In April 2019, the High Court of Australia will hear an appeal regarding the legal parentage of a child born as a result of an artificial conception procedure from a known sperm donor. The case is significant, and the decision will potentially impact countless Australian families. Background The Applicants in this case are a lesbian … Read more
For many families, Christmas is a happy time of year. But for those who may be newly separated, it can be a time of heartbreak. This leads to the very important question – who gets the children at Christmas? Shared arrangements For young children, Christmas Eve and Christmas morning are full of excitement waiting for Santa, … Read more
By Chloe McGuinness (Senior Associate) and Monica Blizzard (Director) This is the final in a three-part series about the changes to Child Support in 2018. This segment deals with how the amendments affect Binding Child Support Agreements. Binding Child Support Agreements Section 80C of the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 (“the Act”) enables parents … Read more
What would do you do when you have an unplanned pregnancy? What are your rights as a mother, and what are the obligations of an unwilling father? If you know who the father is and have advised him of the pregnancy, but he is unwilling to be an active parent, you still have options to … Read more
By Chloe McGuinness (Senior Associate) and Monica Blizzard (Director) mThis is part two in a three-part series about the changes to Child Support in 2018. This segment deals with changes to care (including interim care) arrangements and how they may affect your child support obligations or entitlements. How do care arrangements affect your child support? … Read more
By Adrian Faelli (Trainee Lawyer) and Kristina Antoniades (Special Counsel) From 15 November 2018, all Australians will automatically receive an online My Health Record unless they choose to opt out before this date. Privacy concerns A variety of privacy concerns surrounding sensitive personal and medical information contained within My Health Records have been raised since … Read more
By Chloe McGuinness (Senior Associate) and Monica Blizzard (Director) This is part one in a three-part series about changes to child support in 2018. This article deals with amended tax assessments and how they may affect your child support obligations or entitlements. How the Child Support Agency assesses Income In order to calculate the child … Read more
Grandparents are playing a greater role in many families, often due to the high cost of childcare and increasing rates of divorce. But what happens when a grandparent is refused time with their grandchild or wishes to assume full care of a child? What are grandparents’ rights in these circumstances? What the law says The … Read more
Same-sex marriage is now legal in Australia. While the LGBTI community has embraced this change, the fight for LGBTI equality is not over – further changes to certain Australian state and territory laws are necessary to ensure that trans and gender-diverse people are not discriminated against. Forced divorce As we know, prior to the recent … Read more
