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Binding Financial Agreement & Provisions of Family Law Act While binding financial agreement, Parties may wish to determine the ownership of their assets and liabilities whilst contemplating or living in a relationship (including same-sex relationships), contemplating entering into a marriage, during a marriage or after a divorce, may wish to set out terms in an agreement which determines how their property and liabilities should be determined should their relationship break down. Provisions in relation to Binding Financial Agreement came into...

Who Is Responsible For Payment of School Fees and Extra-Curricular Activities Post Divorce? A major concern amongst parents who have children under their care is the payment and costs associated with extra curricular activities. As sport, music, dance, and other similar activities are popular with children of all ages, the costs associated with these can be quite significant over a long period of time. Unlike child support payments which are determined upon set criteria and formula, non-periodic payments associated with...

Bankruptcy Act 1996 and Family Law Act 1975 - AustLII and Divorce Loopholes Under the bankruptcy act 1966 law, creditors are unable to claim against a person’s estate if that person has declared bankruptcy. However, there are certain situations where the bankruptcy act 1966 can be orchestrated to appear this way, so as to purposely avoid paying debts. Calls for Divorce Loophole Crackdown: Criminals Skirting the Law The recent case involving Michael Williamson, disgraced former Health Services Union Boss, highlights...

Social Media Feuds: How It Can Affect Your Family Law Matter Almost 11 Million Australians will use Facebook over the course of 2019. Like most people, Facebook is used as a platform to share your thoughts and experiences or listen to others. As such, it is not uncommon to across someone who has a frustrated or even angry view on a particular event or experience. Whilst this is often though of as a cathartic process, your electronic communications can easily...

Australian divorce law property settlement, How Your Ex Can End Up With Your Estate? "Australian divorce law property settlement", says A breakdown of a relationship can be one of the hardest times in a person’s life. During this time, individuals often undergo immense changes to routine, living environments, and lifestyle. In the midst of grieving, possibly moving to a new residence, organizing your affairs, and trying to get your life back on track, it’s easy to forget some of the...

Monitoring Spouses and Ex-Partners: Skirting a Fine Line During a breakdown of a relationship or marriage, an individual’s life (both personal and public) are usually retracted from the other party. This can be a strange time for some people, as many parties spend years intentionally or unintentionally knowing the whereabouts and doings of the other party. As this knowledge ceases quite suddenly, it is not uncommon for one party to try and find out what the other is up to....

Equal Shared Parental Responsibility A typical parenting order made by the Court will involve equal shared parental responsibility. This essentially means that both parents are required to consult each other on the major long-term issues of the children which relate to the order. Whilst the definition of “major issues” is not meant to be exhaustive, the five most common issues related to: The child’s education (both currently and any future needs); The child’s religious and cultural upbringing (this is particularly...

Domestic Violence in Australia & Property Matters The issue of family violence is currently governed by both the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and the Family Law Legislation Amendment (Domestic Violence in Australia and Other Measures) Act 2011 (Cth). The recent amendments effectively change the Family Law Act to provide: Greater protection from harm when determining the child’s best interests; Changing the definition of ‘Family Violence’ and ‘Abuse’ to reflect a modern understanding of the terms; Providing a wider scope...

Can children decide which parents to live with? Which parents to live with? When determining the living arrangement for children post-separation, parents often wonder at what age can children decide who to live with themselves. It is important to understand there is no one standard age that must be met. The reality of this question is that each case is different. No specific age requirement exists under the current family law regime. Although many people believe a child who is...

Are you driving without a licence? if you are driving without a licence in the state of Queensland, and continue to drive, this is known as unlicensed driving. Typically, unlicensed driving occurs where individuals have lost their licence due to loss of demerit points, failing to obey fine orders by the court or having been found guilty of high-speed driving offences. Unlicensed driving is different from driving while disqualified. The offence for driving while disqualified applies only where a person...

