Village Family Lawyers was founded on the Mornington Peninsula by Lauren Wilson, a family lawyer who believed there was a better, more compassionate way to practise family law.
That belief shapes everything we do today.
Lauren founded Village Family Lawyers after seeing too many families damaged not only by separation itself, but by adversarial legal processes that prioritised conflict over resolution.
She built something different: a firm grounded in genuine expertise, a consistent commitment to resolution without unnecessary conflict, and a culture where every person is treated with care and professional attention.
The firm has grown into a team of 14 professionals across two offices. We have supported over 850 families across the Mornington Peninsula, Bayside, and Melbourne’s inner east. The founding philosophy has not changed.
To help individuals and families navigate family law with clarity, confidence, and as little conflict as possible.
Around 90% of matters we support through mediation resolve without court. When court is necessary, we are experienced, strategic, and thoroughly prepared.
LIV Accreditation in Family Law is awarded by the Law Institute of Victoria to a small number of lawyers each year. The process requires demonstrated advanced knowledge, extensive experience in complex matters, and a commitment to ongoing professional development. It is independent verification of specialist expertise.
Lauren Wilson and Maria Stipic are Nationally Accredited Mediators under the National Mediator Accreditation System. This reflects formal training and assessed competency in mediation process, dynamics, and practice.
They do not conduct mediation sessions. What their accreditation gives them is an intimate, inside understanding of how the process works: the preparation it requires, the dynamics that emerge, the strategies that produce genuine outcomes. This uniquely positions them to prepare, advise, and support clients through mediation far more effectively than lawyers who have not undergone that training.
This is one of the distinguishing features of how Village Family Lawyers operates.
All lawyers work across both offices and are available online.
Court is not inevitable. Structured negotiation and mediation, supported by lawyers who genuinely understand the process, produce better outcomes for most families.
Family law is complex. Our job is to make it clear. Every step explained in plain English.
Every legal matter involves real people at a real turning point. We never lose sight of that.
Privacy is not a premium add-on. It is how we operate. Our preference for private resolution over court proceedings protects clients from unnecessary exposure.
