An urgent application may be applied for in both parenting and property/ financial matters, although it is more common for a parenting matter to be considered urgent.

The Family Law Act 1975 sets out that a person has a responsibility to financially assist their spouse, or defacto partner if that person is not able to meet their own reasonable expenses from their personal income or assets.  

In Family Law, it is widely understood that property division is one of the most disputed stages of a divorce proceeding.  

However, lets look at how property division and divorce are different.  

When we take an initial family law enquiry, it is more often than not from a new client who is looking to ‘get a divorce’, however when we delve deeper with the client, what they are mostly concerned about is their property division. They are two (2) separate processes.  

As Family Law specialists, we work with a lot of clients in parenting matters. Sometimes whether voluntarily or court-ordered, a Family Report Writer is engaged to assist. Often this raises questions from our clients as to why they are involved in their matter. So, we thought we’d answer some common questions, to help you understand the relevance and importance of a Family Report Writer. 

It is illegal in Queensland to enter into commercial surrogacy arrangements. Only altruistic surrogacy arrangements are allowed. This means you cannot pay a surrogate mother, or a birth mother cannot carry a child and request you pay a sum of money for the baby.  

You cannot advertise for any surrogacy arrangement whether you are looking to be the birth mother or you are the intended mother. 

The only exception to making any financial contribution is reasonable costs such as medical costs for the pregnancy ETC. 

Buying your first home is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and stressful decisions you can make. Navigating the possible legal pitfalls can be worrying for even the most seasoned home buyer. Our guide is designed to help you understand the conveyancing process in Queensland.  

Conveyancing is the legal transfer of property from one party to another. Conveyancing in Queensland is complex and is affected by at least 20 different pieces of State and Federal legislation, contract conditions, extensive case law and practice guidelines. So, it’s easy to see why contacting a solicitor is crucial to ensure the property is transferred correctly. DIY conveyancing is simply too risky and can easily result in hidden costs, defaulting on your obligations, disputes and overall just a minefield for the untrained individual.  

Mediation is a form of Alternate Dispute Resolution which assists parties come to an agreement without the need to go to court. Mediation can help parties reach an agreement as quickly, cost effectively and stress free as possible.  

Pets are property – they are not children, well according to law anyway! Most of the time, parties will be able to work out what the arrangements for the pets will be, though not always! If you and your ex-partner are not able to work out suitable arrangements for the pets, the courts can make the decision for you – but it won’t be a simple process, and it won’t be a shared custody arrangement! 

Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) can affect all people. The saying “you never know what goes on behind closed doors” is highly relevant when thinking of DFV. Whether you are a young or an older person, we all have a right to feel safe, heard and respected. No matter the circumstances, DFV can be frightening and dangerous - even when no physical harm has occurred, there is always the potential that the abuse will escalate. The law recognises the importance of this and has legislation in place to protect against violent behaviour.