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Deanna Elsner is a Family Lawyer based in Victoria with over 20 years of experience dedicated to family law matters. Throughout her career, Deanna has assisted hundreds of clients in navigating the complexities of family law, enabling them to move forward towards a better future. Deanna takes a personalised approach, recognising that every family’s situation is unique. She invests time to understand her clients’ individual circumstances to devise solutions that aim to achieve the best possible outcomes for families. Clients work directly with Deanna, who supports them through each stage of the legal process with clarity and care. Committed to reducing the stress and financial burden often associated with family disputes, Deanna advocates for a mediation-first approach. However, when court intervention is necessary, she is a tenacious advocate determined to protect her clients’ rights and entitlements. Her experience spans a wide range of family law matters, including de facto relationships, property settlements, children’s matters, family violence, and intervention orders. Deanna has appeared regularly in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Melbourne and Dandenong, handling divorce applications, contested hearings, pre-trial conferences, case conferences, and mediations. She is also familiar with proceedings in the Children’s Court, Magistrates’ (Family Violence) Court, and the County and Supreme Courts of Victoria. Deanna has managed complex cases involving multi-million dollar assets, Hague Convention matters concerning international child abduction, and relocation cases that involve local, interstate, and overseas moves. She prepares Binding Financial Agreements such as pre-nuptial agreements, separation agreements, consent orders, superannuation agreements, and arrangements related to surrogacy and sperm donation. In addition to family law, Deanna has experience in wills and estates, including powers of attorney. She has appeared as both barrister and solicitor in family law jurisdictions and is a member of the Law Institute of Victoria and the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia. Fluent in French, Deanna brings both legal expertise and cultural understanding to her practice.
Principal Solicitor
Advocate Family Lawyers
Jun 2022 - Present • 4 years 5 months
Senior Associate
Adrian Abrahams Family Lawyers
Feb 2006 - Jun 2022 • 16 years 4 months
Family Lawyer
Gadens
Aug 2005 - Feb 2006 • 6 months
Bachelor of Laws - LLB, Law
Monash University
Bachelor of Arts - BA
Monash University
Last checked: 15 May 2026 • Checked with Victorian Legal Services
