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Julie Fotheringham | Collective Family Law

Julie Fotheringham

Special Counsel

With over two decades of dedicated experience in family law and broader legal advocacy, Julie brings a deeply informed and strategic approach to every matter she handles. From her early days studying law at the University of Kent, England to her career here in Queensland, she has focused on resolving complex family disputes with empathy, integrity and precision.

Since her admission as a barrister-at-law in Queensland in 1999, and shortly after that, the High Court of Australia, she has worked across both private and public sectors. From the outset of her career, she has been committed to the complexities of family law and supporting families through difficult times, securing early accreditation as a mediator, Independent Children’s Lawyer and Separate Representative in 2001.

Since then, she has had a significant role at the Crime and Corruption Commission where she served as the Counsel Assisting in Operation Impala: an inquiry into the misuse of confidential information of domestic violence victims.

Her practice spans all aspects of family law, including property settlement, parenting arrangements, domestic violence matters and child protection. She also brings a commercial lens to complex property disputes, drawing on her academic backgrounds in arbitration and contract law, and her experience teaching civil remedies at Bond University. This unique combination allows her to approach binding Financial Agreements and financial settlements with both rigour and foresight.

Julie is dedicated to early resolution of disputes and is well equipped to do so, having herself chaired mediations for over 20 years and presided over arbitrations for the last decade.

Her work as an Independent Children’s Lawyer and Separate Representative underpins her longstanding commitment to prioritising the needs of children and protecting their best interests in the often complex landscape of family law.

Her current appointments include serving on the Queensland Law Society’s Ethics Advisory and Professional Conduct Committees; two roles that reflect her enduring dedication to legal integrity and professional standards.

She also holds a Master of Laws (majoring in Public Law) from QUT, a Professional Certificate in Commercial Arbitration, and is accredited by the Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators (AIFLAM).

Whether guiding clients through sensitive parenting matters or navigating high-conflict litigation, she focuses on delivering pragmatic, resolution-focused outcomes that minimise disruption and empower clients to move forward with confidence. She is adept at helping clients navigate the path ahead with clarity, compassion and strength.

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