What is a binding financial agreement? A Binding Financial Agreement is a private contract between two parties in which they are effectively finalizing property settlement and spousal maintenance issues outside of the Court. Also referred to as “pre-nups”, binding financial agreements are created between parties of a relationship or marriage to legally protect and allocate assets if the event the marriage ceases. Whilst many people believe planning for divorce before the marriage begins is controversial, a binding financial agreement is prudent estate planning, similar to...

Family Law Proceedings in Australia When a marriage or relationship breaks down, a typical disagreement between the parties relates to the arrangements of the children, including where they live, attend school and spend time with. These issues may be further complicated if one parent wishes to relocate as a result of family violence, abuse, or other major issues. If disputes of this nature are unable to be resolved through preliminary mediation or dispute resolution, parents may need to apply for...

Anti Discrimination Law in Australia Anti Discrimination Law in Australia is unlawful to discriminate against another person who possesses certain attributes in Australia. The federal legislative instruments which govern this area of discrimination law include:- Racial Discrimination Act 1975 Sex Discrimination Act 1984 Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 4. Disability Discrimination Act 1992 5.Age Discrimination Act 2004 Collectively, this legislation aims to protect persons within minority groups and promote equality of all persons in society. In addition to federal law,...

The Impact of Criminal Law in Family Law Jurisdiction Criminal Law in family law: Pursuant to section 61DA of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), the presumption of equal shared parental responsibility exists within family law proceedings. However, this presumption does not apply in circumstances where parents have engaged in family violence due to the effect of section 61DA(2)(B). Effect of Family Violence Orders on Parenting Orders The Family Court may enforce a Family Violence Order against a parent of...

Biggest Issue on Child Custody Australia Child Custody Australia has One of the biggest issues facing Multi-national Australian families is parenting arrangements and custody of children. The 2011 Census suggests nearly half of the Australian population has one parent who was born in another country. As Australia has one of the highest intermarriage rates and divorces in the world, this often leads to international child custody disputes. Under Australian law, the Family Court will not allow one parent to move...

CHILD VIEWS IN PARENTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 0-4 YEAR AGE GROUP How the Child’s View Affects Custody Disputes? Before imposing an order, the Court will always consider what Parenting Arrangements are in the best interests of the child. In determining the best interests of the child, any views expressed by the child will be taken into consideration. During this process, the Court will place appropriate weight to these views depending upon various factors such as the child’s maturity and understanding...

What's the Solicitor's role in Family law proceedings? The role of solicitors in Family Law proceedings may not be known to the parties before commencing the legal representation. In the case of Simic& Norton [2017] FamCA 1007, Justice Benjamin was critical of both parties’ solicitors, describing their actions as fuelling a negative culture of “bitter adversarial and highly aggressive litigation”. His Honour referenced correspondence that had been sent between the solicitors which did not reflect the appropriate professionalism expected of...

Family Court and Child Vaccinations Australia Whilst many couples have long, happy relationships, there are bound to be one or more serious points of disagreement when it comes to raising children. These issues become more relevant in circumstances where the couple has separated and has different views on how best to raise the child. One increasingly common topic is whether to issue children with Child Vaccinations in Australia. The Argument In recent years, social media contentions around child vaccinations in...

Sentimental Value in Property Settlement In determining how the property pool is split, the Court has previously highlighted the difficult and sometimes unique circumstances where one party may have sentimental value in an asset. In one particular case, the Husband of the proceedings was given 14 days to retrieve the ashes of his deceased parents which had been laid in a memorial on the family farm. During the divorce proceedings, the farm had been awarded to the wife. Sentimental Value...

Parties Wastage Following Separation Usually during cases of separation or divorce proceedings which reach the Court, one party has made the other party’s life very difficult, often causing heated disputes and emotions. Although a party may have been difficult, lied, cheated or has caused the other significant pain, the other party is not typically entitled to any additional money during property settlement. In determining Family Law property settlements, a party’s immoral actions or conduct such as infidelity, minor violence (not...