APAC Q3 2026 | 10 City lawyers meet the country at Oldham Family Law, a firm providing family law services, advice, and representation to Gippsland and southeast Victoria. Covering every aspect of family law, its expertise lends itself to separation and legal advice, parenting arrangements and disputes, property settlement and financial agreements, and support and intervention in matters of family violence. We caught up with Ruby Oldham, the firm’s founder and principal solicitor, following its recognition here as the Best Family Law Firm 2026 – Gippsland. Since 2022, Victoriabased family law practice Oldham Family Law has been supporting its clients through some of the most stressful legal issues and personal challenges they will ever face. When Ruby Oldham established her namesake firm four years ago, she did so to offer families a compassionate and fiercely capable legal representation as they navigate these struggles, and her dedication to this has seen her firm grow thoughtfully and deliberately, strengthening its impact through lawyers who excel in their fields but also genuinely understand the people and communities they serve. Ruby’s ties to Gippsland run deep, as she grew up in the region prior to studying law at Bond University, Queensland. She returned having become one of the youngest people ever admitted to legal practice, and has been a regular in court since the age of 21. Prior to moving back to Gippsland, Ruby also held positions at firms on the Gold Coast and in Melbourne, building her expertise as a senior-level lawyer across family law matters. In bringing this level of knowledge to Gippsland, Ruby makes sure that local clients can access the kind of elite legal representation that is usually only found in Australia’s metropolitan areas. The depth of her knowledge, a strong courtroom presence, and a real understanding of her regional clients mean that Ruby is today an exceptional advocate for families across Gippsland and southeast Victoria. Ruby, along with the small team of experts she has built, focuses on delivering clear, practical advice and calm, strategic guidance across the core areas of family law, allowing clients to make informed decisions and progress through their legal journeys with confidence. Whether they are representing a client in court or resolving a dispute by negotiation and mediation, which is favoured when appropriate, their commitment remains the same. Oldham Family Law works with a range of clients as it delivers these family law services in Victoria, from parents and nonparents to married and de facto partners, as well as people at all stages of separation and divorce proceedings. Ruby explained: “Many of our clients are balancing work, parenting, finances, and safety concerns at the same time, and our role is to provide a steady legal pathway through that complexity. We also regularly work with people who need a structured plan and support to engage with external services (such as family dispute resolution, counselling, and safety planning) as part of an overall solution.” Whilst every family’s situation being different, the team take great pride in offering them all the same opportunity to achieve life-changing outcomes without unnecessary conflict. It has been shown that when clients receive early, realistic advice and understand likely outcomes, they are able to resolve disputes more efficiently. This is especially useful when children are involved, as effective coparenting and reductions in financial and emotional cost help families to carry on their lives apart, without shouldering any unnecessary burdens. Of course, this is easier said than done. Operating at what Ruby calls “the intersection of emotional distress and urgent decision making”, this is an arena where the stakes are high and emotions can escalate quickly, especially in the case of parenting disputes. Similarly, if violence or coercive control is present, making sure that clients are safe as legal processes are traversed is key, and this is incredibly demanding work. Finally, families are often strapped for time and funds, and given they are already under strain, supporting them with a clear scope and cost transparency is vital. Ruby added: “Family law outcomes are heavily fact-dependent, so clients can find it difficult when they want certainty early. Our role is to provide clarity about process, risks, and likely ranges of outcome while remaining responsive as evidence evolves.” Standing as a child-focused, solution-oriented approach to parenting matters; a beacon of transparency and responsiveness in client communication; and a purveyor of stable outcomes through negotiation or, where necessary, court representation, Oldham Family Law is the clear choice for clients in search of practical advice and a supportive service during high-stress family law matters. More on the family law services Ruby and her team provide across this corner of Victoria can be found at the website below. Contact: Ruby Oldham Company: Oldham Family Law Web Address: https://www. oldhamfamilylaw.com.au/ Best Family Law Firm 2026 – Gippsland
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