When Hannah Clarke and her three children were doused in petrol and set alight on a Brisbane street in February 2020, less than a year after dentist Dr Preethi Reddy had been stabbed to death in a Sydney hotel room in March 2019, the Australian public was horrified. Each crime was a seemingly-out of nowhere … Read more
By Carlyna Yap (Trainee Lawyer) and Stefan Pantellis (Senior Associate) When altering property interests after the breakdown of a relationship, two key factors that the Court must consider are: the assets, liabilities and financial resources of the parties; and the parties’ contributions (financial and non-financial). When it comes to identifying the asset pool, it’s easy … Read more
Court process may never perhaps return to the way it was and it is important for lawyers and family law clients involved in the system to be aware of emerging trends. The Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia (“the Courts”) are increasing face-to-face hearings in a staggered way over the … Read more
Unsurprisingly there is no such thing as a Friendly Agreement under the Family Law Act 1975 (the Act). However financial agreements are prescribed under the Act. When a couple enters into a financial agreement, they relinquish their rights to bring a claim against each other for a property split or spousal maintenance in the Family … Read more
By Stefan Pantellis (Lawyer) and Kristina Antoniades (Special Counsel) When Court proceedings are initiated in relation to children, most parties are usually independently represented by lawyers who advise their clients (based on their particular circumstances) as to what would be a reasonable care arrangement for the children moving forward. Although the best interests of the children … Read more
By Bronwyn Montgomery (Lawyer) and Kristina Antoniades (Special Counsel) For parents, the thought of their children travelling overseas with the other parent post separation, can be stressful and trigger anxiety. However, children’s lives should not be affected by the separation of their parents – they should still have the same opportunities they would have had, … 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
