If you have to attend family court in the near future, you might be wondering - can I represent myself? The short answer to the question is yes. Family court allows self-represented litigants....
They called him what?! Naming Children in Australia
We have all heard of celebrities gifting their children unusual and often strange names. Think Kal-EL (Nicholas Cage), Sage Moonblood (Sylvester Stallone), and North (Kanye West). In Australia,...
Christmas Parenting Arrangements
When negotiating parenting arrangements a lot of parents agree to share time in the school holidays but forget to specifically negotiate special holidays such as Christmas. This can become a very...
My ex won’t sign divorce papers – what should I do?
Since the Family Law Act (FLA) came into operation, divorce has been a relatively straight forward process. Sometimes, however, one of the parties might refuse to sign divorce papers. It is...
Kids and Young People in the Family Court
The process of going to Family Court is one that intimidates most people, but particularly children and teenagers.The Family Court of Australia provides a fantastic online resource specifically for...
Joint Custody – What Is Shared Parenting?
After parents separate, they need to find a new way of parenting that works for them and their children. Some divorced/separated couples continue to share parenting, while others choose to continue...
Intervention Orders, Restraining Orders and AVOs: Same But Different
Are intervention orders the same as restraining orders? The Magistrates Court of Victoria would seem to suggest that the answer is ‘yes’. In fact the Magistrates Court of Victoria helpfully points...
Alimony in Australia?; Spousal Support and Spousal Maintenance – The Deception of American Television
The notion of alimony in Australia is another example of the Americanisation (or ‘Americanization‘) of our culture.While Americans have family law attorneys, we here in Australia have barristers and...
Prenuptial Agreements In Australia – What Is A Pre-Nup?
When we think of prenuptial agreements in Australia, we often think of American television; the courtroom drama with the family law attorney arguing over the terms of the ‘prenup.’ We often think of...