Amelia Cox – Family Law Practice Team Leader For many of us, Christmas time is synonymous with family time. The school term draws to a close and, for the lucky ones amongst us, time is taken off work for some well-deserved R&R. For separated parents, however, Christmas can sadly be a very stressful period for the family. Fail To Plan Is A Plan To Fail With Christmas only a few short weeks away, you and your ex-partner should be planning Christmas arrangements now to avoid unnecessary stress closer to the big day. Your first step should be to communicate your Christmas plans with the childr ..read more

Amelia Cox – Family Law Practice Leader This year 1 September 2021 did not just mark the first day of Spring but also welcomed a new era in the Australian family law system. The new Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia has now commenced, but what does this mean for you? Division 1 And Division 2 The Federal Circuit & Family Court of Australia now comprises of two Divisions. Division 1, a continuation of the Family Court deals with only the most complex and high risk of family law cases. Division 2 is a continuation of the Federal Circuit Court and deals with all other family law ..read more

Amelia Cox – Family Law Practice Team Leader The solicitors at Expert Family Lawyers Central Coast are often asked “what age can a child decide where they live?” As for many questions in family law, there is no one correct answer nor is there one magic age. How Does A Court Decide? Under our Family Law Act 1975, where there is a dispute regarding the living arrangements of a child, the Court must determine what is in the child’s best interest. The two primary considerations in deciding what is in the best interests of a child are: the benefit of a child having a meaningful relationship with b ..read more

Background Our client – the de facto wife, had been in a relationship and living with her partner for 4 years. The de facto husband owned a property at the commencement of their relationship and purchased another property during the relationship. In the course of the relationship, our client expended her life savings towards mortgage repayments, living expenses and the personal loans in the name of the de facto husband. Our client came to our office for assistance when she was told that she was not entitled to a property settlement after separation. Issues: The main issues in this case were ..read more

Amelia Cox – Family Law Team Leader After separation, some couples whether married or de facto, choose to continue to live together in the family home until they have resolved their parenting and property matters. In family law terms this is called being “separated but living under one roof”. Parties may choose to continue living together for practical and economic reasons as well as to make life easier for their children. But what can you do if living together is just not possible? For example, if your separation has been especially hostile or there are issues of family violence living togeth ..read more

Have you recently separated and want to finalise a property settlement? Did you know you might be entitled to some of your former partner’s superannuation? There is a much easier way to discover superannuation assets! After a relationship has ended, there usually needs to be consideration and discussion about who gets what before each person walks away. Sometimes this process is simple, such as who will take custody of the family cat, or who will be the one to move out of the rented home. At other times there are more complicated assets for division including businesses, houses, cars…. and sur ..read more

How Do I Start Proceedings In The Federal Circuit And Family Court Of Australia? Have you recently separated from your partner and want to divide your assets on a final basis? Are you having difficulties reaching a workable co-parenting arrangement? Many people think that commencing proceedings in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia is simple: parties each engage a lawyer, tell their side of the story and the matter is resolved by the Court without a second thought. What they don’t know is that there is a set of processes that both parties must complete before even approaching th ..read more

Covid-19 Restrictions And Parenting Arrangements As the NSW Government announces a further 4-week lockdown and further local government areas are forced into a stricter lockdown, concern grows amongst parents. It begs the question: Do I have to continue my parenting arrangement due to COVID-19 restrictions? The team at Expert Family Lawyers Central Coast understands that every family’s circumstances are different which means that during the current Covid-19 environment, it may be difficult for some to comply with court orders, particularly as restrictions are constantly changing. As stated on ..read more