Blog

What happens to my Will if we separate? – Ending a De Facto Relationship may change your Will The case of Blyth v Wilken [2015] WASC 486 was a landmark decision – the first of its kind in Australia that provided some guidance and commentary on the effects of the...

Decision Making When You’re Going Through a Separation Guest Post for Farrar Gesini Dunn by Scott Malcom from Money Mechanics Confident decision making as you are going through a major life event can be difficult. With divorce emotions can be raw and the vision or plan for your life has...

2016 marks the 40th anniversary of the Family Law Act 1975 and creation of the Family Court of Australia. As discussed below, some the greatest and most revolutionary changes were enacted in this legislation, making the law more accessible and user friendly to those who need it most. Did you...

Guest Post from Simon Port of Everyman Australia (formerly The Canberra Men’s Centre) about the Working With the Man program: People often ask: ‘How can you work with men who perpetrate Domestic Violence?’ These comments usually reflect a widely held belief that such men are not worthy of any support...

The best, just got better We are excited to announce the merger of Farrar Gesini Dunn and Certus law Last year at Farrar Gesini Dunn we celebrated our 20 year anniversary. Since the beginning, we have always strived to be the best at what we do and to be leaders...

Meet your lawyer Part 2 In last week’s blog I talked about why going to see a family lawyer for the first time can be a nerve-wrecking idea but by the end of the initial appointment they can help clients to feel a sense of empowerment  and allow them to...

Meet your lawyer Part 1 In the first of a two-part blog, I talk about what to expect during an initial appointment with a family lawyer, and why we’re not all as scary as you might think. I’m aware from meeting with clients over the years that even the idea...

Thanks to Michael for sharing his article with us! Guest Post from Michael Miller MLC Advice Canberra Decision making when you’re going through a divorce. Financial planning is in many ways quite simple, it’s just about decision making. So I spend just as much time reading material from the field...

Financial Agreements – De Facto versus Marriage The Full Court of the Family Court has delivered a new judgement regarding whether you can have a binding financial agreement (aka a pre nup) that covers both de facto relationship breakdown and marriage breakdown. Background Several years ago the Family Law Act...

What are prenups in Australia? Something I commonly hear when talking to non family lawyers is: “I’d like my clients to protect their assets from divorce, but prenups aren’t binding in Australia…” Well actually, they are! Prenups (or as we know them: Binding Financial Agreements – BFA’s for short) ARE...

The future has finally arrived. Yes it is different than we all thought. But don’t worry, your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one. Doc Emmett Brown – 21.10.2015. Wise words from a wise man, to...

A Surrogacy agreement is becoming more common in today’s society where the definition of a family is becoming more diverse than just the “nuclear family”. The law around surrogacy in Australia is complex and different laws apply in different states and territories. In the ACT, commercial surrogacy agreements (where you...