Blog

My colleagues will be surprised I’m writing about Gough Whitlam but as politicians go he’s pretty universally appreciated and one reason for that is the Family Law Act. 

Congratulations to our very own Jessica Kennedy – 2014 ACT Young Lawyer of the Year. In 2013, Jess obtained her Degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Canberra. Her Thesis examines the changes made by the Australian Capital Territory Sexual and Violent Offences Legislation Amendment Act 2008 which...

When families are together, children usually get to see their parents every day. It’s when families separate that the children end up feeling unsure about when they will next see the other parent who they don’t live with. It’s always best for separated parents to agree on the time the...

This is a question that is regularly asked in family law. “I married my wife with the understanding that we were going to live together happily ever after, but then she ran off with Julio. Can I get our marriage annulled?” First of all, you need to appreciate that we...

The recent story of Baby Gammy and the surrogacy arrangement two Australian parents had with a Thai Surrogate has certainly generated discussion about surrogacy and the law that surrounds it. Over the last week, I have heard people ask: “Isn’t surrogacy illegal in Australia?”, ”Don’t the parents have a legal...

This week I put the question out there to my family and friends – what family law topic do people want to hear about? I had some interesting replies, but one of the serious ones was whether a parent can move towns or states with their children if they have...

As someone who attends the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court on a regular basis, I often hear parents say to the Court “I have a right to see my children.” You may think this might be commonsense, that parents have the right to see their children, but in fact,...

If your partner smashed a plate on the floor would you think that was Family Violence? Would your answer change if they did it once or if it started happening on a regular basis? If your partner told you your family is not allowed to visit your home, would you think that...

Most people probably think that a family lawyer is a family lawyer – and you just have to find one (and preferably a cheap one) if you are separating from your partner. But finding a family lawyer is one of the most important decisions you will make at the time...

“Clandestine”, “surreptitious”, “deliberate deception”, “blatant cunning and deceit” says Judge to describe the actions of a Mother who relocated with her three year old daughter from the New South Wales region to Tasmania, without telling either the Court or the Father. In 2012, a Mother relocated with her daughter, 3...

‘Sex’ and ‘gender’…same thing, right? Wrong. These words have different semantic meanings which is important to understand. ‘Sex’ is about one’s biological makeup. That is, their chromosomes, gonads and genitalia. So penis = male, and vagina = female. So what about intersex people? ‘Gender’ on the other hand is often...

The Family Law Act focuses on protecting children from harm and the Attorney General’s Department has recently commissioned the Family Law DOORS framework (which stands for the “Detection of Overall Risk Screen”) to assist professionals, including family law specialists to detect risks to the safety and wellbeing of their clients...