Australia: Family and Matrimonial

If you’ve got an upcoming family law matter at Parramatta, it’s normal to feel a bit anxious about what the day will actually involve. Here’s a straightforward guide on what to expect, so you know what you’re walking into. Most people only ever attend family court once or twice in their lives, so it’s completely normal to have questions about the practical side of things.

Separating from a partner is hard enough without also having to work out who’s staying in the family home. Some couples manage to keep living under the same roof for a while after separating, but that’s not always realistic, especially where things have turned hostile or there’s a risk of family violence.

In 2024, the Family Law Act was amended to give the Court the power to make a “harmful proceedings order”. These orders are designed to prevent a party from repeatedly bringing applications before the Court without first obtaining permission to do so.

If you’ve got an upcoming family law matter at Parramatta, it’s normal to feel a bit anxious about what the day will actually involve. Here’s a straightforward guide on what to expect, so you know what you’re walking into. Most people only ever attend family court once or twice in their lives, so it’s completely normal to have questions about the practical side of things.

When couples separate in Australia, superannuation is always included in the property pool and subject to division. Whether you keep your super, split it with your former spouse, or negotiate an alternative arrangement depends on mutual agreement or the court's assessment of contributions and future needs.

Navigating property settlement after separation in Victoria involves understanding how courts divide assets, liabilities, and financial resources between former spouses or de facto partners. The process considers financial and non-financial contributions, future needs, and the impact of family violence to reach a just and equitable outcome under the Family Law Act 1975.

Many parents worry about what will happen to their hard-earned assets after they die. Some worry, in particular, that one of their children may challenge their will and unravel the careful plans they have made. One approach (but fairly extreme strategy), is to restructure assets during their lifetime, transferring property or control of family trusts to a trusted child so that there is less in the estate for anyone to fight over. But can those lifetime transfers themselves be unwound later, on the basis that the parent was taken advantage of?

On 18 June 2026, the Federal Government announced targeted tax concessions following consultation on its 2026–27 Budget measures. These updates refine the position announced on 12 May 2026, as outlined in Federal Budget 2026–27: key tax changes and what clients need to know.

The NSW Supreme Court is increasingly capping legal costs in family provision proceedings, especially in smaller estates. Two recent Supreme Court decisions, Lord v Craig [2026] NSWSC 17 (Lord) and Re Estate Weinberger [2026] NSWSC 158 (Weinberger) illustrate why the Court is taking control of legal costs in family provision cases and the likely impact on parties and practitioners involved in those cases going forwards.