Blog

The recent Australian election included a lot of discussion about a ‘death tax’. This led to a lot of debate and confusion. So, you might wonder, if you die, does your estate have to pay an extra tax? The short answer is ‘no’. Death taxes, sometimes called inheritance taxes, are...

What many of us may not realise is that financial literacy is a problem for a huge percentage of women in Australia. When you are in your mid-20s you start to wish that they taught you in high school how to cook proper food and do your taxes. Home economics...

How do I Choose my Family Lawyer? Separation can be one of the most stressful and emotionally charged experiences in your life, where you will need to think clearly and make big decisions about your future (and in some cases the future of your children). It’s not something that you...

A Parent’s Guide to Child Support After separation, people often find themselves in tricky situations regarding how much to pay to their ex-partner for the support and upkeep of their children. These payments, known as ‘child support’, are generally ongoing, periodic payments made by one parent to the other, purely...

... and what is full and frank disclosure?

With the advent of new technology, our laws and legislation have had to catch up with circumstances where sperm can be collected from a deceased person for the purpose of posthumous insemination.

…In a Stage of Infancy The news in Canberra recently has been rife with talk of reforms to the care and protection system (as well as the federal election) and access to information records. Of particular significance is an ACT Court of Appeal decision that overturned the decision of the...

Agitation by the legal profession and other groups to prevent perpetrators of violence who are representing themselves in court proceedings from cross-examinin the other party has lead to legislative reform.

Last week we farewelled Denis Farrar, the Farrar in Farrar Gesini Dunn. He has been a lawyer since 1976 (that’s 43 years) and with FGD since its inception in 1995. In terms of the work he did, Denis practiced at the pinnacle of the legal profession. He was a formidable...

The Family Court – A parent’s perspective I try to encourage my clients to avoid Court whenever possible. The majority of family law matters settle by agreement, but for an unlucky few, going to Court is unavoidable. I recently talked to some of my clients who have been through the...

We have written previously in our FGD blog about the dangers of using a DIY Will Kit. However, cases such as that of the Estate of Peter Reid highlight the extent to which it could all go pear-shaped if a Will is done incorrectly. The deceased, Mr. Reid, left a...

On 28 March 2019 FGD Sydney held their inaugural Golf Day at Concord Golf Course and what a fantastic day it was. The day began with a light lunch and refreshment in the clubhouse as our players rolled in and mingled with fellow teammates. Our CEO, Jim Dunn, gave a...