Hello there, I'm Vanna
Lawyer. Parent. Rebuilder.
I was born a refugee — so rebuilding was woven into my story from the very beginning. Although it would take decades before I recognised it as a calling.
Fast forward a few decades.
I was drawn to international law and its larger questions — how systems protect the vulnerable, how power shapes ordinary lives, and how law can restore order when everything feels fractured.
I worked with the UN and NGOs, representing people navigating conflict, displacement and profound upheaval.
That work taught me something simple:
Law, when used well, can steady a life that has come apart. Resolutions are founded on diplomacy.
Over time, that lens turned inward.
Consequential legal work doesn’t only happen in international tribunals and assemblies. It happens at kitchen tables. In parenting plans.
In the unplanned ending of my relationship and the reorganisation of family life, Family law became a natural next chapter.
For years now, I have practised Family Law in Sydney, guiding clients through parenting arrangements, property settlements and divorce — and recognising the emotional complexity beneath it all. My role is not to inflame this complexity, but to steady it — in service of your future, and your family’s.
My simple philosophy:
Keep your gaze on the future while you reshuffle the present.
Move with intention, not fear.
The pivot in my own life wasn’t planned. But the steadiness it built — in me, and in my work — is something my clients can rely on.
Motherhood grounded me. Single parenthood sharpened me.
Incidentally, raising my Autistic child has been the most profound refinement of both my patience and my purpose. I learned that advocacy is not about control. It’s about understanding needs.
Autism sharpened my patience, strengthened my strategy, and reinforced a truth I now hold firmly:
The goal is not to make children fit systems.
It is to make systems work for them.
And that practice extends into every day life also: As a boy mum, I’m in ongoing negotiations regarding bedtimes, boundaries, and the seasonal relevance of wearing pants.
When I support clients through separation — whether as their family lawyer or as a separation guide — I bring both legal rigour and lived perspective.I understand what it is to face an uncertain future through emotional fog and still have to make clear-headed decisions.
My simple philosophy:
Keep your gaze on the future while you reshuffle the present.
Move with intention, not fear.
The pivot in my own life wasn’t planned. But the steadiness it built — in me, and in my work — is something my clients can rely on.
Confidential consultation. Clear next steps.
