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Can I get a divorce in Australia if we were married overseas?

Posted by Dylan Williams, Family Law Solicitor. 

If you and your spouse were married overseas, are you eligible to get a divorce in Australia? A divorce lawyer Parramatta examines whether the Court can grant a divorce in those circumstances.

You may be able to get a divorce in the Federal Circuit Court provided you satisfy the following elements:-

  1. Is the marriage valid under Australian law?
  2. Does the Court have jurisdiction?
  3. Have you complied with service?
  4. Has the marriage broken down irretrievably?
  5. If there are children of the marriage under the age of 18 years, what are the arrangements for their care, welfare and development and is it acceptable?

Focusing on  items 1 and 2 above. If you would like a further discussion of divorces, please click here to access another paper that explores divorces generally. [...]  READ MORE →

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Innovations in the Family Court to help respond to domestic violence

One of the positives to arise from 2020 is the implementation of the Lighthouse Project, an initiative by the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court that seeks to improve the Court’s capacity to respond and assist in the protection of vulnerable parties and children in family law proceedings. Your Domestic Violence lawyer can provide some guidance as to the new project.

In summary, the implementation of the Lighthouse Project arose from a need for the Courts to assist vulnerable victims, including children, to leave an abusive environment  quickly and safely. [...]  READ MORE →

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The significance of domestic violence within the Family Courts and the legal impact it has upon separation

Domestic violence extends beyond just physical abuse; it can comprise sexual, emotional, financial and psychological abuse. Unfortunately, for some people who have been exposed to this type of behaviour over an extended period, they don’t appreciate that such behaviour is not the norm.

Domestic Violence lawyers can assist in identifying this type of behaviour.

Within the family law context, the Family Law Act describes this conduct as ‘family violence’ and defines it as follows:-

“… family violence means violent, threatening or other behaviour by a person that coerces or controls a member of the person’s family… or causes the family member to be fearful” (s.4AB(1)). [...]  READ MORE →

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What is ‘child custody’ and its influence on Australian Family Law

Separating from a former spouse is a difficult situation and is emotionally draining. Unfortunately, the effects of separation also affect your children. Questions begin to rise, such as ‘who is to have custody of our children’ ‘or how will child custody work’.

The phrase ‘child custody’ is often used by parents in discussions as to where the children should live and how often the children should spend time with the non-resident parent.

However, under the Family Law Act, the words ‘child custody’ are not used; rather, the legislation uses the terms parental responsibility’ and the Courts make Orders which includes the phrases ‘spend time with’ and ‘live with’ [...]  READ MORE →

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Section 60I Certificates: What is it and can it be bypassed?

Under the Family Law Act, parents are required to make a genuine effort to resolve any parenting disputes in relation to their child or children through family law mediation before they are eligible to commence Court proceedings.

How to obtain a Section 60I Certificate?

To obtain a Section 60I Certificate, a parent is required to attend family law mediation with an Accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (“the mediator”). The mediator can issue a Section 60I Certificate in the following circumstances:- [...]  READ MORE →

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Can your Affair End in a Property Settlement? Family Law Lawyers Delve Into This

If you are in an intimate relationship with another person, something that you may want to consider is whether the nature of the relationship with that person could result in a possible claim for  property settlement if that relationship were to break down. Firstly, your family law lawyers will need to consider whether your relationship amounts to a de facto relationship. Considerations include the duration of the relationship, whether you have lived together, whether you attend events together socially, and whether you depend on each other financially. [...]  READ MORE →

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Divorce Lawyer Explains section 114 Orders – Restraining Travel to Enforce Property Settlements

A divorce lawyer explains how the Family Court can impose restrictions on travel to ensure compliance with Family Court Orders.

In accordance with section 114 of the Family Law Act, the Family Court has the power to restrain a person from leaving Australia pending compliance with Family Court Orders, including final orders.

The Court will consider the following:

  1. A person’s freedom of movement, and
  2. The likelihood that the Order will not be complied with if the paying party’s freedom to leave the country is not restrained.

