John Spender

John is a distinguished partner at Kennedy Partners, widely acclaimed within Melbourne's family law community for his proficiency and exceptional performance. His adeptness extends across a comprehensive range of family law areas, including intricate parenting and property disputes, the formulation of financial and child support agreements, and complex international matters concerning forum and jurisdictional challenges. John's storied career is marked by his involvement in significant and complicated family law litigation, particularly augmenting his expertise in international family law. This facet of his practice showcases his skill in navigating intricate international financial disputes. Notably, he has successfully argued for Australia to be recognised as the appropriate forum for adjudicating financial disputes, even in unique scenarios where one party resides overseas with the children (White & Temple [2014] FamCA 396) or when neither spouse resided within Australia (Costigan & Costigan & Ors [2017] FamCA 879). Furthermore, John has contributed to numerous successful outcomes in international child support disputes, where his efforts have been pivotal in modifying or discharging international child maintenance and support judgments (Attorney Generals Department & Sciacia [2017] FamCA 692 and Membrey & Hall [2019] FamCA 857). His comprehensive legal knowledge and strategic acumen ensure he is a reliable advocate for clients facing complex and multinational family law challenges.