FAMILY LAW NEWS AND VIEWS

The subject of smacking your kids has become controversial in recent years with more and…

A Binding Financial Agreement (BFA), often called a pre-nup, is a written document setting out…

Now that overseas travel is back on the cards (hooray!), what do you need to…

Changeovers can be one of the most difficult parts of co-parenting after separation or divorce.…

Perhaps your relationship is relatively new and you have not yet defined yourself as “de…

Family law often deals with families in a state of crisis, since many parental relationship…

Family law is complex and navigating it can be confusing, which is why people sometimes…

What happens when a separated or divorced father has been paying child support but then…

Working out parenting arrangements for children you share with your ex? When devising a parenting…

Ordinarily, in parenting matters, the family courts here in Australia are not interested in what…

How do you pay for your divorce litigation, if you don’t have ready access to…

When you’re going through a separation or divorce, it’s often necessary to transition to new…

When it comes to a property settlement during divorce, there is a major need for…

If you are going through a family law dispute over parenting arrangements, it’s possible you…

Are you considering entering into a Binding Financial Agreement (BFA)? Then you might like to…

Thinking about avoiding litigation and pursuing alternative dispute resolution options for your family law dispute?…

Attempting dispute resolution such as mediation is compulsory in both parenting and property matters before…

If you’re facing a divorce and property settlement, there are some simple steps you can…

Relocation matters often arise in the family courts. But they are usually either applications by…

In family law, many cases require proof of matters of opinion, both in parenting and…

Modern day relationships don’t always result in marriage and plenty of people simply live together,…

An enforcement proceeding in the family courts highlights the danger of attempting to avoid compliance…

Sometimes parents might think it’s “fair” for one parent to have full time care of…

What were the investments announced in this year’s Budget 2022 in terms of family law…

Justice delayed is justice denied, goes the saying. And it seems that for transgender children,…

The financial costs of divorce can be significant. If you want to save money on…

Going through a property settlement? One of the important things to think about is the…

Have you heard of “Parenting Co-ordinators”? Parenting Co-ordinators are trained professionals who work to help…

A judge in Canada has caused controversy by awarding a large financial sum to a…

In a landmark COVID vaccination dispute in Canada, a judge is thought to be “the…

You have probably heard of the “Bank of Mum and Dad” (BOMAD), being the colloquial…

Is an income protection policy, such as a total and permanent disability insurance policy (“TPD…

Recent news out of Japan reveals interesting aspects of their family law system, in particular…

Family law and the police: what role do police play? People often believe that police…

What’s the fastest way to get a divorce? If you’ve heard of ‘divorce in a day’…

In Hague Convention proceedings involving children allegedly abducted overseas by a parent, our family court…

In Germany, there’s currently controversy around the comments made by the country’s LGBTQ Commissioner, Sven…

Sometimes, a court proceeding may be dismissed, if it is found that to proceed with…

Have you heard of the term “parental gatekeeping”? It’s a term that’s used in family…

A Taiwanese judge has made headlines for making the unusual move of adding a letter…

Do you need to co-parent with an ex who you know has a problem with…

Children often hold strong views on where they should live or how time should be…

Last year’s family and federal circuit courts merger has had the explicit goal of steering…

What are some practical and positive steps you can take to ensure your kids are…

With the welcome news that NSW is set to criminalise coercive control, and most other…

Co-parents who wish to amicably create workable parenting orders often wonder exactly what should be…

If you are considering appealing the outcome of your family court proceeding, it’s important to…

It’s one of the biggest decisions when going through a separation—what to do about the…

Leaving an abusive relationship is known to be made much more difficult if victims of…

What happens when separated parents share parental responsibility for their children but can't agree on…

Involving your children in your family court proceedings is a surefire way to earn a…

Going through a split and thinking about whether or not you should go to court…

If you’re separating or divorcing, the festive season can certainly loom as rather less than…

It’s meant to be a fun and happy time, but it’s often the most hectic…

What happens if you have chosen to resolve your family law dispute with arbitration yet…

The law is full of idiosyncratic terms that don’t have an obvious self-explanatory meaning. One…

A recent family court case shines a light on the difficulty family court judges sometimes…

A recent article in the New York Times looks at the issue of ex-husbands receiving…

Family law mediation is quite commonly a stressful event, due to the high emotions and…

The Family Court and Federal Circuit Court of Australia (FCFCOA) has updated its advice on…

A father who had been telling his children that their mother was a prostitute and…

