Decades ago, it was called ‘taking sides’ but now it’s recognised as parental alienation – where one parent attempts to turn their child against the other parent. It’s becoming increasingly common in custody disputes and it can take a range of forms. The term Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) originated in the United States when [...]
A lot of couples hold their ownership in real estate as joint tenants. If a separation occurs that can prove a problem as the law provides that if one of the "joint tenants' dies their share automatically gets transferred to the other 'joint tenant'. So, what can be done about it? There are two [...]
You may have a court date coming up, do you need a barrister? That will largely depend on what the purpose of the court date is, but firstly let’s look at what the difference between a solicitor and barrister even is. On a basic level, a solicitor is a highly trained legal professional that [...]
Defacto relationships are no different to other relationships when it comes to trying to resolve issues. Amicable outcomes are always best. Mediation provides an alternative to going to Court. It involves you and your former partner, sitting down with an independent third party. Here are some helpful tips as to whether it would be suitable [...]
You may have an understanding that you are in a defacto relationship but what happens now? Like every relationship there are challenges to resolve: parenting, property, child support. How does that effect you? Here’s a quick guide. PROPERTY SETTLEMENTS How will our Property be Divided? The Family Law Act sets out how property is [...]
For a defacto couple’s property settlement it is important to determine when separation occurred. Is it moving out of the house or can you be in the house but separated? The Family Court has determined that separation is when the following 3 elements are present; An intention to separate; Acting upon that intention; and [...]
If you have separated it is important that you get Family Law advice about how to achieve a property settlement, as there are strict time limits that apply. If you miss them there can be real problems. So, what are they? There are time limits on when spouses can file an application for property [...]
The end of financial year is coming. Do you need to check that your child support income estimate is accurate for the rest of the financial year? If you gave the Child Support Agency an estimate of your income for the current 2019/20 financial year, the CSA will soon be sending you a reminder [...]
As your family lawyer we can provide you with advice with respect to your family law matter including property settlement and parenting matters. However, from time to time there may be other areas of law that arise as a result of a separation where we may need to refer you to another lawyer who [...]
During COVID isolation the mother of a 17-year old child with high autism needs suspended all contact with the father and placed a notice on her front door saying the child was vulnerable and would not be leaving the house. The father defaced the notice and sought a court order to stop the mother. [...]
