A Parenting Plan is basically a peace treaty between two exes, written down and signed like civilized grownups, outlining how they’ll handle the day-to-day and big-deal stuff for their kids now that the romantic chapter has closed.

It usually spells out things like: Where will the kids live?  Who gets them on weekends?  Who decides whether little Max learns the violin or joins ninja school?  Plus, how the two of you will communicate without launching into passive-aggressive text wars.

According to section 63C of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (yes, that thrilling bedtime read) a Parenting Plan has to be in writing, signed and dated by both parents to be legit. You can read more about that Here.

But here’s the twist:  you don’t have to file it in court.  That means fewer legal fees and no Judge side-eyeing your snack schedule disagreements.

The big draw?  Flexibility.  It's like yoga for your co-parenting arrangement.  You and your ex can design the plan to suit your weird, unique lives without dragging it through the legal system.  It’s great for keeping the peace, reducing conflict, and - gasp - maybe even cooperating.  It can evolve with your kids’ needs, so what works for your toddler doesn’t have to be awkwardly applied to your rebellious teen.

Bonus points:  it's private.  No court drama, no transcripts, and less stress for the kids (and for you, hopefully).  You can even bring in a family mediator or counsellor, like a referee who doesn't carry a whistle.

However (and here's the catch) Parenting Plans are not legally enforceable.  So, if one of you decides to treat it like a vague suggestion instead of an agreement, the other can't run to the court and demand justice unless you’ve turned it into an official Parenting Order.  This makes things a bit wobbly if cooperation goes up in flames.  In high-conflict situations or where safety is a concern, skip the plan and go straight for a court order.  No room for improv there.

In summary, a Parenting Plan can be a practical, cost-effective way to stay out of court and focus on what matters: your kids (and not, say, your ex’s new partner’s Instagram).  But it's not bulletproof.  So, before you stake your co-parenting hopes on it, talk to a lawyer, you know, someone like us (someone who gets paid to care about your legal certainty) because your kids deserve more than a handshake deal written on the back of a napkin.

Want to know more about a Parenting Plan?   Give us a call.

Binding Financial Agreements

Because “What’s Mine Is Yours” Is Lovely Until Someone Calls a Lawyer

Binding Financial Agreements, or BFAs, are essentially the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) recognising that sometimes two adults would prefer to make their own financial arrangements rather than leave Future Angry Versions of Themselves to sort everything out later.  Depending on the circumstances, couples can enter into financial agreements before, during or after a marriage or de facto relationship, with the relevant provisions found in Part VIIIA of the Family Law Act for married couples and Division 4 of Part VIIIAB for de facto couples.  You may know the pre-relationship variety by its glamorous American stage name, the “prenup” (a word capable of turning a candlelit dinner into a board meeting in approximately four seconds).

A BFA can deal with how property and financial resources are to be handled if a relationship breaks down and, subject to the legislation, can also address spousal maintenance.  This can be particularly useful where someone enters a relationship with substantial assets, owns a business, expects an inheritance, has children from an earlier relationship, has complicated financial arrangements, or simply enjoys knowing where they stand.  It is not necessarily a declaration that your relationship is doomed. Buying home insurance does not mean you are planning to set fire to the kitchen.  Although, statistically speaking, somebody will eventually leave the toaster on.

For married couples, BFAs may be made under provisions including ss 90B, 90C and 90D, depending on whether the agreement is made before, during or after marriage. For de facto couples, the corresponding provisions include ss 90UB, 90UC and 90UD.  The legislation allows couples considerable scope to determine their own financial arrangements, but (and this is a fairly substantial but) there are strict statutory requirements associated with making a financial agreement binding.  This is not the legal equivalent of writing “Sarah keeps the house, Steve keeps the jetski, agreed lol” on the back of a Guzman y Gomez receipt and having your neighbour witness it.

