Parenting proceedings under the Family Law Act often involve high levels of acrimony between the parties involved. As children are increasingly equipped with smart devices and recording devices, it is unsurprising that often parties seek to adduce evidence obtained privately, without the consent of ...
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Are Sperm Donors Parents? : Masson v Parsons & Ors [2019] HCA 21
The High Court today ruled that in certain circumstances sperm donors may be recognised as the legal parents of children born of their genetic material via artificial reproductive technology. These circumstances are where the Mother is not in a married or de facto relationship at the time of the chi...
Read moreRECENT CASE: Worth & Worth and Anor [2019] FamCAFC 40
In the recent case of Worth & Worth and Anor, the Full Court of the Family Court was asked to consider an appeal against a Trial decision made by Forrest J at first instance. The Father appealed against Orders which provided that the Mother have sole parental responsibility for the couple’s tw...
Read moreRECENT CASE: Teke & Cegair [2019] FamCA 114
Often a contested issue for separated parties is whether their child’s surname should be changed following the breakdown of a relationship. The recent case of Teke & Cegair [2019] FamCA 114 considered the issue of changing a child’s name in circumstances where the father had been absent from...
Read moreSupporting Parents and Children Engaged in Family Law: A Guide for Practitioners
Involvement in family law proceedings can be a very stressful time for both parents and children. As the family structure takes on a new form, there can be significant conflict within families which in turn take a toll on a person’s mental health and wellbeing. Psychologists and counsellors theref...
Read moreRECENT CASE: Lysons & Lysons and Anor [2019] FamCAFC 29
In a recent Full Court decision, the Family Court found that the primary judge had not erred in refusing a Mother’s application to change her child’s name. The child, X, was born in 2016 to parents who commenced their relationship in 2014. Upon separation, the child’s mother indicated that she...
Read moreRelocation After Separation
With an ever-increasing global community and increased ease of movement between states and countries, it is common for one parent to seek to relocate either interstate or overseas following the separation from their partner. This is especially the case in circumstances where a parent’s family are ...
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