Blog

I’m a family lawyer and to be honest I have a hard time understanding what is going on with the cost of divorce and changes to the Court fees. So I can’t imagine how the general population is meant to understand it. In the lead up to the new financial...

As a family lawyer one of the most common questions that I get asked by my clients is what their obligations are when their child or children do not want to spend time with the other parent when the parents have separated. This is particularly concerning for parents when there...

It has been a very exciting start to the new year for me. Not just because it is summer (well, sort of summer), but, because after five great years at another law firm, I have now started working at Farrar Gesini Dunn in Melbourne. Here is a little bit of...

If there’s one thing I learned as a family lawyer its this – every separation is different.  This applies both to what the end result of the separation looks like (ie. what do we both end up with at the end) and what the process of the separation looks like...

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. 

Mediation is where a neutral third person assists people to reach agreement over an issue in dispute. The aims and procedures used by mediators vary. At its core mediation should be; consent based; voluntary; confidential. There are two main styles of mediation. They are ‘case settlement’ mediation and ‘interest based’...

1. It’s not about the law – it’s about the people. Most of the day is spent dealing with people; clients, colleagues, the other side, experts and judges. Of course you have to know the law, but it’s how you handle the people that makes the difference between a good...

I came across an article recently that gave some great advice for single mothers. There was one thing that concerned me though. The author, Samantha Young, talked about the ‘good divorce’ where both parties are ‘rational and adult, divide assets fairly…do not argue or fight, support one another in parenting,...

As a new recruit to the Farrar Gesini Dunn Melbourne office, I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the different cultures in law firms and the way they operate. Lots of questions spring to mind. What type of culture am I drawn to and what type turns me off? Why...

The ATO has released a draft ruling that has the potential to reduce the amount that high-wealth individuals receive from property settlement by nearly half. For high-wealth families it is not uncommon for them to hold their assets in private companies and trusts for tax reasons and for asset protection....

The Marriage Equality Act 2013 (aka ACT’s same sex marriage law), drafted by the ACT Labor Government, has caused a stir! For now at least, same sex couples in the ACT can get married. The legislation provides an avenue for marriage for those who cannot be married under the Commonwealth’s...