One particularly important requirement is independent legal advice.  Note the highlight.  Broadly speaking, s 90G for married couples and s 90UJ for de facto couples require each party to receive independent legal advice about specified matters concerning the agreement before signing, together with the required signed statements concerning that advice. In other words, you cannot both sit opposite the same lawyer while one of you says, “Don’t worry, she understands it,” and the other stares silently through the wall.  Each person needs their own lawyer.  Romantic?  No.  Important?  Extremely.  Also considerably more romantic than discovering five years later that the document you downloaded for $39.95 has the structural integrity of wet Weet-Bix.

And despite the word “Binding” appearing confidently in the name, a BFA is not necessarily an indestructible legal force field.  The Family Law Act 1975 contains circumstances in which a Court may set aside a financial agreement, including matters addressed in s 90K for married couples and s 90UM for de facto couples.  Depending on the facts, issues such as fraud, certain failures of disclosure, unenforceability, impracticability, unconscionable conduct and particular changes concerning the care and welfare of children can become relevant.  So if your financial-planning strategy is “I simply won’t mention the $800,000 account in Singapore,” we regret to advise that you have confused sophisticated asset protection with lying.

A properly prepared BFA can provide valuable certainty, clarify financial expectations and potentially reduce the scope for expensive property disputes if a relationship later ends.  But these are technical documents with potentially enormous consequences, so they deserve considerably more thought than the terms and conditions you accepted when connecting your television to Wi-Fi. 

Here at Transitional Legal, we can advise you about whether a BFA is appropriate for your circumstances, explain what it actually does, and help ensure you understand exactly what you are signing.  Because if you are going to have an awkward conversation about money with the person you love, you may as well do it properly:  preferably before you hate each other and somebody becomes emotionally invested in the ownership of a $1,200 coffee machine.

Want to know more about BFA's?  Give us a call.  

Gather ‘round, brave men of the Southern Hemisphere, for we are about to embark on an educational journey into the bureaucratic theme park known as child support in Australia where love ends, paperwork begins, and your bank account becomes a permanent Airbnb for someone else's lunch money.

Let’s start with the basics.

In Ozland, child support is managed by Services Australia, which is basically Centrelink’s overly serious cousin who always brings a calculator to family gatherings.  The idea is simple:  if you helped create a human, you get to help fund its survival; like a Patreon subscription, but with fewer perks and no option to unsubscribe until the kid turns 18 or finishes high school (whichever comes last, lucky you).

Now, before you launch into a rant about “deadbeat moms” or “my ex and her fancy new blender,” let’s get into obligations.  If you’re the non-custodial parent (which statistically tends to be the dad), the government uses a magical formula involving your income, the number of nights the child sleeps at your house, and (I'm guessing here) a pair of dice and a dartboard.  Based on this formula, you’ll be expected to contribute a fair amount of money, which may feel unfair, but that’s because feelings aren’t included in the calculation.  The good news?  It’s all automated.  The bad news?  It’s all automated.

But wait; you have rights too, gentlemen.  You're not just a walking ATM in cargo shorts.  You have the right to apply for a reassessment if your financial circumstances change (hello, job loss, surprise twins, or that regrettable crypto investment).  You can also negotiate private arrangements with the other parent, though this requires the maturity level of two adults who once broke up over passive-aggressive dishwashing.  There's also a thing called “shared care,” which can reduce your payments if your kid stays with you more than a couple nights a week.  So yes, spending time with your child also saves you money.  It’s a heartwarming loophole.

Lastly, let’s get real:  child support isn’t punishment.  It’s parenting by direct deposit.  It’s not about “winning” or “losing,” it’s about funding your offspring’s ability to eat food and own shoes.  If you’re still salty, just remember:  it could be worse.  You could be paying spousal maintenance and child support, while your kid learns the words “emotional support lizard” from TikTok.  So take a deep breath, check your bank balance, and embrace the great Aussie tradition of muttering “bloody hell” every time you open a government letter.

Want to know more?  Fine.  Let’s dive a little deeper into how the glorious machinery of child support actually works, because nothing says “parenthood” like navigating a government portal that looks like it was coded in 2006 by someone who hates you personally.

