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.

Ben focuses 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.  Ben completed his mediation training with the Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators which provides him with a unique perspective in how to best achieve a positive outcome for his clients in alternative dispute resolution processes.

Prior to joining Kennedy Partners, Ben was a partner at a boutique family law firm.

In addition to his role at Kennedy Partners Lawyers, Ben is an adjunct lecturer at the College of Law, assisting with their assessments for their Practical Legal Training Course.  Ben also 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.

Ben has presented on numerous topics for continuing professional development courses for other lawyers, primarily focusing on tactical strategies in complex property matters, the treatment of trusts in family law disputes and the interrelation between tax issues and family law disputes.

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

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. He has also had experience working with commercial lawyers to achieve positive holistic outcomes for his family law clients whilst they face commercial disputes in other jurisdictions including but not limited to commercial disputes in the Supreme Court of Victoria and County 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. A 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.