Alarmingly family violence escalates in Australia and the world as Coronavirus (COVID-19) impacts our day-to-day lives. At Resolve Family Lawyers and Mediators we offer online family law advice and consulting services whilst being as ever committed in supporting family violence victims with our extensive experience. In the last few weeks of isolation there has been an acceleration of reported incidences of family violence right across the world. Family violence workers are referring to this rise as a second pandemic being faced by families and children, with victims often being trapped at home ..read more

Due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak Australians are having to quickly adjust to new ways of living and working as governments urge us to keep our distance, stay at home and stop the spread. Separation, divorce and family dispute matters are undoubtably an extremely difficult experience for people to go through and with the recent changes by the Family Law Courts, in regards to COVID-19 and social distancing measures, the way family disputes are resolved has also had to adapt. These relate primarily to online services like online mediation, online lawyer consultations, online family lawyer ..read more

The issue of pets can often be a source of continuing conflict in family law disputes. The emotional connection to pets can strain negotiations, as the main issues in dispute is usually who the pet lives with, and how time is shared between the parties. This is particularly relevant in Victoria in light of COVID-19 and the increase in pet ownership, where many people sought the companionship of a furry or feathered friend to help ease them through the lockdowns. While we all adore our pets and consider them to be valuable and loved members of our families, pets are distinct from children in th ..read more

MEDIA RELEASE LAW INSTITUTE OF VICTORIA – LAWYERS ANNUAL 2022 AWARDS CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LEGAL PROFESSION A very special mention and congratulations to our very own, Cathy Gale, the recipient of the LIV Honorary Life Membership, the highest honour the LIV can bestow. Honorary Life Membership recognises significant achievements, service and contribution to the LIV, legal profession and community over a distinguished career. https://www.liv.asn.au/Web/Advocacy___Media/Media_Releases/Web/Advocacy/Media_Releases/2022/LIV_recognises_outstand ..read more

Making the Most of Christmas for Separated Families At the time of writing this blog post, it is hard to believe that Christmas and the festive period is only slightly over a month away. While most of the country gears up for a relaxing and joyous festive season, this holiday period can represent a time of challenge for separated families. Separated parents may have to balance spend time arrangements, monitoring their children’s expectations and emotions and planning with the other parent to make the holiday period as positive as possible. During Christmas, children in separated families can f ..read more

With property prices currently at an all-time high, it is increasingly common for young married or de facto couples to rely on financial assistance from their parents when purchasing a home together. The Bank of Mum and Dad has never had more business! But beware. Before you give or accept a monetary gift or loan from a family member, there are a few factors you should first consider. If it’s a gift – who are you giving it to? The general rule is that where a parent gifts their child money, it is presumed to be a gift to their child only, and not the child’s partner or spouse, unless there is ..read more

It is with great pleasure that we announce that Alyson Gale and Ben Freeman have been promoted to directors of the practice.   Managing director, Catherine Gale, says: “It has been my very great pleasure to have the opportunity to work with Ben and Alyson and watch them grow into the excellent family lawyers they have become. Under their guidance I am confident the team at Resolve Conflict will go from strength to strength as it continues to provide the best family law advice and support to our clients.”   Alyson has been with Resolve Conflict since 2010 and since that time has ..read more

Yes. You are still eligible to apply for divorce if you have separated from your spouse or de facto partner but are still living in the same home due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and subsequent restrictions. This would be considered as ‘separated under one roof’. Separated Under One Roof Before the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent restrictions there were many reasons why separated couples would stay living together even for a few days, weeks, months or longer, when their relationship had ended. Financial strain on one partner moving out, joint ownership of the family home or not want ..read more