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Family law consultations are generally designed to help you understand your legal position and the steps you need to take, as well as to determine whether you feel comfortable working with the lawyer on your case.

A consideration the Court will take into account when making a determination on who a child should live with and/or spend time with, is if a parent has exposed the child to the Court proceedings.

A further amendment to the Family Law Act has been introduced by the Albanese Government last week, and interestingly, it includes family pets. The proposed amendment would see the Family Law Court consider pets as “companion animals” and grant the Court the power to make Orders on who keeps the pet, or if it is to be sold.

There is no denying that Family Law proceedings can be expensive. This cost creates a significant gap between those who can comfortably afford to pay for a solicitor, and those who are eligible for Legal Aid.

We are commonly asked by clients if they can see their child if there is a Domestic Violence Order in place with the other parent listed as a party. The answer to this will ultimately depend on how the Order is worded.

When you think ‘Family Law’, you probably think of Court rooms and heightened emotions. However, that is not always the case. There are also a large number of separated couples that are able to reach an agreement between themselves, and only require solicitors to formalize the agreement. This is done through Consent Orders. Consent Orders are drafted by solicitors to reflect the terms of the agreement reached between the parties, and these documents are filed with the Court.  These Orders can be made in relation to parenting or property matters, or both.

In all family law matters, both parties are bound by the duty of disclosure. Whilst the duty of disclosure is more often referred to in financial cases, it is equally relevant to parenting matters. In all cases, parties are compelled to provide the other party with all documents that are relevant to the proceedings on hand.

The countdown is on for back to school. In between visiting shoe shops and stocking up on books and pencils, it is important to consider what you can do behind the scenes to ensure your child has the most seamless transition back to school.

Your child’s first day of school is both exciting and nerve-wracking. Sending them off to the unknown can be daunting, and what comes with that is the increased emotions in communicating with your child’s other parent.

Does the thought of speaking with your child’s other parent fill you with dread? If so, it may be time to add “working on your co-parenting relationship” to your list of New Year resolutions.

Maybe this Christmas was the straw that broke the camel’s back and you’ve made the call to finally go your separate ways. This decision isn’t easy, especially if you have children, but it’s often the one that is needed.

According to research , divorce comes in at the second most stressful life event closely followed by the almost identical event of marriage separation: these events only being less stressful or traumatic than the death of a spouse.

For those who are experiencing their first festive season as a single parent or those who are “seasoned” hands, here are tips/reminders to avoid conflict to ensure that the children don’t have to endure battling parents