First up:  the assessment process.  Services Australia calculates how much you pay (or receive) using a formula that includes both parents' incomes, the number of children, and the amount of care each parent provides.  It’s like a financial custody Hunger Games, but with less Jennifer Lawrence and more Excel spreadsheets.  They subtract a “self-support” amount from your income (because apparently you’re allowed to eat too, how kind), and then use the remaining income to calculate your contribution.  Fair?  Maybe. Confusing?  Absolutely.

Next up, Payments.  Payments can be arranged in two ways: private collection, where you and the other parent pretend to be grownups and sort it out yourselves (LOL), or Child Support Collect, where the government plays referee and snatches the money straight from your paycheck like a ninja in a hi-vis vest.  If you fall behind, they can garnish your wages, intercept your tax return, or even stop you from leaving the country (which means if you thought you were taking a cheeky Bali trip without paying for little Brayden’s braces, think again).  The system is far from perfect, but it’s designed to prioritize the child’s wellbeing.  You know, the small person you helped create, hopefully not after three beers and an iffy decision.

Enter Transitional Legal, the legal equivalent of a GPS for when you're lost in the flaming labyrinth of child support drama.  We can help you navigate, negotiate, and not accidentally sign your soul away in a binding agreement you don’t understand.  Whether you’re trying to reduce your payments because your boss pays you in Subway vouchers, or you want to dispute a dodgy assessment that claims you earn more than Elon Musk, Transitional Legal can jump in with actual lawyers who read the legislation so you don’t have to. We help you apply for reassessments, challenge unfair arrangements, and even represent you in the Family Court if things go full soap opera.  Basically, they’re the people you call when Centrelink starts speaking in tongues and your ex starts texting in all caps.

Want to know more?  Give us a call today!

What is Spousal Maintenance? (Besides Depressing)

Spousal maintenance is the legal version of “Hey, you left me and now I’m broke, so pay up.”  It’s a requirement for one partner (usually the one still employed and eating solid food) to financially support the other (usually the one Googling “how to afford rent on vibes”).  This kicks in when the relationship breaks down, and one party can’t support themselves due to a charming cocktail of caring for kids, age, illness, or just being financially wrecked. It's not child support, and it’s not a property split - it’s just... ongoing payments so one party doesn't have to live in their car while the other buys a jet ski.

Legal Criteria, or “Why You Still Owe Me Money”

Under Section 75 of the Act (the part where the legal guilt trip begins), the court asks two things:  can the needy spouse afford to live like a semi-functional adult, and does the other one have enough money to make that happen without having to eat instant noodles forever?  If the answer is yes to both, congratulations, you’re in the spousal maintenance zone.  For de facto couples, the law kindly extends the same soul-sucking obligations under Section 90SF, because everyone deserves the right to fund their ex’s almond milk habit.

How the Court Decides (a.k.a. Divorce Bingo)

The court doesn’t use a magical calculator to decide spousal maintenance.  Instead, it performs a cosmic evaluation of everything: how old you are, how healthy you are, what you earn (if anything), whether you're taking care of kids, and whether someone was flinging dinner plates or just quietly eroding your mental health.  Family violence, including the financially subtle kind (like one party hoarding all the streaming subscriptions), now plays a bigger role thanks to our shiny new 2025 amendments.  So yes, even your Netflix password wars may have legal consequences.

Time Limits and How Not to Miss the Bus

You can't just show up in court ten years later and say “Hey, remember me?”  You’ve got 12 months post-divorce to apply if you were legally married, or two years post-breakup if you were in a de facto relationship.  Unless the judge feels especially sentimental, that deadline is real.  There are also “interim maintenance” orders you can apply for while you sort out who gets the dog, the air fryer, and your mutual resentment.  Basically, don't wait until you're couch-surfing with your cousin Greg to take action.

