+613 9248 5800

Jacky Campbell

Partner

Jacky Campbell
Year Joined Firm: 2006 (Founding Partner)
Accredited Family Law Specialist: 1991
Admitted to Legal Practice: 1986

Call: +613 9248 5800

Email: jcampbell@fortefamilylawyers.com.au
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About

Jacky Campbell is a founding partner of Forte Family Lawyers and has practised as a lawyer specialising in family law for most of her 40 years in practice. She is recognised as a Leading Family Lawyer in Melbourne by Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Market.

A regular presenter for legal practitioners on a broad range of topics, Jacky is recognised by her peers for her knowledge of legal developments and being at the forefront of giving advice as to how legislative changes will operate in practice.

Acknowledged for her expertise across some of the more challenging aspects of family law, Jacky has extensive experience in drafting and setting aside financial agreements, and with family law matters that overlap with bankruptcy, corporate and trust structures, complex superannuation issues and international and cross-border family law disputes Jacky ensures that appropriate taxation commercial law and foreign law advice is sought to help clients achieve the best possible outcomes.

Since writing her Master’s thesis on the interaction between bankruptcy and family law, she has maintained a strong interest in matters involving insolvency, liquidation and receivership. She also has extensive experience dealing with defined benefit funds and self-managed superannuation funds.

Jacky regularly acts in matters involving overseas assets, international parenting disputes and Hague Convention child abduction proceedings as well as Australian and overseas surrogacy arrangements and sperm donor disputes.

Known for her ability to explain complex issues to clients and practitioners in a clear manner, Jacky helps others to understand their options and make informed decisions. She takes a solution-focused approach to family law, with a strong emphasis on resolving disputes through alternative dispute resolution processes. As a trained arbitrator, she understands the value of achieving resolutions without the stress of litigation.

One of the aspects Jacky enjoys most about her work in family law is building strong relationships with clients while guiding them through major life transitions, using her deep legal knowledge of case law in complex financial and parenting matters to provide strategic and timely advice.

Areas of Expertise

  • Single expert and adversarial expert opinions on Australian family law for parties and courts
  • Bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation and receivership intersecting with family law property settlements
  • Valuing and splitting complex superannuation interests – defined benefit funds, self managed superannuation funds.
  • High-value and complex property matters involving corporate and trust structures and taxation issues
  • Financial agreements (prenuptial and post-nuptial, defacto relationships, international)
  • International matters – overseas assets, international child abduction under the Hague Convention, international relocation
  • Complex parenting matters – high risk factors, family violence, special needs children, child relocation and child abduction
  • Australian and overseas surrogacy arrangements
  • Mediation and alternative dispute resolution
  • Qualified arbitrator

Qualifications

  • 2008 Graduate Diploma of Professional Writing, Deakin University
  • 1996 Master of Laws, Monash University (Thesis: The Relationship Between Bankruptcy and Family Law)
  • 1986 Bachelor of Laws, Monash University
  • 1983 Bachelor of Arts, Monash University

Accreditations

  • Accredited Family Law Specialist, Law Institute of Victoria
  • Trained Arbitrator, AIFLAM

Awards and Recognition

Memberships and Appointments

Publications

CPD Presentations

In The Media

  • 20 August 2026 – Presented at the TEN 20th Annual Family Law Conference, Gold Coast, Australia on “Family Violence as a Property Factor: Statutory Interpretation, Evidence & Outcomes”.
  • 30 July 2026 – Speaker at the Leo Cussen Family Law Conference on “Superannuation, Splitting: Errors Family Lawyers still make.”
  • May 2026 – Speaker at the IAFL Symposium, in Kuala Lumpur on “What is HOT in Jurisdiction and Forum Issues in Cross-Border Disputes?
  • 5 March 2026 – Presented at the Legalwise 11th Annual Family Law Conference, Intercontinental Melbourne, “Family Violence & Property Settlements: Practical implications of the new s 79(4)(ca) and s 79(5)(a)”.
  • 26 February 2026 – Presented at the The Education Network 11th Annual Melbourne Family Law Conference “Binding the Deal: Ensuring Enforceability of Financial Agreements”.
  • February 2026 – Presented for the Pensions Committee of the IAFL at the IAFL European Chapter Meeting in Barcelona.
  • 17 November 2025 – Interviewed by Damien Carrick on the ABC for The Law Report Radio National’s on “How Legally Tight are pre-nuptial agreements” as a radio show and podcast.
  • 18 March 2025 – Presented at the Law Institute of Victoria Legal Forum 2025 on “Property settlements and other reforms commencing 10 June 2025.”
    June 2024 – Speaker at the IAFL Annual meeting in Boston, USA on “How Family Violence is taken into account in financial proceedings.”
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