The Full Court has considered an appeal arising from property settlement orders following a 22-year marriage involving a substantial asset pool and complex trust and company interests. The decision examines whether a contractual right to
The Full Court has dismissed an appeal by a child’s paternal grandfather and step-grandmother against orders refusing them time with their four-year-old grandchild, whom they had never met. The Court rejected the argument that the
The Full Court has dismissed an appeal against final parenting and financial orders concerning a child with special needs, where the appellant father’s time was ordered to remain supervised. The Court confirmed that open-ended or
The Family Court of Western Australia dismissed a mother’s application to have parenting proceedings determined in a non-Convention country, finding the children remained habitually resident in Australia and that jurisdiction under the Family Law Act
By majority, the Court of Appeal of Western Australia held that provisions of the Surrogacy Act 2008 (WA) excluding same-sex couples from eligibility for a parentage order were inconsistent with the Sex Discrimination Act 1984
Parenting proceedings listed for a 7-day trial before Justice O’Brien in the Family Court of Western Australia. Between them, the parties sought to call evidence from 25 witnesses.
Emotional Toll and Vicarious Trauma: Family lawyers frequently deal with emotionally charged cases that can have a profound impact on their mental health. The exposure to intense emotions and traumatic experiences may lead to compassion
Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It can occur in any occupation, but it is most common in high-stress jobs, such as healthcare, law, and
Family law mediations are often described as “essential” or “best practice”, but that can oversimplify a complex reality. Mediation can be transformative – or deeply unsafe and unproductive – depending on the timing, the screening, the practitioners involved, and the parties’ capacity to participate. Although many of you will gasp when you read the above statement, we can all agree that there are clear cases where Mediation should not occur under any circumstances.
Access to justice remains a significant challenge for regional and remote Australians. This article examines how distance, cost, workforce shortages and limited services create barriers to legal help, who is most at risk, and how the Future of Regional Legal Services project is gathering real experiences through the National Access to Justice Survey and Regional Voices Project.
In family law, the quality of your relationship with counsel can materially shift outcomes for clients. A well-chosen, well-briefed barrister isn’t just an advocate in court, they are a strategic partner in risk assessment, settlement, and case theory.