The 2025 Changes (because Misery Evolves Too)

In June 2025, Australia updated the Family Law Act to include even more nuanced ways for your personal life to become a spreadsheet.  Now the court gives even more attention to family violence, including economic abuse; so if someone cut off your access to the joint bank account while still asking you to do laundry, the court might raise an eyebrow.  Arbitration is also more of a thing now, so you might get to argue your case in front of someone who isn’t a judge but still has the power to ruin your week.  Yay, progress!

Have any more questions about Spousal Maintance?  Give us a call!

Divorce in Australia

When “Till Death Do Us Part” Quietly Gets Renegotiated

 Divorce is rarely anyone’s preferred weekend activity.  Most people would rather undergo minor dental surgery, assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions, or spend six hours listening to someone explain cryptocurrency.  But sometimes a marriage has reached its natural conclusion and it’s time to formally bring it to an end.  In Australia, divorce is governed by the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and operates on the principle of no-fault divorce.  This means the Court generally does not need to determine who ruined Christmas in 2019, who sent the suspicious text message, or who has been loading the dishwasher incorrectly since the Howard Government. The central issue is whether the marriage has broken down irretrievably.

To establish that irretrievable breakdown, the parties must generally have separated and lived separately and apart for at least 12 months immediately before filing for divorce, with no reasonable likelihood of reconciliation.  And because human relationships refuse to fit neatly into administrative boxes, it is possible in some circumstances to be “separated under one roof.”  Yes, Australian family law has contemplated the uniquely miserable experience of ending your relationship while continuing to encounter the same person every morning beside the toaster.  Additional evidence may be required in those cases, because apparently saying “Your Honour, you should have seen the atmosphere in that kitchen” is not, by itself, sufficient.

If there are children of the marriage under 18, the Court also needs to be satisfied that proper arrangements have been made for their care, welfare and development, or that there are circumstances in which the divorce should nevertheless be granted.  Divorce itself, however, is different from sorting out parenting arrangements, property settlement and spousal maintenance.  Those issues do not magically resolve themselves when the divorce order is made.  The Court does not grant the divorce and then release a flock of administrative doves carrying your property settlement documents into the sunset.  Different legal issues may require different steps, advice and, where necessary, applications - strategically, sensibly and without anyone barricading themselves inside the matrimonial home or swinging from a chandelier.

And here is the part we would very much like you not to discover 12 months and one day later:  under the Family Law Act 1975, a person who was married generally has 12 months from the date the divorce takes effect to commence Court proceedings for a property settlement or spousal maintenance.  After that period, you generally need the Court’s permission to proceed out of time, and obtaining that permission is not automatic.  So please do not celebrate your divorce by putting all financial matters into a drawer marked “Future Me’s Problem.”  Future You already has enough problems.  Future You is still trying to remember seventeen different passwords and wondering why groceries cost approximately the GDP of Luxembourg.

At Transitional Legal, we know divorce is more than paperwork marking the end of a marriage.  It can involve uncertainty about your children, your home, your finances and what life is going to look like next.  Our job is to remove as much unnecessary confusion and conflict from that process as possible, give you clear and practical legal advice, and help you move towards the next chapter with some confidence intact. So if your marriage has ended (or is beginning to resemble the director’s cut of The War of the Roses) talk to us early.  You bring us the facts.  We’ll bring the family law advice.  And everybody can leave the chandelier exactly where it is.

Want to know more?  Give us a call.

Urgent Family Law Applications

When “We Should Speak to a Lawyer” Becomes “We Need a Lawyer RIGHT NOW”

Family law problems have an irritating habit of refusing to occur during ordinary business hours. Sometimes circumstances develop quickly and immediate legal action may be required; particularly where there are concerns about a child’s safety, a risk that a child may be removed from Australia, a child has not been returned, property is at risk of being disposed of, or some other genuinely urgent issue has arisen. In those circumstances, it may be possible to ask the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia to deal with an application urgently.  This is the family law equivalent of pressing the large red button marked “THIS HAS ESCALATED RATHER QUICKLY.”  Unfortunately, the button is actually several Court documents, evidence, procedural requirements and a lawyer quietly developing a relationship with caffeine.

