Meet The Speakers

Anna is a leading barrister and accredited mediator recognised on the Doyle’s list. She specialises in family law, including de facto relationships, parenting matters, property disputes, spouse maintenance, and contravention applications.

Admitted in 2009, Anna has expertise in complex financial matters and cases relating to children and families, including child welfare, risk and family violence.

Anna is affiliated with the Queensland Bar Association, Law Council of Australia's Family Law Section, Child Protection Practitioners’ Association of Queensland, and Family Law Practitioners’ Association of Queensland. She holds a professional membership with AIFLAM.

She was previously a legal associate to the Hon. Michelle May AM KC and has trained as a clinical social worker and family therapist. Anna completed her studies at UQ, QUT and McGill University (Montreal).

Clare has practised predominantly in family law, child protection, and domestic violence law for over 25 years. She has practised in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Swaziland.  

Clare completed a Master of Laws in Human Rights in 2006.

In addition to practising as a barrister, Clare sits as a part-time legal member on the Mental Health Review Tribunal (Qld), is a registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, a Nationally Accredited Mediator, and an arbitrator.  She is also an adjunct lecturer for the College of Laws’ Master of Applied Law (Family Law) program.

Clare was a board member of the Family Law Practitioners' Association of Queensland for 13 years.

She has volunteered at the Women’s Legal Service since 2009 and has been a member of the Supreme Court Library Collection Subcommittee since 2021. She is currently serving on the CPD and the family law committees of the Bar Association of Queensland and served on the Bar Council in 2020-2021.

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Leanne is a Social Worker who has worked in the family law space since 2003, first as Family Consultant with the Family Court of Australia, and then as a private practitioner, mainly as a Family Report Writer. 

She is trained in collaborative practice and parenting coordination.

Throughout her career, Leanne has had a keen interest in trauma, and as a Critical Incident Debriefer in the early 90’s played a role in the aftermath of the Port Arthur massacre and the debriefing of flight crew and medical teams from the Royal Australian Air Force who responded to the Bali Bombings. 

Leanne frequently acts as the Child Consultant (Child Inclusion/Voice of Child) in Family Dispute Resolution mediations.

Anne-Marie is an award-winning lawyer and mediator who has a Master of Family Dispute Resolution and Negotiation, is a Nationally Accredited Mediator, a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, a Certified Divorce Coach, and a Parenting Coordinator.

She was awarded a Churchill fellowship by the Winston Churchill Trust in Australia to research Best Practice in Parenting Coordination, completed her research in 7 countries around the world, and has written a report on her findings.

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Her presentation will focus on her new research

Jennifer is a family lawyer in Australia and a Mediator, FDR Practitioner, Collaborative Practitioner, and Parenting Coordinator in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. 

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Born in New Zealand, Jennifer has spent most of her 28-year career in Australia, but now divides her time across the Tasman.

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She is an Accredited Family Law Specialist, holds a Graduate Diploma in Family Dispute Resolution Practice, is AMDRAS and is a past recipient of Sole Practitioner of the Year at the Australian Law Awards and the Women in Law Awards.

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The 2026 conference will be the third conference Jennifer has convened (it would be 4, but the April 2020 Paris and Bordeaux conference was cancelled due to the world shutting down about 3 weeks before the conference was due to commence...)

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