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 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.
