FAMILY LAW BARRISTER
Michele Brooks (nee Bates) is a Family Law Barrister who has been practising exclusively in Family Law since 1997, having been a Solicitor and Director at Harwood Andrews Lawyers in Geelong and Melbourne for nearly a decade pior to coming to the Bar in 2006.
ADVANCED MEDIATOR
Michele is an Advanced Mediator - AMDRAS Nationally Accredited. She is also accredited as a Victorian Bar Advanced Mediator (VBAM). Michele works as a sessional Trainer, Coach/Facilitator and Assessor for AIFLAM (Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators) in their AMDRAS Mediation National Accreditation Course. Michele is frequently appointed as a court-ordered Mediator to assist parties in resolving their family law disputes.
ARBITRATION
Michele is also a nationally certified Family Law Arbitrator under Regulation 67B of the Family Law Regulations 1984, by the Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators (AIFLAM).
LITIGATION & ADVICE
Michele has expertise in all areas of family law litigation, with extensive experience appearing in Melbourne, Regional and Circuit sittings of both the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) and State / Magistrates' Courts. Michele accepts briefs to appear in Court, at Mediations and other Dispute Resolution Events., to Draft and Settle Documents and to Advise in a wide range of family law matters.
As a Family Lawyer, Mediator, Litigator and registered Arbitrator, Michele has almost three decades of experience working with people going through a most difficult time in their lives. She is passionate about using her expertise to assist parties to advance their disputes in a decisive and timely manner through Court where necessary and to avoid the stress and cost of unnecessarily prolonged litigation wherever possible.
ADJUNCT LECTURER - Master of Applied Law (Family Law) – College of Law
Since 2013 Michele has been employed as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Masters of Applied Law (Family Law) course, at the College of Law. In addition to lecturing, Michele has been employed by the College in the past to create curriculum and assessment content and update lecturing materials for the Masters Course. Michele has also presented numerous workshops and webinars for College of Law.
Michele prides herself on being thorough, proactive and straightforward in all her professional dealings.
PUBLICATIONS/ LEGAL PAPERS
Author of various newspaper articles, brochures and booklets in relation to family law including the following legal papers delivered/presented:
- "Binding Financial Agreements - Recent Changes" - Paper (25 March 2010) http://bit.ly/BFARecentChangesMar10
- “Parental Responsibility – Using it and Losing it” - Paper (8 November 2013):
- Paper: https://bit.ly/3WNpALA
- PowerPoint: https://bit.ly/4nSnhBQ
- "Practice Direction No.2 of 2017 - Interim Family Law Proceedings in the FCC" - Paper (Feb 2018) https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/auw620w1f8k7q88vyn10n/Michele-Brooks-CPD-Paper-Prac-Dir-No2-of-2017-Interim-Fam-Law-Procs-Seminar-6.2.18-Final.pdf?rlkey=s9n913tipblcjlkr6efbubwno&dl=0
- “Inheritances in Family Law - Case Update” - Paper (12 Oct 2018) http://bit.ly/2HxH2QbCaseUpdateInheritancesFamLawOct18
- Podcast: "Costs Agreements & Ongoing Disclosure - Tips & Traps for Solicitors" (12 March 2021) https://foleys.com.au/resources/costs-agreements-ongoing-disclosure-tips-traps-for-solicitors
- "Child Relocation Applications & Case Update 2022" (15 November 2022) https://bit.ly/ChildRelocationApplicationsandCaseUpdate2022
- “New Parenting Orders Framework - The Family Law Amendment Act 2023” Foley's Podcast & Written Presentation (May 2024):
- Podcast part 1: https://thinkfoleys.libsyn.com/s5-episode-13-daze-in-court-new-parenting-orders-framework-the-family-law-amendment-act-2023
- Podcast part 2: https://thinkfoleys.libsyn.com/s5-episode-14-daze-in-court-the-family-law-amendment-act-2023-part-2
- Written presentation: https://bit.ly/47BJaR7
- “Deal Or No Deal? Achieving The Best Outcome for Your Client with Mediation” - Webinar and Paper delivered for The Education Network (TEN) (June 2025) https://bit.ly/AchievingTheBestOutcomeWithMediation
- “Family Law Mediation Essentials” - Paper (July 2025) https://bit.ly/FamilyLawMediationEssentials
- "Adjusting More Than Percentages: What Solicitors Need to Know about Mediating Property after the 2025 Family Violence Amendments" - Paper delivered at Foley's 2025 CPD Breakfast - (October 2025) https://foleys.com.au/resources/family-law-breakfast-2025-presentation-materials
- Podcast Interview - "In conversation with Michele Brooks, Mediation and the Human Side of Family Law" - Podcast Interview on “The Family Compass” (with Michelle and Zac from Connect Family Law (2025) https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/8-in-conversation-with-michele-brooks-mediation-and/id1760658395?i=1000721956705
- "Adjusting More Than Percentages: What Mediators Need to Know about the 2025 Family Violence Amendments" - Paper delivered at the National Mediation Conference in Sydney (October 2025) :
- Paper: https://bit.ly/3LUuhAO
- Powerpoint: https://bit.ly/47ROsaa
