Every family has a busy schedule and for separated families in two households, life can get complicated. That’s why good communication is so important. Here are some ways separated parents and children can communicate with each other. Stickers, charts and calendars For very young children, adjusting to life in two households with new routines [...]
Having been told by a client that an amicable agreement has been reached for a property settlement, we sometimes find that problems arise and the "agreement" is not what it seemed. So that you are ahead of the game, here are some (not all) of the common problems; There is a broad 'understanding' between [...]
Under the Family Law Act, the grandparent of a child is entitled to apply to the court for parenting orders. The court recently considered an application by a grandmother for orders that the children ‘spend time’ with her, in circumstances where the time was opposed by the parents. There were two children involved, aged [...]
The assessment of child support by the Services Australia Child Support, otherwise known as the Child Support Agency (CSA) under the formula requires a determination of what is the 'child support assessable income. In some cases this can be a complicated process. If one of the parents is dissatisfied with the assessment they can [...]
There’s a lot of emphasis on mediation and there’s a reason for that. Whether it’s ordered by the court, or entered voluntarily, there’s a lot of benefits to undergoing mediation. Here are the top five benefits of mediation: 1. You can still have a relationship – of sorts – after mediation [...]
Superannuation is part of the property pool during separation and divorce, and it used to be quite difficult for people to get the details of their ex’s super entitlements. There is now a new avenue... The Federal Government has now improved the visibility of superannuation assets in family law cases, making it harder for [...]
A common question we get asked is “when do I stop the payment of child support?” Before answering that, let’s get a clear picture regarding the financial support for children. There are 2 potential processes you need to be aware of: Child support: The Child Support Agency (Department of Human Services) is a federal government [...]
There are two ways that couples can own real estate, either as "joint tenants" or "tenants in common". When couples separate they may need to consider what arrangements are in place. Owning real estate as "joint tenants" means that if one of the parties dies then their half interest in the property automatically passes [...]
For separated parents, trying to sort out what time the children will spend with each parent is not easy. The Family Law Act says that the foremost consideration when making such a decision is what is in the child’s ‘best interests’. One of the most commonly considered aspects of ‘best interests’ are ‘child’s wishes’. [...]
When separated couples reach an agreement regarding the arrangements for their children, they are confronted with 2 options for how to document the agreement, either a parenting plan or a consent order. There are significant differences between the two. What is a Consent Order? A standard court form that is completed by the parties. [...]
