Where a party has exhausted multiple avenues of appeal, including an unsuccessful application for special leave to the High Court, and then fails to participate in the final hearing of their own volition, a subsequent
A Notice of Appeal where the applicant fails to file written submissions and instead makes oral submissions about perceived bias, is unlikely to survive a show cause hearing. Grounds of appeal must actually address the
Meint & B Pty Ltd — If a party’s application seeks orders that infringe the rights of an intervener or directly contradict a shareholders agreement, that party should withdraw those defective parts promptly when invited
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 clients rarely speak in straight lines. Their words are shaped by fear, grief, anger, shame, confusion, or exhaustion — and often all at once. As practitioners, our job is not only to listen to what clients say, but to understand what sits underneath what they say. The ability to spot emotional triggers early is one of the most valuable skills a family lawyer can develop. It informs strategy, improves rapport, reduces conflict, and ultimately leads to better outcomes for clients and matters alike.
In family law, words are not just information — they are tools that shape trust, influence decision-making, and either calm or escalate an already fragile situation. For clients in conflict, language has even greater power. It can anchor them, empower them, or overwhelm them.
In family law, pressure is constant.
Clients are distressed, deadlines are tight, evidence is incomplete, and conflict escalates with little warning.
Under these conditions, even seasoned practitioners can slip into what many call the Reactive Lawyer Trap — the cycle of responding, firefighting, and reacting to the loudest or most urgent problem of the day.
