Tag: family lawyer brisbane

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...

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...

How Australian Lawyers are getting hurt? Australian Lawyers getting hurt as a result of Covid-19 shutdowns. Digital Disruption leading them back to work. Like most other industries, the legal fraternity is seeing difficulties with the continuing lockdowns in many states and area hotspots. The legal profession can be proud of the way it has adapted to servicing clients and continuing to work from remote locations however some layers have seen their firms suffer financially as a result. Lawyers are using...

HELP! I've Got An Executor Dispute: Can I Remove an executor of a will? It is not uncommon for clients to raise they are frustrated with how the executor of a will is administrating a deceased person’s estate. These complaints typically arise from beneficiaries to a Will, being the category of person who benefits under the will. Before dealing with these issues, it is necessary to understand the nature of the executor of will, their position, and the responsibilities this...

What are family report writer interview questions, Examples, Recommendations, and Interview What is Family Report? Before talking about family report writer interview questions, let's talk briefly about Family Report. A family report is a document written by a court-appointed family counselor. It provides an independent assessment of the issues in the case and can help the trial judge decide on child / rental arrangements. This can help the parties reach an agreement. What does a family report writer do for...

Family Law System and Child Support What is the joint parliamentary committee inquiry about? The Prime Minister issued a media release on 17 September 2019 announcing the Government will undertake a Joint Parliamentary Committee of both the House and the Senate to conduct an inquiry into the Family Law system. The inquiry is to be led by Liberal MP Kevin Andrews. The inquiry was initially triggered by accusations that the court system as it currently stands is failing vulnerable Australians....

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...

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...

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,...

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...

Merging of the federal circuit court of Australia On 30 May 2018, the Government proposed to restructure the existing structure of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. This will have the effect of merging the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCA) as of 1 January 2019. Resulting from this merge, a new Family Law Appeal Division will be created to specifically hear appeals from family matters of the new court structure. The new structure intends to create a...

Who Keeps the Engagement Ring Law after Separation? [caption id="attachment_11754" align="alignright" width="350"] Engagement Ring Law[/caption] Who keeps the engagement ring after divorce/separation according to engagement ring law? One of the big questions couples have after a relationship breaks down is what happens to the engagement ring. The issue of which party has a claim to this item can be contentious, with many different opinions based on tradition, morals, and conventions. Where parties are disputing the ownership of the ring, this...

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...