Simon Bacon

Simon Bacon has spent his entire career in child support, a field he entered after graduating from the University of Melbourne Law School, being admitted as a barrister and solicitor and then discovering that few other lawyers understood its complexities.

That early insight shaped a career spanning more than three decades. As Principal Lawyer at Legal Aid Queensland's child support division, Simon built deep expertise in the legislative framework, administrative processes, and practical realities that govern how child support operates in Australia.

Simon established his law practice (Manby and Scott Child Support Lawyers) at Melbourne's historic Normanby Chambers in 2004. Thereafter, Simon became known as one of the country's leading authorities in child support law. His client base extended across every Australian state and territory, with parents, accountants, and other professionals seeking his guidance on complex assessment, agreement, and enforcement issues.

In 2025, Simon shut down Manby and Scott Child Support Lawyers. He then commenced a child support advisory firm (Manby and Scott) which deals with the administrative side of child support disputes. Most child support disputes can be resolved internally within the Child Support Agency or within outside administrative forums such as the Administrative Review Tribunal. In those situations, Simon aims to provide the same depth of specialist guidance at a fraction of the costs traditionally charged by law and accountancy firms. Law firms can carry out a broader range of work than Simon (for example, they can run court cases and give legal advice). But as regards the work that Simon can do, his fees are perhaps a third of what a lawyer might typically charge. Simon's approach reflects the practical reality that most child support matters are resolved through reviews, litigation in the ART, child support agreements, and Agency processes, not courtrooms.