Will Stidston

Will Stidston is a Principal in our Melbourne office. He has more than a decade of family law experience and has practised exclusively in the area since 2010. In 2013, Will became accredited as a family law specialist by the Law Institute of Victoria.

‘Prior to specialising in family law, I gained experience practising in commercial litigation, commercial law and criminal law. The exposure to those other areas assists my approach to family law matters to this day.’

Will specialises in:

• Complex financial matters, including those encompassing corporate interests, discretionary and unit trusts, rural / farming properties, taxation issues, superannuation and international assets.
• Matters involving complex legal questions, including those relating to equitable interests, contractual principles, third party issues, questions associated with jurisdiction, the establishment of de facto relationships and court proceedings commenced to set aside a court order or financial agreement.
• Urgent financial issues, including applications for spousal maintenance and injunctions.
• Difficult parenting cases encompassing relocation (both international and domestic), issues arising under the ‘Hague Abduction Convention’, parental alienation and child support.
• Urgent parenting issues, including Family Law Watch List and recovery applications.
• Asset protection and the preparation of financial agreements.

Will has worked on a number of large multi-million dollar financial matters involving intricate corporate structures, together with difficult parenting cases involving international relocation. He also has extensive experience with respect to matters involving family violence, including Victorian Intervention Orders.

‘At BN I am lucky to be able to work with a team of recognised leaders in family law. I enjoy the broad spectrum of issues that my work requires me to address, encompassing both legal and non-legal challenges.’

Will recognises that there is no ‘one size fits all’ in family law. He tailors the approach adopted to meet the objectives of his clients in a transparent manner.

Will regularly appears in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria. He also works closely with experienced family law Counsel, including Queen’s Counsel / Senior Counsel, when appropriate.

‘I work with clients from all facets of life. I enjoy working with them to understand the complexities of their family (whether financial or otherwise) and assist with the resolution of what, at times, can be extremely difficult legal issues.’

Will was named as a Doyle's Guide Rising Star in Family Law in the 2018 and 2019 editions, and a Leading Family & Divorce Lawyer in the 2022 and 2023 editions. Will is also listed in the 2023 edition of Doyle's Guide as a Recommended Family Lawyer for high-value and complex property matters. He has also been recognised in Best Lawyers for Family Law since 2021.

Will also contributes substantially to thought leadership. These contributions include as contributing author to the property and financial agreements sections of Thomson Reuters’ Encyclopaedia of the Laws of Australia.

Will holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne.