Fiona Hoad

Fiona is an Accredited Specialist family lawyer with 25 years of experience in all aspects of family law. Her family law experience includes property settlements for separated, married and defacto couples, spouse maintenance, financial agreements and post separation parenting matters. Fiona has also acted for many international clients where jurisdiction is an issue or where assets are located across multiple jurisdictions.

Fiona has a background in commercial litigation which provides her with essential knowledge and understanding of corporate structures and trusts, which is often relevant to family law financial matters. 

Fiona brings a pragmatic approach to all family law matters. Her clients receive clear, concise and strategically focused advice.

 

Qualifications/Memberships

• Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Laws (Macquarie University)

• Diploma in Law (Legal Practitioners Admission Board - University of Sydney Law Extension Committee)

• Accredited Specialist in Family Law

• Member – Law Society of New South Wales Family Law Committee

• Member – Law Council of Australia - Family Law Section

• Member – Collaborative Practice (NSW)

 

A word from Fiona

Each matter is unique with its own set of facts and circumstances. I provide bespoke pragmatic advice, strategy and direction in an empathetic and supportive manner. I work in partnership with my clients to seek an outcome that enables them to move on from separation in a dignified manner that imposes the least amount of harm on them and their family. This approach is recognised by the many client referrals I have received from parties against whom I have acted.

 

Career highlights

• Strategically preserving assets at risk of being removed from the matrimonial asset pool.

• Locating undisclosed real estate resulting in the value of the matrimonial asset pool available for distribution being increased by a significant amount.

• Providing second opinion advice to a client to not proceed with a settlement which was patently unfair. I proceeded to negotiate a far more favourable outcome for the client which included a share of an undisclosed termination payment of $1.2 million. This outcome allowed my client to purchase an unencumbered home.

• Successfully pursuing the return of an at risk child who was wrongfully removed from Sydney and from her primary carer.

 

Specific areas of focus

Property & financial matters

• Complex property settlements for both domestic and international clients, including matters where wealth is held across multiple family trusts, corporate structures, and layered holding arrangements.

• Strategic advice on forum selection in international family law matters, including the implications of commencing proceedings in Australia versus overseas jurisdictions.

• Acting for high net worth clients in disputes involving assets situated in Australia and foreign jurisdictions, navigating the intersection of Australian family law with international legal frameworks.

• Preparing binding financial agreements for clients seeking to protect complex asset structures including family trusts, corporate arrangements, and offshore holdings from future family law claims, with a focus on robustness, enforceability, and long-term asset protection strategy.

• Advises parties to de facto relationships on property entitlements and the application of the family law regime to non-married couples, including threshold and contribution disputes.

• Child support matters, including departure applications, administrative assessments, and enforcement across jurisdictions.

Parenting & International children's matters

• Represents clients in complex and contentious parenting disputes, including high-conflict matters involving allegations of family violence, mental health, and competing cultural or religious considerations.

• International relocation disputes, advising and representing clients where one parent seeks to relocate a child overseas or within Australia.

• Hague Convention proceedings involving the wrongful removal or retention of children across international borders, including urgent applications for the return of children to their country of habitual residence.