Watch List Alerts — When the Airport Becomes Part of the Family Law Matter

Where there is a genuine concern that a child may be taken from Australia without appropriate consent or authorisation, urgent steps may be available involving the Australian Federal Police Family Law Watchlist. Depending on the circumstances, relevant Court orders or an appropriate application may enable the AFP to place a child on the Family Law Watchlist and help prevent their unauthorised departure from Australia.  These matters can require very prompt action. This is not an ideal occasion to send your lawyer an email with the subject line “Quick question whenever you get a chance :)” followed by the information that somebody may be taking the children to the international terminal in three hours.  Lead with that bit.  We beg you.

Recovery Orders — When “Where Are the Children?” Is Not a Rhetorical Question

A Recovery Order is an order made under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) that can require a child to be returned to a parent, a person with parental responsibility or another person specified by the Court.  Recovery Orders may arise where a child has been taken or has not been returned and urgent intervention is required.  Depending on the orders made, authorities such as the Australian Federal Police may become involved in locating and recovering the child.  Obviously, situations involving missing or withheld children are extremely serious, so this is where the comedy politely puts down its drink and waits outside.  If you believe a child is at immediate risk, obtaining urgent legal advice (and contacting emergency authorities where appropriate) can be critical.

Urgent Injunctions — Legal Language for “Please Make Them Stop Doing That”

The Court also has power under the Family Law Act 1975 to grant injunctions in appropriate circumstances, including under provisions such as ss 68B and 114, depending on the nature of the case.  An injunction is essentially a Court order restraining somebody from doing something, or in some circumstances requiring particular action.  In family law, urgent injunctions can arise in many different contexts; for example, concerns involving children, property, financial dealings or other conduct requiring immediate intervention.  The precise orders available depend heavily on the facts. Sadly, the Court cannot issue a general injunction requiring your former partner to “stop being an absolute peanut.”  Parliament has once again failed to anticipate the public’s needs.

Urgent Does Actually Mean Urgent

Not everything that feels urgent at 11:47 p.m. will satisfy the Court’s requirements for urgent consideration.  There is an important legal distinction between “immediate judicial intervention may be necessary” and “I have just received an irritating text message and would like the Commonwealth of Australia to become involved.”  An urgent application generally needs to clearly explain the circumstances creating the urgency and be supported by appropriate evidence and Court material. Depending on the situation, there may also be procedural requirements concerning notice to the other party, exemptions, risk information and supporting affidavits.  This is why screenshots accompanied by seventeen messages saying “LOOK AT THIS!!!” are useful things to show your lawyer, but are not necessarily the finished legal argument.

When Things Are Moving Fast, So Can We

At Transitional Legal, we can assess whether your circumstances may justify urgent Court intervention and help you move quickly where it is genuinely required.  Whether the issue involves the AFP Family Law Watchlist, a Recovery Order, an urgent injunction, the safety or location of a child, threatened removal from Australia, or another urgent family law issue, we can explain the available options and help prepare the necessary application and evidence.  When something serious is unfolding, you do not need to become an overnight expert in the Family Law Act, Court Rules, Practice Directions, affidavits and emergency procedure while simultaneously refreshing your phone every eleven seconds.  Tell us what has happened. Tell us what is happening now. And please:  if somebody is allegedly heading for the airport—tell us that part first.

Contraventions in the FCFCOA:  When "Court Order" Apparently Gets Mistaken for "Helpful Suggestion"

Court orders made by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) are not aspirational Pinterest boards. They are orders. Yet, somewhere between leaving the courtroom and arriving at the next school handover, some people develop the remarkable belief that “the child spend time with Dad from Friday at 5:00 pm” actually means “Friday-ish, unless I’m annoyed, Mercury is in retrograde, or I have suddenly developed strong feelings about the wording.” In parenting matters, contraventions of child-related orders are principally dealt with under Division 13A of Part VII of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth). Section 70NAC provides that a person contravenes a child-related order where, relevantly, the person “intentionally fails to comply with the order” or makes no reasonable attempt to comply. The section also deals with conduct that prevents another person complying with an order. In other words, the Court is interested in what the order actually required and what actually happened — not the 47-message text exchange explaining why somebody considers themselves spiritually exempt from it.

