Superannuation is considered to be an asset for the purposes of family law property settlements and in some cases it might be the only asset left to divide. So what happens then? The court recently considered a case where a husband and wife were married for 22 years and had two children together. Due [...]
When a relationship breaks down, parents are often faced with the difficult decision of deciding on a parenting style that suits both parents, yet still upholds the best interests of the children. The concept of Shared Parenting is one that is adopted by most families. Shared Parenting promotes co-operation, collaboration and communication between parents [...]
Deciding where your children will live after a relationship breakdown is probably one of the hardest decisions a parent will make. How many nights each fortnight will they spend with each parent, and what do those arrangements look like? Fifteen to 20 years ago, arrangements would most likely have been children spending time with one parent each alternative weekend from [...]
Under the Family Law Act (since 2009) defacto couples have the same rights as married couples to seek a property settlement or spouse maintenance payment when they separate. So, the question is, how do you know if you are in a defacto relationship? Firstly, the couple needs to have been in a “genuine domestic [...]
Christmas holidays are coming. If you are separated and don’t have a clearly-agreed parenting arrangement in place it would be wise to turn your mind to it now. The added pressure to do this quickly is that the court has just announced that the deadline for filing a court application for a parenting order [...]
This family law webinar covers the important ground of confidentiality for counsellors both in and out of court, as well as giving you an update on the very recent court merger. [...]
Changing your child’s school is a big decision and deciding to do so without consulting the other parent can be fraught with difficulty. It’s a common problem between separating parents, so what are some practical things that should be considered? It’s a common dispute among separated parents, and generally schooling is known as a [...]
Choosing where children will live immediately after a separation can be a difficult decision. One arrangement that is becoming popular is called “nesting”, where the children remain living in the home, and the parents take turns staying with them. But is it the right decision? The parent not currently staying in the family home [...]
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the world does business and courts are no exception. With many of us still working remotely, and taking meetings, or simply catching up with friends and family over Zoom or FaceTime, the courts are also conducting hearings electronically. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia is, [...]
The landscape of Australia’s Family law court system is looking very different, with the merger of the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia on 1 September 2021. So, what is now happening? The newly formed Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia aims to provide a more streamlined approach [...]
