The role of the sperm or egg donor in In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) procedures is a vital part of assisted reproductive arrangements. However, in Victoria a donor may withdraw their consent at any stage during the process of IVF before transfer, without recourse as provided by the Assisted Reproducti...

In Australia, parents have a legal responsibility to provide financial support for their children. This obligation exists regardless of whether the parents are biological or adoptive and regardless of their gender or sexuality. Provided certain conditions are satisfied, same-sex couples who have had...

In a decision handed down on 26 April 2021, a British Columbia Supreme Court Judge ordered that all three members of a polyamorous family should be registered as parents of the child they are raising together. This case was simply the most recent in a line of Canadian provincial cases which have sou...

The recent separations of billionaire couples Bill and Melinda Gates and Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos have demonstrated the importance of alternative methods of dispute resolution to avoid engaging in drawn out and acrimonious court proceedings. In both the Gates and Bezos separations, mediation and col...

A key concern for most people following the breakdown of a relationship is how the property will be divided between the parties. Where parties can reach an agreement as to the property settlement out of court this is usually the preferred option as it will avoid the delay and expense associated with...

The recent High Court decision of Clayton v Bant [2020] HCA 44 highlights the complexities involved in cross-jurisdictional property settlement proceedings and the various legal rules and principles concerned regarding the finality of litigation. Careful consideration is required when deciding when ...

Dividing property following separation can be a challenging and emotional process. More specifically, the distribution of superannuation between a divorced couple can be relatively complex. Although superannuation is commonly a couple’s major asset excluding the family home, it is often overlooked...

The advent of technology and social media has brought about immense advancements in communication and accessibility to information. However, as people spend more of their time online, instances of malicious behaviour and flagrant misuse of the medium have arisen in concerning proportions. Namely, th...

When a marriage or de-facto relationship ends, there is an understanding that usually some sort of division of property will occur. Family law gives effect to this understanding by allowing parties to seek a property order from a Judge for a just outcome. Family lawyers can help to guide a person th...

On 17 November 2017 the final report of the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory was delivered to the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments. One of the major issues identified in the report was the lack of integration of the various infor...