For clients who want a senior family lawyer with two decades of practice behind every decision — and the temperament to keep a matter moving without unnecessary escalation — Vanessa Moyle is one of the most experienced practitioners on the Shanahan Family Law team.
Vanessa has practised almost exclusively in family law since her admission in 2005, with deep experience across property settlements, parenting matters, financial agreements, spousal maintenance, and matters involving complex asset structures, trusts, and business interests. She regularly appears in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, conducts interim and contested hearings, and is highly experienced in mediation, conciliation conferences, and Family Dispute Resolution — the forums where the majority of family law matters are actually resolved.
Her practice is defined by a combination clients consistently single out: commercial pragmatism paired with genuine empathy. Vanessa is direct without being adversarial, strategic without being theatrical, and she has the experience to know when a matter should be pushed firmly and when it should be settled. That judgement — built across nearly twenty years of front-line practice — is what separates a senior family lawyer from a competent one.
Before relocating to the Sunshine Coast, Vanessa built her career in Brisbane, working across the full spectrum of family law matters in a market known for its complexity and competitive practitioner standards. She is a member of the Queensland Law Society, the Family Law Practitioners Association of Queensland, and the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia — the principal national body for accredited family law practice.
Vanessa holds a Diploma in Law (Legal Profession Admission Board) and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, and entered the profession as a mature-age lawyer after raising her young family — a path she credits with giving her both the resilience and the perspective her clients rely on.
Outside the office, Vanessa is enjoying the recent move from Brisbane, spending time with her family, walking the Sunshine Coast beaches at sunset, and progressively working her way through the region’s restaurants. Her best piece of advice — and one she extends to every client navigating separation — is to keep a sense of humour through the tough times, and be kind to yourself and others.