Estella Newbold-Brown
Family law solicitor Estella Newbold-Brown shared with Chronicle Law the story about her IVF journey, navigating motherhood as a same-sex couple, and celebrating Pride with her two miracle babies.
As Head of Family Law at Amphlett Lissimore, Estella Newbold-Brown is no stranger to helping people navigate complex emotional journeys. But her own path to parenthood with her wife was one that tested every ounce of courage, resilience, and trust in the systems she supports every day in her professional life.
This Pride Month, Estella’s story serves as a powerful reminder of how love and law can work hand-in-hand to build modern families, even when the road is far from straightforward.
A Legal Mind Meets a Life Decision
Estella met her wife in 2015. A lawyer working in family law and a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Estella had nearly given up on dating when a dinner party introduced her to her wife, a charity company secretary. They bonded instantly, married three years later, and quickly began exploring the idea of becoming parents.
For the couple, this meant not just the usual emotional and logistical planning that comes with starting a family, but making legal, financial, and medical decisions that many couples do not have to consider. After careful discussion, they chose IVF.
A Risk Worth Taking
Their first round of IVF in 2019 was unsuccessful. They were both devastated. Estella, then 37, was worried that her fertility window might be closing. But determined to try again, the couple opted for a second round, this time involving a drug called buserelin, commonly used in cancer treatment. Its purpose was to suppress hormone production to increase the chances of success — but it came with a long list of daunting side effects: depression, early menopause, and the possibility of future infertility.
It was a high-stakes decision. But Estella, ever methodical and thoughtful in her approach, weighed the risks, consulted with the IVF Team and committed. “It wasn’t easy,” she has said, “but we knew we had to give this everything.”
Double the Joy
Just a few weeks later, the couple received stunning news: not one, but two embryos had taken. Twins. Estella and her wife were overjoyed — and cautiously hopeful. In March 2020, as the world was plunging into lockdown, their twins were born by caesarean section.
Their son needed extra support in the neonatal unit, and the early days were intense. But when the family finally returned home, the feeling was one of pure gratitude and for the systems that had made it all possible.
Family, Pride, and Profession
Now the children are thriving, each with their own personality. Watching them grow, Estella reflects often on how her professional and personal worlds intersect.
Her passion for inclusive family narratives extends beyond the legal world. Estella is also the author of three children’s books that gently challenge stigma and stereotypes by celebrating different family make-ups. Her debut book, The Story of the Little Penguin, which explores themes of love and belonging in LGBTQ+ relationships, was so close to her heart that she read it aloud at her wedding to her wife in front of their guests.
Since becoming a parent, Estella’s children and career have inspired the next two books; one focusing on the separation of parents, and another on the powerful, nurturing love of grandparents. Her stories aim to give all children, no matter their family structure, a chance to see themselves represented in the books they read.
Estella’s books are available to purchase here.
For Estella and her wife, Pride Month is about more than rainbow flags and celebration, it’s about visibility, integrity, and the right for every family to exist safely and joyfully.
Their story is one of many, but it’s a powerful reminder of what’s possible when courage meets compassion.