It is relatively easy to find a free Will template on the internet and fairly cheap to buy a Will “kit” from a newsagent or online. There are also websites that have “data collectors” that take your information and create a Will for you seemingly without any legal expertise required. So, is it really a... Read More The post Why it’s a bad idea to write your own Will appeared first on East Coast Family Lawyers ..read more

Separating couples should make reasonable attempts to agree on the future living arrangements, care and responsibility for their children. The Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) provides that, unless there are extenuating circumstances, dispute resolution is compulsory if agreement cannot be reached, prior to bringing an application for parenting orders to the family law courts. Unless... Read More The post Attending Compulsory Family Dispute Resolution – what to expect appeared first on East Coast Family Lawyers ..read more

We should all plan for our future. Certainly, we should all have a current will, especially those of us who need to make special arrangements for the care of children or pets. Many of us would also benefit from making a formal arrangement to account for a time when we could find ourselves unable to... Read More The post The importance of estate planning before capacity becomes an issue appeared first on East Coast Family Lawyers ..read more

Separation is often a challenging and emotionally charged time in a person’s life, usually accompanied by significant decisions regarding living arrangements. One common question that arises during this period is whether it is legally permissible to change the locks on a property after separation. Unfortunately, it is difficult to give a simple answer to this... Read More The post Can I Change the Locks After We Separate? appeared first on East Coast Family Lawyers ..read more

Making a Will is important, particularly if you are part of a blended family. A blended family is a family in which one or both partners have a child or children from a previous relationship. Careful estate planning now should ensure that all of your intended beneficiaries are provided for when you die and that... Read More The post Wills for Blended Families appeared first on East Coast Family Lawyers ..read more

When someone dies, their assets are usually distributed according to their will. The person responsible for managing and distributing these assets is the “executor” of the deceased estate. In some cases, a will appoints more than one person to act as executor, and these individuals normally need to work cooperatively to execute the duties of... Read More The post Deceased Estates – What Happens When Executors Don’t Agree appeared first on East Coast Family Lawyers ..read more

Family law proceedings can become very stressful. The last thing you should be worrying about is exorbitant legal fees. However, your family law fees do not necessarily have to become a burden. We have provided our top 10 tips on ways in which you can keep your legal fees reasonable! Although family law proceedings can... Read More The post Top tips for reducing legal fees in your family law matter appeared first on East Coast Family Lawyers ..read more

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia have recently established a new Court list known as the Critical Incidents List. The Critical Incidents List is dedicated to family law applications filed in circumstances where following criteria is met: The Applicant is a non-parent caring for the child or children; There is no parent available... Read More The post Updates in the Profession- Critical Incidents List appeared first on East Coast Family Lawyers ..read more

The financial impact of divorce and separation can be huge. There are legal costs to consider, and how the mortgage and associated bills and childcare costs are going to be paid moving forward. Your employment and earning prospects may be limited especially if you are the main carer for the children of the relationship. This... Read More The post The financial impact of divorce and separation – moving forward with advice and guidance appeared first on East Coast Family Lawyers ..read more

The post Subpoenas and family law court proceedings appeared first on East Coast Family Lawyers ..read more