A woman has successfully prevented her long term, ‘friends with benefits’ dating partner from claiming…

Have a family law mediation session coming up? Here’s what you can do to prepare…

Since the new court system was launched last month, it is now a requirement to…

Secret audio recordings: In our era of smart devices it’s so easy to surreptitiously record…

Entrenched: “Time is of the essence” in many family law matters. People need to be…

Pre-action procedures: The new Family Law Rules 2021 set out specific obligations on parties to…

A Sydney mother stuck in lockdown recently successfully obtained an adjournment in her matter. In…

Confidentiality: A recent family court matter, pseudonymised as Chrystie & Dellas, dealt with parenting orders…

For separated or divorced parents, the issue of deciding on where the children should go…

The new super reforms that have been years in the making have finally been passed…

Children's names: It’s quite common for children to have to shuttle between two homes when…

Are you working out parenting arrangements for children you share with your ex? When devising…

What happens when separated parents are faced with their child’s medical issues? Divorced parents know…

Mediation: September 1 marked the official start of the newly merged family court system, the…

There are so many things to think about if you’ve decided to get a divorce.…

Can you control who your co-parent allows around your child? Often the issue of who…

There are so many things to think about if you’ve decided to get a divorce.…

There are so many things to think about if you’ve decided to get a divorce.…

With the upcoming commencement of the newly merged Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia…

It’s something you see more often in the US and the UK, while it’s only…

Australia’s new merged family court system is due to begin operations in a few weeks.…

If you’re going through a parenting dispute, have you ever wondered whether your finances might…

It’s being lauded as “a completely new family law system” by the Government. And in…

Claims of parental alienation loom large in the family courts. Typically, cases involving genuine parental…

To help incentivise more families to use mediation to resolve parenting disputes, the UK Government…

The difficulties managing the new COVID outbreaks in recent months have resulted in new headaches…

What’s the impact of violent conduct on parties’ contributions to a relationship? Should family violence…

While there are ways to prosecute someone through our criminal justice system for engaging in…

Splitting super? If you and your ex are applying for consent orders for a property…

A family court case relating to a missing one year old child continues to proceed…

There are lots of reasons why you might consider changing your family lawyer. Here are…

It’s a controversial topic in many Western societies including in Australia. But circumcision became the…

Collaborative family law can be a great way to achieve a “good divorce”. That is,…

Family violence and Hague Convention: Troubling aspects of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects…

Encrypted digital forms of currency not distributed by banks are known as cryptocurrencies. Probably the…

A question we sometimes hear from clients going through a separation and property settlement is,…

Is COVID 19 an “exceptional circumstance” in family law? As the pandemic continues into its…

Superannuation reform is looming as the Government releases draft legislation for the long-anticipated changes relating…

A father has had his family law appeal allowed in part after arguing, among other…

Can you stop your ex leaving Australia? You might be glad to see the back…

Economic abuse is something that may not leave a visible bruise. But sometimes this insidious…

Will parenting tribunals go ahead? There are hints in this year’s Federal Budget that the…

A father has had his claim for costs dismissed after failing to convince an appeals…

“No, you can’t,” was the answer a court gave a mother in a recent family…

Drug use allegations are quite common in the family court system, just as drug use…

Contrary to popular belief, not many family law matters actually end up going all the…

Are you confused about the difference between a Parenting Plan and Parenting Orders? You may…

What is spouse maintenance? Commonly known as Alimony in the US, spouse maintenance is financial…

A recent appeal case in the family courts looked at the question of whether a…

Thanks to the pandemic, more people are seeking relief from their financial troubles by entering…

The case law on binding financial agreements is constantly being fine-tuned. Sometimes a party will…

As the various recent family law inquiries, reports and recommendations wrap up, the Government has…

Who pays for the independent children's lawyer?: Courts can appoint an Independent Children’s Lawyers (ICL)…

We recently wrote an explainer about children’s contact centres and supervision services. But the theory…

Evidence in family law matters is usually given by way of affidavit. It’s therefore very…

Will Australian family law reform deal with the fraught issue of parental alienation? The recently…

The Government has just delivered its response to the 60 recommendations contained in the Australian Law Reform…

Are you aware of the legal deadlines that may be relevant to you if you…

The Parliamentary family law inquiry has just released its second interim report into the family…

Children's contact centres: Some cases that go through the family courts result in orders that…

We all know the family court system is beset by long delays, but what if…

Rearranging your finances after a split is often a complicated matter and more so is…

