Neither male nor female – a great victory for Norrie

The Australian high court, when asked whether ‘sex’ could encompass a third, non-specific category beyond ‘male’ and ‘female’, gave an emphatic yes The Australian high court has ruled that New South Wales must recognise a third gender after handing down … Continue reading →

Does a ‘mistress’ have rights to maintenance and property settlement?

New de facto laws came into force on 1 March 2009. The new laws declare that de facto couples will be treated in the Family Court in the same way as married couples. As a result of the changes to … Continue reading →

What is a Power of Attorney?

What is an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA)? An EPA is a document that allows you to appoint persons (your Attorneys) to act on your behalf to make financial decisions on your behalf if you lose your mental and/or physical … Continue reading →

Changes in Minor Civil Claims

Minor Civil Claims in the Magistrates Court can no longer be considered “small”, with significant increases to the jurisdiction. The changes are summarised as follows: Minor/Small Claims is now increased to a new limit of $25,000.900 Minor Statutory Claims – … Continue reading →

Negotiating Christmas With Your Ex Partner

Author:  Anne Miles Christmas is a challenging time for some families, particularly if a divorce is fresh and children are involved. That means some sound strategies are in order if we’re to have the new life we’re after, rather than … Continue reading →

Five ways to make your day in court easier

Attending court is stressful, even for seasoned lawyers … so check out these tips to make the day a little easier to handle. If you are facing a day in court, for whatever reason, it is likely you are feeling … Continue reading →

Priority Processing Arrangements for Skilled Migration Visas – 1 July 2012

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, has set new priority processing arrangements for certain skilled migration visas. These arrangements include the new skilled visa subclasses introduced in the skilled migration reforms and continue to give regional employer … Continue reading →

What happens to spousal property if one party becomes bankrupt?

When bankruptcy and family law collide, the results are how shall we say it? Complex. Although, we’ve dealt with a number of property matters in the past involving spousal relationships, we’ve never covered the area of what happens to the … Continue reading →