Doris Matias

Doris was admitted in 2001 and has been a legal practitioner for over 22 years.

Doris brings a wealth of experience and skills to her role, having practised in multi-disciplinary areas combining family law with wills, probate, and estate matters as well as collaborative and dispute resolution practices prior to specialising in family law and achieving a Master of Applied Law Family Law in 2012.

Doris has represented same-sex, de facto and married couples, including grandparents and third-party interveners living in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, China, the Philippines, and the United States of America.

She has practised in multiple jurisdictions, having appeared in the Family Court of Western Australia and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Doris has represented clients in the corners of South, North, East and West of Perth, including the Western Australian region in Albany, Denmark, Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Karratha and Broome. Her client representation and client engagement extended to the Eastern States while appearing in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, servicing clients in
South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Melbourne, Canberra and Darwin.

Doris has dealt with complex child-related matters, including interstate and international relocation, adoption, surrogacy arrangements, Hague convention issues, private international law, child protection issues and child maintenance trusts.

Doris has experience in financial issues involving farming matters, corporate and trust structures and financial agreements that include third parties.

She draws on her broad range of experience and skills in her role as a Family Lawyer, having attained a Master of Business Administration in 2006 and trained many junior lawyers, law clerks, paralegals and graduate lawyers whom she now collaborates with.

Doris is a lecturer at The College of Law Postgraduate Programs in WA and NSW. Doris has been teaching family law units in the Master of Applied Law Program since she graduated in 2012. Trained in alternative dispute resolution, mediation and collaborative law, Doris is committed to providing service to clients. This is manifested in her ability to apply less restrictive means to litigation as an alternative approach to resolving conflicts.  Doris is also a Collaborative Practitioner.

Her passion for law is found in her desire to gain new skills through continuous further education, specialised training, teaching and applying those skills in her practice. Doris is also an Independent Children’s Lawyer and a Child Representative.

With a strong interest in community and charity work, Doris also worked in not-for-profit sectors and volunteered her time, including performing duties as a Board member in various organizations.

Doris practices mindfulness. She sings in a choir, plays the ukulele, and aspires to be a green thumb gardener.

A former dog trainer and avid dog lover, Doris enjoys spending time experimenting in the kitchen, relaxing with her dogs, and entertaining family and friends. Professionally, she is also currently working towards gaining her accreditation as a Family Law Specialist and as an Accredited Mediator and Family Law Dispute Resolution Practitioner.

Admitted to practise in the Supreme Court of WA  on 5 June 2001

Admitted to practise in the High Court of Australia on 14 December 2004

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Laws
• Master of Business Administration
• Certificate IV in Training and Assessment – Registered Trainer
• Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
• Master of Applied Law (Family Law)

• Law Society of Western Australia
• Women’s Lawyers Western Australia
• Family Law Practitioners’ Association of Western Australia
• Family Law Section, Law Council