Peter Szabo (LLB) is an acknowledged leader among family lawyers throughout Australia. An Accredited Family Law Specialist, a Law Institute of Victoria approved mediator and member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), Peter was one of the first solicitors in Victoria to train as a Collaborative Family Lawyer. He is particularly expert in handling financial issues and taxation/estate planning within property settlements.

Peter was the key lawyer in the famous High Court case of Ascot Investments v. Harper which remains the definitive case on third party rights in the Family Court. Peter is also experienced in international aspects of Family Law and is a member of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Peter is engaged by clients, financial advisors and national financial planning institutions to assist with financial, tax and estate planning strategies and how those strategies are affected by marital breakdown.

More than 30 years of dealing with the "emotional factor" in Family Law equips Peter to sensitively pin-point the particular needs of each client, which is essential to providing proper, rounded Family Law and financial planning advice. That advice can then be implemented by Peter assisted by the appropriate expert, being a financial planner, accountant, or tax lawyer, as the case may be.

Some particular focuses include:

• Making arrangements for "blended families" - where people remarry/reside in a de facto relationship and both parties have assets and children. They may want to protect or share certain assets, depending on their circumstances
• Where a person is paying child support - to give consideration to child support trusts to effectively turn children into adult beneficiaries for tax purposes
• Ensuring assets go to the client's children and not (for example) to the trustee in bankruptcy or an estranged son or daughter-in-law
• Bankruptcy protection - involving the transfer of (for example) the marital home to protect it from relation back issues.

Peter was the founding Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the Accreditation Board for Family Law Specialists in Victoria and was at the forefront in establishing legal specialisation in family law, the first in Australia. Peter lectures on all aspects of Family Law to the Law Institute of Victoria, the Leo Cussen Institute and to the legal and accounting professions nationally. He has written several books, including the Leo Cussen Institute's "Family Court Practice Manual" (now in its fifth edition), "Family Law Financial Settlements for Accountants", and contributed to the chapter entitled "Family Breakdown" in the CCH publication "The Australian Master Financial Planning Guide".

He is a regular contributor of articles and papers to the media.