Tag: brisbane family law

Australian Court System about Unvaccinated Despite the Coronavirus pandemic continuing to make waves across the country, it is not compulsory to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Presently it is up to an adult individual to make this decision for themselves or a parent to make this decision for their underage child. The right to make such a decision is typically referred to as “freedom of choice”.  At James Noble Law we support and respect everyone’s right to make the choice...

Children Vaccination Update in Australia In the midst of the global Coronavirus pandemic, the Australian Government recently announced that children aged 5 to 11 are now eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccinations, should their parents wish for them to. But what happens if you and your former partner cannot agree on whether or not to vaccinate your child?  The Covid-19 vaccinations are administered in 2 doses, given 8 weeks apart. The time between the vaccinations can be reduced to 3...

Did you know that you need to have a mediation certificate before you can commence Court proceedings seeking parenting orders? [caption id="attachment_12266" align="alignright" width="374"] Mediating‌ ‌Parenting‌ ‌Matters[/caption] The mediation certificate is also known as a Section 60I Certificate and is issued by registered family dispute resolution providers in the following circumstances: To confirm both parties attended mediation and made a genuine effort to resolve the dispute;  To confirm both parties attended mediation but one party did not make a genuine...

[caption id="attachment_11837" align="alignright" width="300"] mental capacity assessment[/caption] Britney Spears is making international headlines yet again, but this time there’s no new album being released or a shot gun Las Vegas wedding. Ms Spears actively continues to strongly oppose the conservatorship which granted her Father control over her finances, financial and personal decisions that has been in place since 2008. Ms Spears primary objection is that the conservatorship is no longer warranted and that it has become oppressive and used as...

Are you separated under one roof? If you and your partner are contemplating a divorce, you have also most likely considered living separately during the process.  Although it is a requirement for you and your partner to be separated for a minimum of 12 months prior to filing an Application for Divorce, there is no requirement for the parties to reside separately after the difficult decision to separate has been made.  What is separated under one roof? It is extremely...

Parenting During Lock Down As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt daily life in Australia, the added stress and uncertainty on the potential impacts on parenting arrangements for separated parents is ongoing during these unprecedented times. The short answer is that if you have Court Orders they are still legally binding during the pandemic. However, parents may need to adopt a degree of flexibility in some circumstances. For example, if a changeover is to occur at school but the school...

There are two (2) very important Statutory Time Limits in property settlements that are critical for family law matters which clients should be aware of. These are summarised below: [caption id="attachment_11527" align="alignright" width="305"] Statutory Time Limits in Property Settlements Australia[/caption] After a Divorce Order has been granted, parties have twelve (12) months from the date of the Divorce Order to commence Court proceedings seeking Orders for property settlement and/or spousal maintenance.  Following the breakdown of a de facto relationship, parties have...

Best 5 Suggestions for co-parenting Australia during COVID-19 Today we brought five suggestions for you on "co-parenting Australia". The Australian Government restrictions are frequently changing to ensure the safety of the people and this means there has been more people in self-isolation and the norm of daily living has changed. Parents are working from home and schooling their children at home also, to a large degree, has moved online which can be stressful for many families. For parents who are...

No-Fault Divorce in Australia For decades, if you wanted a divorce in Australia, you had to prove your spouse was to blame. No-fault divorce was not legal by local law. The grounds ranged from habitual drunkenness to adultery, and many cases involved the use of private investigators. Some couples who privately agreed to separate would even have to stage adulterous trysts for later evidential use in court. This all changed in 1975 with the introduction of "no-fault divorce" and the Family...

They are property issues and superannuation. Superannuation Legislation for many years was not property under the Family Law legislation and the Court had no power to deal with it although the Court, to overcome this difficulty, made an adjustment to a party’s interests and in some cases extreme adjustments to compensate a party for the loss in the other party’s superannuation. The classic examples for high adjustments related to people in professions or employment where there were large superannuation interests...

As with many professional services sectors, law professionals generally really only sell their time. And, as we all know very well, time is money. So if you are searching for legal advice the family lawyer cost can be higher depending on the expertise level of your attorney. In the interest of saving everyone time (and money), we've compiled a shortlist of items to consider if budget is a factor (and let's face it that it probably is!). Keep these in...

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...

Monitoring Spouses and Ex-Partners: Skirting a Fine Line [caption id="attachment_13169" align="alignright" width="400"] Monitoring Spouses and Ex-Partners[/caption] 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...

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...

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...

Parental Alienation As modern family structures have become increasingly complex in today’s society, so too has the threat of parental alienation. Parental alienation occurs when one parent influences the child against the other parent. This usually happens when both parties are seeing the children on a regular basis but are separated and no longer living together. Unfortunately, in most cases, this kind of emotional manipulation is unknown to both the child and the parent before it becomes a serious issue....

Australian Criminal Law The international US story of a 34-year-old female teacher (Letourneau) who seduced one of her 12-year-old students (Fualaau) into a relationship raises clear questions as to how this situation would be dealt with under Australian Criminal Law. Letourneau originally pleaded guilty to two counts of felony second-degree rape of a child in 1997 and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment as a result. As this is a US case, the legal position is slightly different in the...

What is Restorative Justice? Restorative justice is the principle of diverting offenders to rehabilitative services such as pre-court mediation, community conferencing between the offender/victim and engaging with specialised programs to reform criminal behaviour. The principles of restorative justice Queensland are reflected within a multitude of different legal instruments, such as the Youth Justice Act 1992 (Qld), the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992 (Qld) and the Criminal Code 1899 (Qld). What Does Restorative Justice Look Like? The police have the power to...

Healthy and meaningful relationship Last year a Court dispute between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie resulted in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County imposing an order for the five children to spend more time with their father. When providing reasons for the judgment, the Court provided “it is critical that each child have a healthy and meaningful relationship with both parents”. The new order changes the original full-time custody arrangements in favor of Jolie to allow Pitt anywhere between...

Law of "Sperm donation Brisbane", Parental Responsibilities and Legislation Although Sperm donation Brisbane has historically been subject to anonymity in Australia, recent legislative reform and case law suggest a definitive movement towards inclusion within Family Law and Parental Responsibility. In all states and territories of Australia, donating sperm anonymously is now banned through legislation or mandatory guidelines. Whilst cases involving sperm donors are quite infrequent, the importance to both the Child Support Assessment Act and the Family Law Act is...