Profile

Steve has almost fifty years experience in family law as a Judge, Solicitor and Barrister (Queens Counsel). He was a Justice of the Family Court of Australia for twenty two years, including twelve years as a Member of the Appeal Division of that Court, and for the last three years the administrative head of that Division.

Steve was appointed Queens Counsel in 1998, and has practised extensively throughout Australia in family and de facto law and appeals. He has an Honours Degree in Law from the University of Adelaide, and a Masters Degree in Law from the University of British Columbia. He is an Adjunct Professor, Law School, Faculty of the Professions, University of Adelaide, and an Adjunct Professor, School of Law and Justice, Southern Cross University.

Steve is a nationally accredited Mediator and a nationally registered Arbitrator, as well as being a member of the National Sports Tribunal.

He is a former Director of the Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators, a life member of that Institute, and Chair of its Arbitration Committee. He is also a former Chair of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.

Membership of Professional Organisations

• Family Law Section, Law Council of Australia.
• Law Society of South Australia.
• South Australian Bar Association.
• Pacifica Congress.
• Australian Judicial Officers Association.

Areas of Practice

• Arbitration
• Family and De Facto
• Mediation

Admitted to Practice

• 1973 (SA).
• 1975 (High Court of Australia).
• 1976 (NT).

Qualifications

• LLB (Hons) (U of A) – 1973
• LLM (UBC) -1979.
• Appointed QC – 1998.
• Appointed Judge of the Family Court of Australia – 1999.
• Assigned to the Appeal Division of the Family Court of Australia – 2009.
• Appointed Administrative Head of the Appeal Division – 2019.