Hearing about Miranda and Simon helping their daughter buy a home, I quickly switched into lawyer mode and started raining on Miranda, Simon and Miria’s parade. “What will happen if Miria’s boyfriend ends up moving in?” “Have you considered how you would feel if Miria, one day, separates from her future spouse or partner and they end up with half of the house and hence half your gift?”. My questions rolled on as the colour drained from Miranda’s face and her glass rapidly g

A reader of this blog asked whether he’d still be required to pay child support for his child if that child was adopted by the child’s mother and her new husband. Under our current Child Support laws, there are only a few circumstances in which your obligations to pay child support come to an end. Adoption of your child is one of those situations. But adoption comes with lots of other significant consequences to be aware of.

Legal costs can feel daunting, particularly more so if you are going through the uncertainty of a separation or legal dispute, so you are best to be upfront about costs right at the beginning of your dealings with a lawyer. There are guidelines and rules about what lawyers can charge and there are things you can do to reduce your costs. Below are some of my top tips for managing and being proactive about your legal costs

Lee finally took the advice of Beyonce and "put a ring on it" with a 1 carat diamond engagement ring for his partner, Kelly. Life became a flurry of wedding planning. Then Lee called the engagement off. Who keeps the engagement ring? Surely, Lee should get it back given he paid for it but, then again, he broke the engagement off and had given the ring to Kelly.

When you are juggling the emotions of a separation and negotiating your parenting and financial matters with an ex, it can be tempting to put off looking at your will to “another day”.  But attending to your will, powers of attorney and how the ownership of your home is recorded are important aspects of comprehensively getting things sorted in order to avoid future problems for you and those you care about most. Here’s why -

There’s a folder in my hall cupboard that I will probably never personally use — but one day, it will be incredibly useful for someone else. I recommend every adult has one of these. It’s my “Death Folder” — or, as I sometimes call it, my “In Case Of” Folder. Inside is all the important, practical information my loved ones will need if I die or if I ever become unable to manage my finances or make decisions for myself.

Sometimes as family lawyers we must rain on people’s parade. We can’t always tell clients what they want to hear. This was one of those times. Despite the fact the home and mortgage were in Rebecca’s sole name, she was dismayed to learn that, by law, the home was relationship property. The principal family residence is given special status in law as the “family home”.

In some cases, the date of your separation will be very clear cut, usually signified by one person moving out of the shared family home. For the couples above, however, it is far less so. As couples face increasing challenges around housing affordability, it is becoming increasingly common for couples to choose to remain living in the family home for a period after separation. Furthermore, some separations aren't sudden events but rather slowly and organically unfold over tim

To avoid putting time and money into an agreement only to find it is legally invalid or overturned by a Court, here are some of the things you should get careful advice about before having them in your Agreement.

When you have to face up to difficult discussions/emails/texts with your ex while this emotional ticker tape runs in the background, you need one easy, sound strategy. That strategy is that you…give the BIFF. Give the BIFF to your Ex / your annoying colleague / your mother / anyone you need to have a challenging exchange with. BIFF is a technique created by Bill Eddy who has researched and written a lot about high conflict in family law cases. BIFF responses are Brief, Infor

Want a quick way to save some money on your legal fees? Don’t say in 6 emails what can be said in 1. Let me explain.

moving through your family law dispute, separation or divorce includes having to contend with some practical issues around managing your online world. It also means navigating the emotional weight that can come with online interactions. Here are some of the common ones that come up for my clients. They may sound familiar!

Increasingly, emails, text messages and social media posts need to be carefully considered when working through a separation. While your online social network can be a source of great information and support, it can also bite you if not managed well. So, in order to be smart as you move through your separation or divorce, what should you bear in mind when it comes to the online world?

Successfully undertaking an international surrogacy is a complex endeavour. Here are 6 things we think you should know if you are considering international surrogacy as a means to achieving the family you desire.

Worried whether it's possible to separate amicably? We show you how separation and divorce with respect and without conflict is possible!

If the holiday season isn’t looking merry & bright for you because you’re recently separated, there's things you can do to turn that around!

When faced with a relationship property division, how do you know when to get a real estate agent’s appraisal, or a registered valuation?

The build-up to the holidays can be stressful. Sorting out the parenting arrangements for your children early can help reduce that stress.

Most people know about the presumptions of “equal sharing” in relationship property law. Less people are aware of the exceptions.

Looking for a cost effective way to work through your family problem, look no further as here we have ten free things you can do to help you