The reforms to the Marriage Act 1961 (“the Act”) commenced from midnight, 8 December 2017. While many are still celebrating the long-awaited reforms, the changes to the Act have flow on consequences for same sex couples who married overseas. If you’re planning to get married If you are planning on marrying your partner, you must … Read more
Monica Blizzard joined me recently on JOY Law to talk about the very serious topic of family violence. During the show, we discussed: the alarming statistics regarding the incidence of family violence in Australia; defining patterns of behaviour; legislative change to protect against all forms of violence – not just physical violence; and getting support … Read more
The decision to separate from your partner is one of the most difficult you will face, and is often accompanied by feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. Many people find it confronting to contact a lawyer for an initial discussion about their situation and options. But now there’s a way to obtain that initial advice online … Read more
My colleague in the KHQ Family & Relationship Law team, Bronwyn Montgomery, joined me on JOY Law to discuss legal issues regarding transgender youth and minors, including: parental responsibility and the role of both parents until the child turns 18 years of age; medical interventions requiring consent beyond normal parental responsibility; two stages requiring consideration … Read more
My colleague in the KHQ Family & Relationship Law team, Bonnie Phillips, joined me on JOY Law to discuss matters concerning property settlement when relationships end. We talked about the steps to working through a property settlement, including: proving relationship status (a key consideration given same sex marriage it not yet legal in Australia); agreeing … Read more
In the recent decision handed down by the High Court of Australia in Thorne v Kennedy, the enforceability of Binding Financial Agreements was considered. This decision has been eagerly awaited by the family law community due to the ramifications for parties and practitioners regarding existing and future Binding Financial Agreements. Background This case involved a … Read more
On this episode of JOY Law, I spoke about legal issues affecting intersex people, including: historic and current legal rights; parental decisions about “special medical procedures” (and what these are); birth certificates and assigning gender at birth; the definition of “intersex”; and state-by-state differences in legal rights relating to intersex people. Listen to the podcast … Read more
Jennifer Huppert, Special Counsel at KHQ Lawyers and President of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria joined Jack Stuk on JOY Law to discuss the Jewish community response to the debate over marriage equality and the Australian Marriage Postal Survey. Jennifer spoke about: the Jewish Community Council of Victoria’s call for respect and decency in the marriage equality … Read more
Amelia Edwards, lawyer in our Corporate & Commercial team, joined me on JOY Law to discuss religious freedom, discrimination and the Australian Marriage Postal Survey, including: religious organisations and exemptions from discrimination; existing legal protection for religious freedom (for example, not having to ordain a priest who is transgender); commercial enterprises and discrimination; potential implications … Read more
