Managing Partner of the Year - Winner

Law Firm Leader of the Year <100 employees - Winner

Boutique Firm of the Year - Winner

Major Matters

Acting for Trustee of the Bankrupt Husband

Acted for the Trustee of the Husband (a bankrupt) in proceedings filed by the wife seeking the division of property interests pursuant to section 79 of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and securing funds for the creditors.

Breach of section 121 of Family Law Act

Successfully defended injunction seeking to restrain the publication, sale and promotion of an author’s book. Post the book’s publication, instructed to seek investigation and prosecution by the AFP for breach of Section 121 of the Family Law Act (1975).

Urgent interlocutory application

Acted for a father in relation to an urgent interlocutory application for a recovery order and orders for the mother to return with the children to Melbourne from interstate.

Defacto financial settlement dismissal

Defended an application made by a former partner seeking a financial settlement. The matter ran to trial and it was declared that the parties were not in a de facto relationship, dismissing the application with no financial settlement ordered. Meadows & Medved [2018] FCCA 111 (19 January 2018).

Property and financial settlement during marriage

Represented a wife diagnosed with advanced stages of dementia (via her litigation guardian), in proceedings brought by her husband of 20 years, from whom she was not separated, seeking a financial settlement. 

Contract of sale of matrimonial property

Acted for a husband in relation to an application to set aside a contract of sale of the matrimonial property executed by the wife with a third-party purchaser. 

Major Matters

Successful appeal to Building Appeals Board

Successfully acted for a family in relation to an appeal lodged by them to the Building Appeals Board concerning a lift they sought to have installed in their property to accommodate mother’s health condition which was objected to by the Council, but overturned after hearing on appeal to the Building Appeals Board.

Large scale nuisance claim

Defended a large scale nuisance claim issued against a Victorian Council concerning the alleged deposit of water and migration of gas onto a former municipal rubbish tip.

Lanciana v Alderuccio [2019] VSC 198

Acted in Supreme Court proceedings in a case which ultimately found that the defendants as solicitors acting as agents in lodging caveats were not ’a person’ lodging a caveat with the Registrar for the purposes of s118 the Transfer of Land Act 1958.

Major building dispute

Acted in a major building dispute by the client against a commercial building company, a division of BlueScope Steel Australia in respect to the construction on behalf of a client of a rail freight terminal in South Australia. The matter involved Supreme Court action and subsequent appeal to the Court of Appeal. Lysaght Building Solutions Pty Ltd (T/A Highline Commercial Construction) v Balanko Pty Ltd [2013] VSCA 158 and thereafter the conduct of an arbitration under the Commercial Arbitration Act 2011.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Hassan James Khouri & Nadia Khouri [1998] VSC 128

Acted on behalf of Nadia Khouri (nee Horkings) to obtain a grant of Legal Aid to successfully defend a claim against the Commonwealth Bank for judgement and possession of her home. Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Hassan James Khouri & Nadia Khouri [1998] VSC 128.

Claim against building surveyor

Acting for a home owner in a claim brought against a private building surveyor concerning alleged negligent advice in relation to a luxury home renovation valued in excess of $12million.

Barcrem Pty Ltd v Nisiotis [2019] VCC 1006

Successfully applied to the County Court of Victoria on behalf of property developers for a stay of proceedings on the basis that the proceeding was a “domestic building dispute” as defined in s54 of the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 [Vic]. Judgement was appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal and ultimately settled before hearing.

Victorian Council Supreme Court proceeding

Defended a Victorian Council in Supreme Court of Victoria proceedings in which damages of over $15 million were sought by a property developer who alleged that a planning permit had been granted negligently by the council due to the land’s proximity to a former council rubbish tip.

Physical damage claim for $15m

Acted on behalf of a Victorian rural water authority in relation to multiple claims arising from flooding in northern Victoria in early 2011, the largest of which involved a claim for physical damage and loss of profits brought an agricultural business seeking damages of more than $15 million.

Major building dispute against architects

Involvement in a major building dispute which alleged negligence against architects, builders and engineers arising out of a multi-million dollar property in Prahran, Victoria. Roscon Development Pty Ltd v Buckerfield Architects Pty Ltd & Ors.

