All publications relating to ‘Family Law’
I’m broke, baby: bankruptcy and the right to litigate family law proceedings
It is not uncommon for you and your former partner to find yourself in tight financial circumstances following separation. You, or your partner, may well feel like you are broke. But what happens when things go beyond being broke? The recent Family Court decision of Sloan & Sloan looks at how proceedings…
Children’s wishes in Family Law matters: will your child’s wishes be considered by the Court?
If you are experiencing a family breakdown, it is likely that you are facing one of the most challenging and stressful times in your life. It is important to remember that this stress and grief is not only limited to you and your former partner or spouse, but also extends to…
The ABC of CGT in your family law property settlement
Tax costs have an effect on the property pool available for distribution. In property cases, the Court may take into account Capital Gains Tax (CGT) allowances when determining the asset pool. This article will set out how CGT is usually treated by the Court in family law property settlement proceedings…
Is it okay to let your former spouse travel overseas with the children?
The short answer is no. Once a parent has left the jurisdiction of Australia with the children, the children may become the centre of an international child abduction and never be returned to Australia. International child abduction is a parent’s worst nightmare and causes severe psychological trauma to the children and the…
Show me the money: the consequences of failing to disclose assets in family law proceedings
Parties to financial family law cases have an ongoing duty to disclose the material facts relating to their financial position. This principle was stated in In the marriage of Briese, where the court said that “a person … has a positive obligation to set out at an early stage [their] financial…
What’s in a name? Changing your child’s surname after separation or divorce
Your child’s name can be changed where you have the consent of the other parent and the change of name is in the child’s best interests. Change of name without other parent’s consent In Chapman and Palmer, the Full Court of the Family Court held that a court will not prevent a parent from…
Domestic violence in financial cases in the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court of Australia
The Family Law Act 1975 established the ‘no fault’ divorce principle. This means that, unlike in some other jurisdictions, to establish grounds for divorce, courts do not have to consider which partner is to blame for the breakdown of a marriage. Where domestic violence can be a factor establishing ‘fault’ as grounds…
Preventing International Parental Child Abduction
Did you know that Australia has one of the highest rates of international parental child abduction in the world? Once a parent has taken their children out of Australia without the permission of the other parent or retained a child overseas outside of an agreement reached with the other parent, it may be…
If you have signed a prenup and no longer agree to the terms, what can you do?
In brief — Your rights are limitedIf you have previously signed a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement and no longer agree to its terms, your rights are very limited.Binding Financial Agreements Pre or postnuptial agreements are known as Binding Financial Agreements. Binding Financial Agreements allow parties to contract out of the Family Law Act and…
Alcohol and Family Law
Last year, I wrote an article on cannabis use and its potential impact on parenting matters. I have recently considered some recent cases where alcohol was raised as an issue in parenting proceedings and comment as follows (please note that the whole case should be read for a proper consideration of the other…