As the NSW parliamentary inquiry into coercive control in domestic relationships wraps up this week,…

It’s one thing to go to court and obtain court orders requiring your ex to…

Accusing a family court judge of bias is a very serious allegation. Although it’s rare…

The Morrison Government’s solution to the woes of the family court system has been given…

If you are successful in family court, can you ask the court to make the…

A recent article over at the UK’s Marilyn Stowe Blog looks at the legal issues…

Coercion and control: Our Family Law Act doesn’t exhaustively define family violence but it was…

In a parenting matter heard in the family courts in Adelaide, given the pseudonym “Quincy…

Parent's mental health: We sometimes have queries from clients concerned that because they have been…

Divorce mediation is a gentler and more productive approach to resolving your divorce dispute and…

Annulment is pretty rare in the Australian family courts, but it does happen. A recent…

Sometimes in life, people may find themselves dealing with more than one court process at…

A recent appeal case highlights the need to really consider the merits of the grounds…

An ex-wife in a family court matter was told she could access her superannuation to…

One of the biggest misunderstandings of Australia’s family law is that the presumption of equal…

The family courts take family violence very seriously, to the point where if it is…

Changing your child's surname: Children’s surnames can be a very contentious issue between separated parents…

If you are considering starting action in the Family Court whether regarding parenting arrangements or…

What happens if parents oppose grandparents’ involvement with children?: When parents separate, grandparents can find…

COVID vaccination and family law - what to know: Vaccination generally is one of those…

A family court judge was startled to discover a little girl playing near her mother…

Self-represented litigants: There’s a huge pool of Australians who represent themselves through family court, known…

Cross-border divorce: Australia’s highest court has issued a ruling that divorce orders issued by a…

Prenup: You may already be aware that for a Binding Financial Agreement, aka a “prenup”,…

Application for costs: A wife made a futile attempt to have her ex pay her…

Contributions in family law: When working out a property settlement, one of things considered is…

A case proceeding through the court system involving custody of a transgender child is causing…

Can you subpoena your ex’s medical records, or can your ex subpoena yours?  A recent…

Consent orders: A mother who has been completely rejected by her daughters since separating from…

Hague Convention: Two New Zealand children who were retained by their mother in Australia have…

Does the court listen to children?: The experience of children and family court is one…

Appealing inadequate reasons: If you are unhappy with the outcome of your family law court…

Divorce financial planner: So, you already know that a family lawyer will benefit you when…

De facto property settlement: All’s not fair in love…The appeal courts have ruled that a…

Once you have received a family court judgment, you must follow the orders contained in…

If you’re keen on achieving an out of court, private resolution to your property division…

If you are involved in a parenting matter proceeding to litigation, you’ll be required to…

Debt and divorce: With Australian families servicing record levels of household debt, it’s inevitable that…

Are you intending to file an application in the Family Court or Federal Circuit Court…

Streamlining the family court system has been frequently debated over the past few years, with…

It has taken many years of pleading from many stakeholders, but with Budget 2020, the…

Collaborative divorce: If you’ve been considering the benefits of using Collaborative Law to resolve issues…

Section 60I certificate: Under Australia’s Family Law Act 1975 if separating parents can’t agree on…

Can you appeal consent orders? Say you and your ex-partner have agreed the terms of…

After the end of a marriage or de facto relationship, one party may make payments…

Family law relocation: The recent case pseudonymised as Gusta & Gusta heard in the family…

COVID appeal: It was anticipated that the family courts would begin seeing appeals come through…

Transgender teens: A family court ruling has further clarified the legal position for transgender teens…

De facto: A quadriplegic man’s long-time carer has failed in her bid to have the…

Can you arbitrate a parenting matter?: You may have heard of arbitration as a potential…

Child abduction: A man was recently sentenced for his role in aiding in crimes involving…

There are currently several government inquiries underway into family law and family violence, which are…

Family court gender bias: A man’s “ludicrous” argument that a female family court judge was…

Family Court costs orders: We recently wrote about undefended hearings and you may have been…

Hostile texts are family violence: We’ve all done it--sent an angry text or email in…

What if your ex dies during family law proceedings? It’s never a pleasant thing to…

Court deadlines: One can just imagine the enormous stress felt by a mother and her…

ICL: A mother has successfully appealed her family court matter after the trial judge was…

Confidentiality agreement: If you are going through a divorce and property proceedings in the family…

Step-parents and family law: What happens when a couple separates and a partner who has…

It may seem obvious that an undefended hearing in our family law courts would mean…