Remediation costs dispute

Appeared on behalf of property developers in the Commercial Court of the Supreme Court of Victoria concerning a dispute about remediation costs under a contract of sale for a heritage listed former gasworks site in North Melbourne.

Supreme Court multi-party proceeding

Representing a firm of lawyers alleged to have negligently recommended to a property developer client that it repudiate a contract of sale resulting in alleged losses in excess of $8 million. This was a multi-party proceeding in the Supreme Court of Victoria. ACN 115 918 959 P/L (formerly Pearl Hill P/L) v Hoeys Lawyers P/L & Digby & Ors [2021] VSC 79.

Acting for Victorian Councils

Undertook public liability and professional indemnity work on behalf of Victorian Council pursuant to the Civic Mutual Plus Members Insurance Scheme for a combined period of 20 years.

Perpetual Trustees Australia Limited v Schmidt & Anor [2009] VSC 508

Acted pro bono on behalf of a retiree who was duped into investing in a property syndicate by a conman who was eventually imprisoned for his conduct. The civil proceedings ran to trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Court found that an interest in a unit trust is capable of supporting a caveat and the lender was liable for the conduct of the mortgage originator and their brokers: Schmidt v 28 Myola Street Pty Ltd [2006] VSC 343; Perpetual Trustees Australia Limited v Schmidt & Anor [2009] VSC 508; [2010] VSC 67; [No 3] [2010] VSC 261. Violet Home Loans Pty Ltd v Schmidt & Anor [2013] VSCA 56.

Urgent interlocutory application in the County Court

Acting for home owners in respect of an urgent interlocutory application in the County Court of Victoria seeking orders preventing their home from being sold by the mortgagee in possession.

Major Matters

Breach of Section 121 of Family Law Act

Successfully defended injunction seeking to restrain the publication, sale and promotion of an author’s book. Post the book’s publication, instructed to seek investigation and prosecution by the AFP for breach of Section 121 of the Family Law Act (1975).

Defacto financial settlement dismissal

Defended an application made by a former partner seeking a financial settlement. The matter ran to trial and it was declared that the parties were not in a de facto relationship, dismissing the application with no financial settlement ordered. Meadows & Medved [2018] FCCA 111 (19 January 2018).

Contract of sale of matrimonial property

Acted for a husband in relation to an application to set aside a contract of sale of matrimonial property executed by the wife with a third-party purchaser.

Urgent interlocutory application

Acted for a father in relation to an urgent interlocutory application for a recovery order and orders for the mother to return with the children to Melbourne from interstate.

Interlocutory application to join third party

Acted for a wife in relation to an interim application by her husband to join her mother as a party to Family Law property proceedings. The interlocutory dispute ran to an interim hearing and the husband’s application to join the wife’s mother as a party to the proceedings was dismissed. Kraus & Katuras [2019] FCCA 1133 (1 May 2019).

Property and Financial Settlement during marriage

Represented a wife diagnosed with advanced stages of dementia (via her litigation guardian), in proceedings brought by her husband of 20 years, from whom she was not separated, seeking a financial settlement.

Major Matters

Breach of Section 121 of Family Law Act

Successfully defended injunction seeking to restrain the publication, sale and promotion of an author’s book. Post the book’s publication, instructed to seek investigation and prosecution by the AFP for breach of Section 121 of the Family Law Act (1975).

Defacto financial settlement dismissal

Defended an application made by a former partner seeking a financial settlement. The matter ran to trial and it was declared that the parties were not in a de facto relationship, dismissing the application with no financial settlement ordered. Meadows & Medved [2018] FCCA 111 (19 January 2018).

Contract of sale of matrimonial property

Acted for a husband in relation to an application to set aside a contract of sale of matrimonial property executed by the wife with a third-party purchaser.

Urgent interlocutory application

Acted for a father in relation to an urgent interlocutory application for a recovery order and orders for the mother to return with the children to Melbourne from interstate.

