Thinking About Separating? Recently separated? Avoiding the wrong move might be the best move you ever make If you are thinking about separating, or have recently broken the news to your partner, these tips are to help you avoid as much of the hurt and cost as possible. If your partner has recently told you [...]
When a relationship unravels, it rarely brings out the best in people. As strong emotions kick in and stress levels rise, it doesn’t take much for an ordinarily reasonable person to transform into someone irrational and emotionally reactive. Logic and reason might seem like the best solution for bringing calm to any discussion about [...]
I have always taken a sensible and pragmatic approach to my work as a family lawyer and I strive to keep matters out of Court as much as possible. When I undertook training in interdisciplinary collaboration this year with MELCA, I initially considered that it might be enough to learn the skills and apply them [...]
I often hear people say: “It’s cruel what the family law system does to people.’’ One of the most concerning features of family law is the absurd financial and emotional cost of going to court. We have all heard about the family who’ve spent a fortune, lost years of their lives, damaged their family and [...]
Everyone knows, now more than ever, that relationships affect our health and that court rooms do not promote positive relationships! With the greatest of respect to the Judges of the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court, for almost everyone, going to Court is a negative experience that threatens your relationships and health. The practical implications [...]
This is a question that is often asked when people are considering using interdisciplinary collaborative practice to help them reach agreements with their ex. After all you are engaging four professionals, each highly skilled in their own discipline. The couple each has a collaborative lawyer and there is a financial planner and a family [...]
How often do our clients come into our offices and tell us “all I want is what is best for my children”, and then we sadly observe their narrative or behaviour to be anything but child focussed. Fortunately, there are parents who we see who are able to speak with each other about their children [...]
What Really Matters to Separating couples? After years of working with individuals or couples going through separation, it has been interesting to reflect on their key concerns/issues. Fear of an acrimonious process Feeling overwhelmed and/or disempowered Anxiety about the future Telling the children Lack of financial literacy/confidence Wanting to be heard Access to the children [...]
Separating? Why choose collaborative practice? Collaborative practice is a highly effective way of helping separating couples make their own decisions about their children and finances without resorting to litigation. Unlike court proceedings, collaboration encourages former partners to maintain a healthy post-separation relationship, and to agree on parent and child friendly outcomes which will be best [...]