Expedition: In certain cases it’s possible to have your family court matter heard sooner, in…

People often ask themselves 'Do I need a family lawyer', when it comes to sorting…

Family Law: A lot of what we know about divorce we seem to pick up…

Property orders: In these challenging times, a UK family law firm asks whether you can…

The Australian Government has just launched its artificial intelligence and family law dispute resolution website…

Selling property during COVID-19: The housing market at the moment is going through a great…

Cohabitation Agreement: Australia's Family Law Act 1975 allows parties in relationships, whether de facto or…

A mother who was made subject of a vexatious proceedings order in 2014, preventing her…

International divorce: In our globalised world, it’s common for people from different nationalities to meet,…

Family violence during COVID-19: There have been many fears in the community that family violence…

Family Law: A Queensland MP has put forward a private members’ bill to the Federal…

With the focus of two current Government inquiries which seek to examine family violence issues,…

Breach of orders: The recently heard appeal case of Carrington & Gunby (court-appointed pseudonyms) dealt…

Addbacks: Say your ex has spent matrimonial funds on defending themselves in an unrelated legal…

Expert witness: After a family court report writer recently pleaded guilty to child sex abuse…

You may have come across the term “privilege” already or it may be new to…

Necessity being the mother of invention, a wave of disruption and innovation has swept through…

The law in Australia is clear: a marriage or a de facto relationship is between…

With Australia’s ageing population, governments have made tackling elder abuse a national priority in recent…

Family law and social media: People’s use of social media during divorce or court parenting…

Need an ACT family lawyer? Call Alliance Family Law on (02) 6223 2400. If you…

Family Law Act: With all that’s been going on surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the Government’s…

We’re seeing cases start to come through the family court system now concerning parenting disputes…

In the US, a celebrity called Kristin Cavallari recently caused a small stir when her…

There have been widespread fears that the Government’s social restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic and…

Sometimes a party in a family law litigation matter feels there is judicial bias against…

Want to try something different to resolve your co-parenting matter quickly and sensibly? Instead of…

Are members of Australia’s LGBTQI community suffering from domestic violence that is not being counted…

What happens if you feel the judge made a mistake in your family law matter…

A recent case in the family court (given the pseudonym Ahsan & Ahsan) related to…

Co-parenting with a difficult ex? Worried that the COVID-19 lockdown is going to exacerbate conflict…

A case in the UK has raised the interesting issue of falsification of drug testing…

LGBTQ couples now have the same marriage and divorce rights in Australia, and romantic relationships…

Please read the following important info for parents about COVID-19, family law and the family…

Your divorce plans are likely to be temporarily on hold while in lock down, as…

A husband who disagreed with a final property settlement has had his appeal dismissed, with…

The Federal Circuit Court and the Family Court of Australia have issued important new information…

A case involving a litigation guardian is snaking its way through the family courts, with…

There’s no question these are trying times as the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.…

You may be deliberating over what to do about your marriage or de facto relationship…

Going through a divorce is stressful enough, but it’s worse when the potential cost of…

A professional woman in the UK who took a step back in her career to…

An Irish couple who moved to Australia experienced immediate and continual disagreement over whether or…

In the new family law inquiry parliamentary hearing, launched last week, one controversial issue has…

Biological mums, ‘intending mums’, biological dads, sperm donor dads, grandmas, former de facto partners? Alliance…

The simple answer is ‘yes’! Although the usual court deadline to file after divorce is…

Tips for fathers wanting equal time with their kids Parents have the same legal rights…

A mother who tried to have her Appeal case brought forward in the family law…

He said, she said…or did they really? The rise of deepfakes poses new challenges to…

Divorce is challenging for everyone, no matter how high their net worth or what their…

Which side of the parental alienation debate do you stand on? Do you believe it…

A case heard by appeal judges of the Family Court in Brisbane recently raised the…

Want to save money on your divorce? Here are some tips we’ve compiled which can…

In an effort to help separating couples and families divide their assets and property fairly…

Recently we discussed a case where a wife attempted to have a Binding Financial Agreement…

Heterosexual de facto couples in the UK are celebrating a victory, after new laws kicked…

A recent case in the family courts has brought up issues around the concept of…

The safety of people going through the family court system is being questioned in numerous…

For anyone who has experienced domestic or family violence and has left their abuser, starting…

A mother has successfully appealed court orders that had compelled a forced relocation with her…

The complexity of transgender family law issues has been highlighted in a recent case in…