It’s one of the most misunderstood concepts in Family Law – “What is a de facto relationship?” It is rarely simple and the treatment of property in de facto relationships has also always been a complex area. To address the common questions that accountants are likely to get from clients, we have created a [...]
It is a common practice amongst family members, particularly by older to younger generations to lend money for the purpose of buying a first house. The nature of such loans, due to them being advanced out of love rather than commercial gain, can often mean that the exact terms and details of the loan can [...]
Who is the child's father is not always something that is agreed upon. DNA and evidence of parentage is important when a mother wants to register an application with the Child Support Agency (Department of Human Services (Child Support)) (“the CSA”). The CSA will refuse an application if a parent is not listed on the [...]
The court recently considered an application by a father for parenting arrangements. The court made orders that the mother have sole parental responsibility and that the child spend no time with the father. The court found that the mother’s lack of ability to cope with the child spending time with the father was, among other [...]
Recently we have updated our flagship publication “A Guide to Family Law- Everyday Answers”. Over the years, we have printed over 140,000 copies of the Guide Book - which has always been provided to our clients and other people who request the book FREE of charge! This invaluable resource includes information on children’s arrangements, [...]
Which school a child attends can be a difficult question for a court, as the facts of each case are always different. An Appeal Court recently considered such a case. The Facts The question was, what school the 6 year old child should commence Grade 1 at? The father wanted the child to continue [...]
It is not uncommon, after a relationship breaks down, for one party to want to relocate to another city or state with the children, at the objection of the other party. Often, the decision will be made unilaterally by one parent without consultation or agreement with the other and it is then left to [...]
Whether to have limited wording in a court order or a detailed court order is often the dilemma separated parents face when looking to document the arrangements for their children. The court’s view is that a minimalist approach should be taken unless there are special circumstances. The court recently considered a case involving a [...]
The Federal Government recently announced an initiative directed at addressing the empowerment of parents to resolve family law disputes without resorting to litigation and use of the court system. The government’s new publication ‘Parenting Orders: What you need to know’ developed by family law expert Professor Richard Chisholm AM is designed to assist parents going [...]
Staff at Michael Lynch Family Lawyers and guests attended the Legal Profession White Ribbon Breakfast at City Hall yesterday. Many moving speeches including guest speaker Tara Moss. The breakfast successfully raised over $100k for Women’s Legal Service. Well Done!
