Tag: brisbane family lawyers

What Does Structural Reform of the Federal Court Mean To You? On 30 May 2018, the Government proposed to establish the new Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCA), amalgamating the two courts together under a new regime. In addition to this proposed structure, a new Family Law Appeal Division will be created to hear appeals from the FCFCA regarding family law matters. The implementation of the new structure commenced operation on 1 January 2019. There will now be...

Do you know the New Smoking Laws QLD? Current and New Smoking Laws QLD Australia New Smoking laws QLD was originally restricted in certain areas such as indoor dining areas and other licensed premises under the Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Act 1998 (Qld). Amendments to this legislation in 2004 resulted in stricter bans, with children’s playgrounds, stadiums, beaches, and near entrances of buildings and public transport making the list of restricted areas. Smoking laws subsequently included the outdoor eating...

Is Drink Driving Only Applicable For Cars? Nope! If you are caught drink driving, there is a strong chance the vehicle will either be a car or motorcycle. These two categories of transport form approximately 98% of the current drink driving charge in Queensland. However, these are not the only forms of transport you are able to be caught drink driving. Do you know the laws? The Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (Qld) provides an array of different...

What if your Spouse is Entitled to Your Lottery Winnings? At one point or another, everyone has thought about the possibility of winning the lottery. But what happens to the lottery winnings if you are currently in a marriage? In the case of Elford & Elford, the court heard an appeal in relation to property settlement at the end of a relationship. In this case, Mr. Elford has won approximately $622,000 in the first 12 months of the couple’s marriage....

Are you Adopting a child in Queensland? The term ‘Adopting a child in Queensland’ refers to the process of transferal of legal rights and responsibilities of parenthood from one set of parents to another. This includes both the process of adopting a child into a family and, those parents who wish to place their existing child into adoption for various reasons. In Queensland, adoptions must be organized through Adoption Services Queensland, as it is currently unlawful for persons to privately...

Before obtaining approval for a child passport, the Passport Office requires the child’s parent and/or any other person with parental responsibility to provide written consent for the passport being issued. Therefore, the easiest way to obtain a passport is to receive consent from the other parent. However, this will not always be possible. Child Passport on Special Circumstances In circumstances where the other parent refuses to provide written consent or does not show any inclination of supporting the allocation of...

Sentencing Factors When pleading guilty or being found guilty of an offence, the Judge is required to consider a range of factors when imposing a sentence. There are many different categories of sentences, including fines, community-based orders, probation or a term of imprisonment. When considering what sentence should be imposed, the Judge must have regard to several relevant principles including to: - Punish the offender; Assist the rehabilitation of the offender; Protect the community from the offender; Deter the offender...

Bringing Family Law Matters Urgently As most couples who suffer a breakdown of the relationship or marriage want to sort out the matter as soon as possible, it is common for parties to try and bring proceedings as soon as possible, especially in situations involving children. However, before parties engage with the Court process, it is necessary for parties to attend mediation. Requirement of Mediation Before the Family Court will hear a matter, the parties must attend mediation and obtain...

Sentencing Approaches Undertaken by the Australian Court In the last five years, the High Court of Australia has heavily criticised sentencing principles that implement an oversimplified approach and place significant weight to broad sentencing ranges and individual factors. As a result of this increased criticism, the court’s approach has slowly shifted to sentencing approaches which implement an order determined on balancing all circumstances of the case to reach a single judgement, as opposed to specific process or components. Historical Approach...

Best Time For Divorce The promotion of the best time for divorce is intended to bring attention to the importance of minimizing conflict between couples following the unfortunate breakdown of the relationship. Common in these situations, both parties will be subject to a wide range of difficult emotions; inevitably though, both parties will suffer.   During these times of significant transition, children often find it difficult to cope with the vast number of events happening. Children may typically display and...

A Simple Way To Find the Best Family Lawyer Brisbane That Works For You. You can find the best family lawyer Brisbane at any time nowadays. Depending on how long a couple has been together, separating can be a lengthy, sometimes confusing, and often painful process. Then there are all the legalities involved in the situation. Find the best Family Lawyer Brisbane that gives the right advice. This is one of the times in life where you need to find...

Are you thinking about doing getting a DIY Will Kit? DIY will Kit: The letters “DIY” seem to apply to just about everything these days, and one area of 'do it yourself that is growing in popularity is the DIY will kit. It’s advisable that we all have some type of will (no matter what), and with the internet making everything so accessible in the modern world, DIY will kit seems to be all the rage. Is a DIY Will...

Are you Getting Divorced? While we all want and need emotional support from those we are closest to when going through a marriage crisis and potential divorce, it’s not always wise to seek critical advice about what to do or how to handle the situation of getting divorced from the people we know. This is a very crucial time of life when emotions are running hot. If you tell your loved ones that your partner has up and left you,...

What Is Family Law Mediation All About? Family law mediation is becoming an increasingly more recognisable term when it comes to matters of family law Brisbane. But what exactly does mediation entail and do you even require it? How is mediation really going to help? Let's discuss this in more detail. Mediation is all about problem-solving and finding agreeable solutions when it comes to all matters pertaining to separation, divorce and child custody arrangements. [caption id="attachment_10599" align="aligncenter" width="642"] What Is...

Problems while Drafting A Will? Your last Will and Testament are perhaps the most important document you will ever sign. As the nature of this document is so important, it is necessary to ensure drafting a will is done correctly so any assets collected over your lifetime are properly accounted for. Assets such as superannuation, life insurance, and shares of jointly held assets (such as the family home) do not automatically fall into your estate when you pass away. Furthermore,...

No one enters a marriage thinking it’s going to end in divorce one day, but unfortunately, marriages do break down and people go their separate ways. In fact, statistics show that around 30% of all Australian marriages culminate in divorce. Without going into a committed relationship with a negative mindset or doom and gloom attitude, it’s wise to be prepared in case the romance doesn’t pan out. Those who are entering into a marriage or long-term relationship and already have...

Electronic Signatures in Australia In today’s society, most documents used in day-to-day business can now be filled out and signed electronically. The Electronic Transactions (Queensland) Act 2001 (ETA) is the legislation that governs the permitted use of electronic signatures. Although the ETA does not include a comprehensive definition of what constitutes an ‘electronic signature, this term usually encompasses images displaying the person's signature, typed name, or some other form of identification. The courts have previously held that a name, either...

Do it for the kids. Separation and divorce are tough on everybody involved, and it can be even harder on children. While adults are often struggling to understand what went wrong, the kids often have no idea why their beloved parents are separating and no longer want to live together. Here we’ll look at a few tips to try and help your children through the process. Try and Maintain a Civil Relationship Some relationships end on mutual terms, and some...

Surrogacy act QLD: Are Surrogacy Arrangements Legal In Queensland? Prior to the 1st of June, 2010, the surrogacy act QLD was illegal. Since that date the laws have changed, leaving couples who can’t conceive free to source a willing surrogate mother to carry their child full term. However, there is one key condition. The surrogate mother cannot receive payment for performing the surrogacy service. This is known as the altruistic arrangements of the surrogacy act QLD. Where payment for services...

Brisbane Family Lawyers - James Noble Law at Business South Bank interview Charles Noble (Brisbane Family Lawyers) at James Noble Law in Brisbane was interviewed at the Business Southbank Showcase 2018.  One of the key differences between James Noble Law and many of our colleagues at other law firms is our attention toward technology. We offer our clients an easy way to keep up to date on their matters and communicate with our lawyers whenever the need arises. From...