Benjamin Freeman

Ben holds a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce (majoring in Accounting) from Monash University as well as a Master of Laws (Applied Law) from the College of Law. Due to his academic achievements in completing his Master’s Degree, Ben was admitted as a Graduate Fellow of the College of Law. Ben is accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as a specialist in family law and is a Nationally Accredited Mediator as assessed by the National Mediator Accreditation System.

Ben commenced his legal career in intellectual property litigation, primarily assisting clients with copyright, design and trademark infringement proceedings. This provides him with a unique skillset and approach to litigation. Since practising exclusively in family law, Ben has focused on supporting clients through complex property and parenting matters. His priority is achieving positive outcomes for his clients outside of Court wherever possible, including by utilising alternative dispute resolution processes such as mediation and family dispute resolution.

In addition to his role at Kennedy Partners Lawyers, Ben volunteers at the Fitzroy Legal Service Night Service to provide family law advice to those with low socioeconomic status or other accessibility obstacles to obtaining private family law advice. He also moderates family law oral assessments for the College of Law’s Practical Legal Training Course.

Ben is a member of the Law Institute of Victoria, the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, Pacifica Congress, the Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators and the Medico-Legal Society of Victoria.

In 2022, Ben was nominated as a finalist at the Lawyers Weekly 30 under 30 awards, recognised as one of the top family lawyers aged 30 or under in Australia.

In some circumstances, Court is a necessary process for reaching a suitable outcome and Ben has extensive expertise in litigation, having had conduct of various successful family law proceedings in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and intervention order proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria. In the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, this has included various parenting and property matters, contravention and enforcement applications, applications for security for costs, costs applications and appeals. Ben has significant experience assisting clients through complex property matters such as those involving multiple entities or trusts, business valuations, international assets and different types of superannuation funds.

Ben has had conduct of various successful parenting proceedings including in relation to complex issues such as allegations of significant risk and sexual abuse, gender dysphoria and the administration of puberty blockers, relocation, neurodivergence and changes of residence. His most recent success was having conduct of Tatari & Tatari (No 3) [2024] FedCFamC1F 445, a first instance Division 1 judgment in the Magellan list of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Ben successfully achieved a change of residence into his client’s care following years of withholding and unproven sexual abuse allegations made by the mother.