Mairead Melia

Senior Lawyer

I'm Mairead. I have been working exclusively in family law since being admitted to practice in 2011.

I spent eight years working for a large multi-national law firm before joining Emera Family Law as an Associate. I am experienced in a broad range of family law areas including:

Divorce;
parenting matters;
property and financial settlements;
de facto matters;
spousal maintenance;
financial agreements; and
child support agreements.

My focus is on giving my clients clear and concise advice in terms they can understand and providing quality legal services that are personalised for everyone I work with.

I enjoy engaging with people from a diverse range of backgrounds and work hard to achieve sensible, practical and realistic solutions for my clients.

I grew up in regional Victoria and now call the western suburbs of Melbourne home. I work between our Melbourne and Sunshine offices as needed. I serve on the Executive Committee of the Western Suburbs Law Association.

When I am not at work, I enjoy brunching at cafes and road trips to the coast or country with my family.

Memberships

Member of the Law Institute of Victoria
Member of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia
Member of Western Suburbs Law Association
Member of Lawyers for Animals

Recent articles by Mairead

Extra-curricular activities after separation: who makes decisions and who pays?

02 November 2025

Managing a child’s schedule after separation can be challenging - especially when it comes to extra-curricular activities like sport, music, or tutoring. In this article, we break down how children’s extra-curricular activities can be managed between separated parents and what you can do if there’s a disagreement.

Can I claim more after finalising property settlement?

25 May 2025

Family law property settlements are intended to be binding. Individuals who have separated from their ex-spouse are entitled to certainty once their property settlement has been finalised. For these reasons, the Court will only entertain the possibility of reopening property settlements in limited circumstances.

How is property acquired after separation but before property settlement treated?

27 April 2025

Questions around the treatment of property acquired after separation are understandable, especially when some property settlements can take a while to finalise. In this article, we look at how property acquired after separation but before final property settlement are treated in family law.

Family Court hearings – the Final Hearing

08 December 2024

In this blog, we look at the purpose of a Final Hearing in family law matters, when hearings occur, timing of decisions and appeal options if you disagree with the decision of your Final Hearing.