Topics: Family law

The recent Federal Circuit Court case of Parkes v Parkes [2014] FCCA 102 sheds light on this common practice

In a late night session of parliament in June 2012, Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie announced the Queensland Government’s plans to introduce a Bill to drastically limit Queenslanders’ access to surrogacy to have children. The state had only legalised surrogacy in 2010.

In an era where many families have accumulated substantial wealth through generations of hard work or entrepreneurship, it is becoming increasingly common for family lawyers to be asked by clients (or their relatives) to quarantine their holdings from current spouses and new partners for the benefit of their children and

So you’ve separated and don’t really want your ex-spouse or de facto partner to be able to claim against that house you bought out of your hard-earned savings. After all, you were the one who went to work each day and earned that money. It seems reasonable that you should

Have you been divorced from a former spouse? Were you previously in a de facto relationship that ended? If your answer to either of those questions is ‘yes’, and you never formalised your property settlement with the ex, you might have cause for concern.

During school holiday periods, children frequently have the experience of spending considerably more time than usual with the parent with whom they do not usually live.

Contemplating holiday travel with the kids? Do you have court orders about parenting? Are you paying child support?

Separating from a long-term spouse or de facto partner is considered to be one of the most traumatic events a person can experience. The circumstances giving rise to the separation, which typically include infidelity, physical or emotional abuse, or the partners simply growing apart, can have a profound effect on

It is common for separated parties to be anxious about their property settlement and the assets they are likely to retain when the separation-dust settles.

The case of Sullivan & Sullivan [2011] FamCA 752 highlights some of the perils parties may encounter when entering into a Binding Financial Agreement in respect of property settlement matters.

Family lawyers and community groups have, for some time, expressed their dissatisfaction with the treatment of family violence and child abuse in the Family Law Act.