Jacky Campbell

Jacky Campbell is a founding partner of Forte Family Lawyers and has practised as a lawyer specialising in family law for more than 30 years. Jacky is recognised as a Leading Family Lawyer in Melbourne by Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Market. In 2023 Jacky was recognised as a Leading Family and Divorce Lawyer, a Leading Family Lawyer (High-Value & Complex Property Matters) and a Recommended Parenting & Children’s Matters Lawyer.

Jacky writes extensively on complex aspects of family law and her up-to-date knowledge means that she is able to provide accurate information about the law. She combines this with offering strategic advice to clients and guidance as to the best approach to take in their particular circumstances.

Jacky wrote her Masters thesis on the relationship of bankruptcy and family law. She continues to have a special interest in matters involving bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation and receivership.

Jacky received the Law Institute of Victoria Rogers Legal Writing Award 2004 – for the article “Splitting the Super … and Selling the Home”. She is experienced with complex superannuation interests such as defined benefit funds and self managed superannuation funds.

Jacky is the consultant editor of Wolters Kluwer/CCH Australian Family Law and Practice and contributing author to Wolters Kluwer/CCH Australian Family Law and Practice to the Property, Spousal Maintenance, Financial Agreements, Maintenance Agreements, Procedure and Precedents tabs. She writes several chapters of the Wolters/Kluwer CCH Australian Master Family Law Guide, and is the author of the family law chapters in the Thomson-Reuters Australian Financial Planning Handbook and in the CCH Australian Master Superannuation Guide. She speaks frequently for The Education Network.

Jacky is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and an Associate of the American Bar Association. She acts for many clients who are overseas or where there is an international element such as overseas assets and international child abduction under the Hague Convention. She is also experienced in Australian and overseas surrogacy arrangements and in disputes about the role of a sperm donor. She is a member of the Maintenance and Property Committee of the Family Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria, the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia and Victorian Women Lawyers.

Jacky enjoys all aspects of her work as a family lawyer as she can combine developing strong personal relationships with clients with her high level of knowledge of the case law in complex financial and parenting matters, and provide strategic and timely advice. Her expertise in corporate and trust structures, tax, bankruptcy, superannuation, financial agreements and overseas matters is recognised by clients, referrers and other family lawyers. Many of her cases have an overseas element and this experience is often sought by her clients and referrers. Jacky ensures that appropriate taxation commercial law and foreign law advice is sought to ensure the best outcome can be achieved in the circumstances.

Jacky is keen to assist clients to resolve matters before trial through alternative dispute resolution processes including mediation. She is a trained arbitrator.