Ultimately, the Judge is faced with a balancing exercise and will consider whether the person’s compliance with the Orders outweighs their personal freedom of movement. [...]  READ MORE →

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Is COVID-19 a reasonable excuse to withhold a child from a parent? A Family Law Lawyers Answer

A common question asked of family law lawyers is: “do I have to continue complying with parenting Orders during the pandemic?”

There are very limited circumstances in which the Court will permit parents to fail to comply with Orders of the Court.

Parents will need to establish that there is a reasonable excuse for not complying. Whether the action or conduct is needed and necessary to protect the child from harm should be considered.

In a recent case of Pandell & Walburg (No 2) the Court considered the circumstances of  COVID-19 and how it relates to the consideration of whether a parent has a reasonable excuse not to comply. [...]  READ MORE →

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The Move to an Online Family Court: How Covid-19 has Influenced the Way Divorce Lawyers Represent their Clients

The prevalence of Covid-19, the coronavirus, has catapulted the Family Courts into rapid digital transformation. At first, the Courts began to switch from face-to-face court events to telephone conferences on a dial in basis. By the beginning of April, the Courts began to conduct Hearings by Microsoft Teams, a program that allows video conferencing so that parties, their divorce lawyers and judicial officers may all see each other in a “virtual courtroom”.

Alongside the transition to online Court hearings was the introduction of the Digital Court File. Previously, parties and their divorce lawyers had the option to file court documents in hard copy, particularly if the matter was urgent. This system proved challenging during the pandemic particularly for Judges and Registrars operating from remote locations. To allow matters to be heard in any location during the pandemic, every new Court file is now completely electronic and able to be downloaded using the Court portal. [...]  READ MORE →

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The Presumption of Equal Shared Parental Responsibility – What this means and how it affects your child – Child Custody Lawyer advice

The presumption of equal shared parental responsibility is a consideration of the Court when determining child custody applications. The “best interests of the child” is an enshrined consideration under Australian law and is the foremost consideration in child custody cases. As such, the Act set out under section 61DA (1) that it is ‘in the best interests of the child for the parents to have equal shared parental responsibility for the child.’ It is important to note however that this presumption looks to shared responsibility, not shared time. Furthermore, it requires both parents to make joint decisions about the long-term considerations for the child. Therefore parents are required to make a genuine effort to consult with the other parent and come to a general consensus about such decisions. This is all in the best interests of the child. [...]  READ MORE →

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Family Law Lawyer advice on the effect of death on property proceedings

The law often deals with unforeseen events in the course of Court proceedings under the Family Law Act. If the other party in your proceedings dies before property proceedings are completed, then your family lawyer will inform you of Section 79(8) of the Family Law Act.

The Court will look to this section if in your case, the other party (your ex-spouse) passes before property related proceedings are completed. It is important to know that under the relevant section of the statute (79(8)(a)) any proceedings which have commenced by a family law lawyer before the person passes can be continued by or against the personal representative of a deceased party. This appointed representative would then continue the case on the deceased’s behalf. The Court may make the property order it would have made had the deceased party not died, and only if the court deems it appropriate to do so. Such a property order would still be enforceable by or against the estate of the deceased party. The Court considers the appropriateness of an order to be made after the passing of one of the parties according to the case of Erdem & Ossay. If you are worried about the state of your own health or that of the other party it is advised that you inform your Family Law Lawyer as soon as possible in order for your legal representative to make necessary arrangements and decisions in your case. [...]  READ MORE →

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The Consequences of Escaping Debt in Family Property Proceedings

If you or your former spouse owe a significant sum of money to a person or company known as a creditor, you may be wondering how this will be dealt with in your family property proceedings. Some have attempted to transfer property from one spouse to another in a bid to protect their property from a creditor’s claim. Our family law lawyers can provide some guidance on what you should do if you owe money to a creditor and the consequences for non-disclosure.

During your family property proceedings, there is an obligation on both parties to disclose any significant creditors or any significant claim against them by a third party to the Court. This includes Applications for Orders made by consent. In circumstances where a Family Court Order would prevent a creditor to recover their debt, your family law lawyers may need to give the creditor notice of the Family Court proceedings who are then provided the opportunity to intervene in the proceedings and seek their own orders to protect their interests in having their debt paid. [...]  READ MORE →