Following on from the Senate’s recent rejection of the proposed amalgamation of the Family Court of Australia and Federal Circuit Court of Australia, the highly anticipated Final Report of the…
The High Court of Australia will begin hearing a case on Tuesday 16 April 2019 regarding whether or not a sperm donor can legally be regarded as a parent. The…
During your relationship, you might have mutually agreed to pay money into a separate account for your child's schooling expenses. If neither party has accessed the funds in this account…
For solicitors and accountants, 'simple' family law matters are becoming far less common. We’re seeing more and more clients coming to us with complex legal structures such as companies, trusts…
It’s common during court proceedings for parenting arrangements that a child and/or parents' health, psychology, education and criminal records will be subpoenaed by a party. If there is a reasonable…
Helping your children buy a home – or borrowing from the Bank of Mum and Dad - what happens if their relationship breaks down? High home prices mean that more…
Buying your first home is a huge deal. No doubt you have never taken on such a large debt before in your life, and you may be feeling unsure about…
This question was recently considered by the High Court of Australia in the case of Commissioner of Taxation v Tomaras [2018] HCA 62. It was confirmed that yes, the Court…
Section 4 of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) defines a step-parent as a person who: Is not a parent of the child; Is, or has been, married to or…
Starting your holidays? You might finally be able to take some downtime to stop and think about your family and future needs (if you can escape from the chaos and…
If you have existing parenting orders in place and there is a subsequent Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) or Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) taken out against you, or for your…
International travel with children is an exciting experience for your family. However, before taking the trip, you should be aware of the process when there are parenting orders in place…
The Federal Government’s proposal to merge the Family Law and Federal Circuit Courts into a newly named Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCA) in April next year has…
It has been possible to resolve family law property disputes through arbitration for more than 25 years, but Family Law Rules on arbitration introduced in April 2016 has seen the…
According to the ATO, over a million Aussies (and climbing) are members of a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) as opposed to a defined benefit scheme or more typical accumulation fund.…
In May this year, the federal government announced plans to introduce legislation into parliament amalgamating the Family Court and the Federal Circuit Court into a newly formed single court. What…
An important report by the NSW Law Reform Commission that is relevant to many older people and people with a disability and their families in NSW was tabled in the…
Catherine Henry Lawyers has been recognised for its commitment to, and achievements in, fostering diversity in the workplace. The firm has been named a finalist in the 2018 Hunter Diversity…
Mediation is a great method of resolving a dispute in both parenting and property matters in family law. Two of the biggest advantages of family law mediation are the time…
We were recently contacted by a person seeking advice because he was concerned that his ex was going to take his children overseas without his consent. Where do you stand…
There has been yet another warning from the High Court of Australia for people who have a pre or post nuptial financial agreement in place (or are considering entering into…
You may be lucky enough to receive a superannuation pension payment because you belong to a defined benefit superannuation scheme, such as the State Superannuation Scheme, State Authorities Superannuation Scheme,…
The Court has the power to order that the payee (person receiving child support) repay child support where it is proven that the payer (person paying child support) is not…
A Binding Child Support Agreement (BCSA) sets out the agreement between parents as to child support. It is an alternative to having a regular assessment undertaken by the Child Support…
Almost precisely 12 months ago, I wrote an article on the then new foreign resident capital gains withholding tax ("FRCGWT"). One of the impacts of the FRCGWT was that, when…
In this year's budget, it was announced that the Family Law Act is to undergo major review. The investigations into possible reforms were due to commence on 1 October. Over…
The same sex marriage vote has sparked a lot of conversation regarding the rights of de facto couples compared to couples who are married. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, in…
Firstly, well done! It can often be a difficult and drawn out process to agree on parenting arrangements for children. While you don’t have to, we recommend that the next…
In my view, if you go through a separation, it is best to have a property settlement as soon as possible and get on with your life. I find that…
I am often asked "How long will my property settlement take?" It is a difficult question to answer. In a typical family law property settlement, the matter usually proceeds as…
Privacy Policy / Disclaimer / Subscribe / Event Registration / Careers / Contact Us
Level 1, 133 King Street Newcastle, NSW 2300 Call us on 1800 874 949 TEL 02 4929 3995 FAX 02 4927 2444
© Copyright 2018 Catherine Henry Lawyers