Yellow Legal

20/01/2026

We've been back for a week, and our resident swan outside our building (we've called Odette) is out and about with her cygnets!

No pipe bombs in sight (if you're local, IYKYK). Happy days here in Belco.

23/12/2025

....and we're out.

It's been a big year at Yellow Legal, and we're gearing up for 2026!

Highlights include

💛Doubling the size of our team, with Sarah and Zoe coming on board
💛Being recognised again in the Doyle's guide as a leading firm
💛Completing the trauma informed law certification with the law society in Scotland
💛Delivering more training in trauma informed practice to more firms and orgs
💛Most importantly, delivering pragmatic and tailored services for better long term outcomes for families across Australia.

Back on 12 January 2026. Hoping everyone has a relaxing and safe end of year break.

17/12/2025

Big thanks to the wonderful Aimee APC Home Loans for the beautiful gift. It's great working with like-minded professionals who genuinely care about the outcome for their clients.

If you're looking for a highly experienced mortgage broker, we highly recommend!

11/09/2025

Group program for separating or separated couples to build strategies to co-parent their children from separate households.

25/08/2025

A well-known problem - family violence, financial control and someone being left holding the debt baby who is usually the person trying to do the 'right thing'.

Whilst there are options under the Family Law Act, it requires time and $$$ to pursue those in court. It would be great if the ATO used more discretion in handling these debts.

04/07/2025

What's more exciting than the divorce telephone list? King G! Adding even more colour to the office. Dogs really are the best people.

10/06/2025

Are you a family lawyer, or know of a family lawyer, who is looking to practice law differently? Please share far and wide.

Ready to ditch the 6-minute unit and practice family law differently? Join us to create real impact for clients and for your career.

05/06/2025

We're hiring!

If you are, or know of, an admin super star who loves helping people through tough times, getting stuff done and wants to work with a team that cares about impact, then click on the link below to learn more about this opportunity.

Do you want to work somewhere which cares about its impact and supports their staff? Do you like variety and supporting people in challenging times?

18/05/2025

Hanging out with Susan Ryan on the She Shapes History Bass Women of Canberra walking tour this weekend, and reminded of how important advocates truly are.

Another advocate?

Millicent Preston-Stanley, one of the reasons why fathers are no longer considered the sole guardians of children by default (copied from the She Shapes History newsletter):

"In 1925, Millicent became the first woman elected to the NSW Parliament. She stood alone among 89 men....An organiser with the Women's Liberal League, a Justice of the Peace, and a compelling public speaker, Millicent first ran in 1921 but was unsuccessful.....Undeterred, she ran again in 1925 and won the seat of Eastern Suburbs. In Parliament, she championed women's and children's health, mental health care, and equal custody rights.

She lost her seat in 1927 due to electoral reform, but continued her fight for change. Despite women gaining the vote, custody laws remained unequal — under common law, fathers were still considered the sole "natural guardians" of their children. Millicent launched a petition, introduced a Private Member's Bill, and fought hard to get it listed for debate, but faced repeated roadblocks.

When her bill failed, she turned to the stage.

In 1932, she wrote and starred in Whose Child?, a fictionalised play based on the custody battle of actress Emélie Polini and her own legislative struggle. It premiered at Sydney's Criterion Theatre to a Vice-Regal audience, including the Governor and senior politicians. Millicent played the female MP in the story - making her case not in Parliament, but from the stage.

The impact was immediate. During the performance, Justice Minister Lewis Martin sent word backstage that he intended to prepare a bill. In 1934, the Guardianship of Infants Act passed, granting mothers equal legal rights to their children."

Whilst we now talk about responsibilities, and not rights, to children, imagine if no one challenged laws or pushed for change. Advocates change history.

Highly recommend this tour and here's to celebrating bad ass advocates!

11/05/2025

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in their various forms and stages from Yellow Legal. Enjoying one gift received - a 'relaxaolotl'....which also comes with the joy of tiny fingers in your tea as they continually fish it out, ironically having the adverse effect of its name...

18/03/2025

💛 on theme office gifts - meet Chihuly, the office lucky cat

13/03/2025

Welcome to our newest team member at Yellow Legal, trivia and karaoke queen, Ms Sarah Milson-Mahy.

With over 30 years' in legal practice, Sarah is the guru of all things family law. She is an elected member of Council of the ACT Law Society, accredited mediator, was an Independent Children's Lawyer in the Care & Protection jurisdiction, and is an all round superstar. She is also a specialist in working with ADF members and families and understands the unique challenges in this space.

She has mostly worked in private practice, until working with our Principal Claudia Maclean at the Women's Legal Centre ACT, heading up the family law team.

Well the band is back together and can't be stopped! Sarah is a ray of sunshine in our already quite bright office and shares our ethos of delivering modern and ethical legal services.

If you can't tell, we're so excited to have Sarah on board. Already, she has led the lunch time quiz initiative and we're pretty sure Yellow Legal will have the strongest trivia team at the next ACT Law Society's trivia night.