Interlocutory application to join third party

Acted for a wife in relation to an interim application by her husband to join her mother as a party to Family Law property proceedings. The interlocutory dispute ran to an interim hearing and the husband’s application to join the wife’s mother as a party to the proceedings was dismissed. Kraus & Katuras [2019] FCCA 1133 (1 May 2019).

Property and Financial Settlement during marriage

Represented a wife diagnosed with advanced stages of dementia (via her litigation guardian), in proceedings brought by her husband of 20 years, from whom she was not separated, seeking a financial settlement.

Get in touch

With us personally, it is just one more way we’re different.

Aggie Vlahos

PARTNER

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Devika Mukherji

ASSOCIATE LAWYER

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Get in touch

With us personally, it is just one more way we’re different.
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Aggie Vlahos

PARTNER

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Danielle Snell

Partner and Co-Founder

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Robert McGirr

Partner and Co-Founder

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Latest News

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Read our blog

"

"Aggie kept me well informed at every step and her supportive and approachable manner made a very stressful period in my life far easier to navigate."

Family Law – Property

Plaintiff

Read the full testimonial
I’m very thankful that my financial planner referred me to Aggie Vlahos. She guided me through negotiating, documenting and completing my family law property settlement with my ex. Aggie kept me well informed at every step and her supportive and approachable manner made a very stressful period in my life far easier to navigate. Would absolutely recommend.

 

"

"I was grateful for Aggie’s expert advice, patience, and support during my family law court case"

Family Law

Plaintiff

Read the full testimonial

Aggie acted for me in relation to my litigated family law matter – during an intense and difficult time in my life.  I was grateful for Aggie’s expert advice, patience, and support during my family law court case which we were able to resolve positively at mediation. I would strongly recommend Aggie and her team to anybody needing legal assistance with their family law matter.

 

"

"Knowledge at hand and then the quick service resulted in a very professional and amicable outcome."

Family Law

Plaintiff

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I was referred by word of mouth and could not be happier with the efforts and efficiency of the team. Knowledge at hand and then the quick service resulted in a very professional and amicable outcome. Well done to all the team and thank you. Thank you Aggie!

– Dean

"

"Aggie not only provided the legal expertise I needed but also the emotional clarity that helped me move forward with confidence."

Family Law

Plaintiff

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Navigating a complex Parenting and Property matter is never easy, especially when emotions run high and the other party proves difficult to deal with. Throughout my challenging journey, Aggie was a steady and strategic guide. Her experience and sound advice were instrumental in helping me stay focused and make informed decisions, even when the situation felt overwhelming.

Aggie not only provided the legal expertise I needed but also the emotional clarity that helped me move forward with confidence. She approached my case with unwavering dedication and a clear strategic vision, helping me achieve an outcome that once felt out of reach. With so many odds stacked against me, I couldn’t have asked for a more competent and supportive lawyer by my side.

I’m incredibly grateful for Aggie’s professionalism, empathy, and relentless commitment to achieving the best possible result for me and my family. Highly recommend!

– S

"

"The complexities of my situation and the emotional upheaval were met with calm and accurate advice and intentional determination"

Family Law

Plaintiff

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My deepest gratitude to Aggie Vlahos from Elit Lawyers for her empathy, professionalism and guidance through a very tough and emotional season. The complexities of my situation and the emotional upheaval were met with calm and accurate advice and intentional determination to gain fairness and the best possible outcome for all involved. After building rapport early on with Aggie, I trusted her and the process with reassurance and peace. I cannot recommend Aggie, and the staff at Elit Lawyers highly enough, except for 5 out of 5 stars.

– Peter

"

"I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Aggie, Shahn and the team at Elit Lawyers for anybody needing urgent legal assistance in relation to family law and IVO matters."

Family Law – IVO Application

Defendant

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Aggie and Shahn of Elit Lawyers represented me at very short notice to defend an application for an IVO brought against me in the Magistrates Court. The matter was successfully resolved at the imminent court event without a final order being made against me. A great result and huge relief!  I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Aggie, Shahn and the team at Elit Lawyers for anybody needing urgent legal assistance in relation to family law and IVO matters.

– J

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