A contravention does not automatically mean somebody is getting marched from Court in handcuffs while the other parent watches triumphantly through aviator sunglasses. Context matters, and so does the concept of reasonable excuse. Section 70NAD of the Family Law Act recognises circumstances in which a person may have a reasonable excuse, including where they did not understand the obligations imposed by the order and the Court considers they ought to be excused. It also provides protection where a person reasonably believed their actions were necessary to protect the health or safety of themselves, a child or another person, provided the contravention lasted no longer than necessary for that protective purpose. Importantly, s 70NAD(4) makes clear that those examples do not exhaust every possible reasonable excuse, while s 70NADA places the legal burden of proving a claimed reasonable excuse on the person relying upon it. So “I was protecting the child from an immediate safety risk” may raise a serious legal issue. “I decided the orders were stupid” is considerably less majestic as a litigation strategy.

Contravention proceedings are also much more serious than sending the Court a folder labelled EVIDENCE THAT MY EX IS A NIGHTMARE – FINAL FINAL VERSION 6.pdf. The FCFCOA describes contravention proceedings as “quasi-criminal”, because serious consequences can follow and each alleged contravention operates rather like an individual charge. Under s 70NAE, the general standard of proof under Division 13A is the balance of probabilities, but the Act requires proof beyond reasonable doubt before the Court can impose the fine or imprisonment contemplated by s 70NBF(1)(d). Depending on what is established and the seriousness of the conduct, the Court’s powers can include make-up parenting time, varying or suspending parenting orders, requiring attendance at a post-separation parenting program, bonds, compensation for certain expenses, costs, fines and, at the serious end of the swimming pool where nobody should be doing cannonballs, imprisonment. The legislation is therefore designed not merely to punish people, but also to restore parenting arrangements, encourage future compliance and protect the authority of the Court.

If you are bringing a contravention application, precision matters enormously. Rule 11.64 of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Family Law) Rules 2021 requires an applicant seeking orders under Division 11.2.1 to file the application identified in Table 11.1. For a contravention of a child-related order under Division 13A, that is an Application—Contravention. The Rules also require a supporting affidavit stating the facts necessary for the Court to make the orders sought and attaching the order, bond, agreement or undertaking alleged to have been contravened. The Court’s National Contravention List Practice Direction goes further: the affidavit should use numbered paragraphs and separate headings for each alleged count, identify the acts or omissions said to constitute each breach, provide evidence that the respondent knew about the orders and, in parenting cases, address relevant previous findings of contravention. Translation from Lawyer into Human: identify the order, identify the obligation, identify exactly what happened, identify when it happened, and prove it. “They constantly breach everything because they’re a narcissist” may be emotionally satisfying to type at 1:13 am, but it is not a substitute for properly particularised evidence.

Procedure matters too, because the FCFCOA has an entirely understandable dislike of people commencing quasi-criminal proceedings with the procedural discipline of a possum loose in a Bunnings. The Application—Contravention, supporting affidavit and relevant order must be personally served on the respondent. The Court’s current guidance also says an Application—Contravention cannot simply be eFiled through the Commonwealth Courts Portal; the National Contravention List Practice Direction provides for lodgement by email and specifies the accompanying documents. In parenting matters, applicants will also ordinarily need to undertake Family Dispute Resolution and obtain a section 60I certificate, unless an exemption applies. The National Contravention List was established specifically to deal with these applications, and the Court warns that a deficient or Rules-non-compliant application may be declined for filing. Apparently even judicial warfare requires correct paperwork. Who knew.

Being served with a contravention application is equally not the ideal moment to deploy the ancient legal technique known as ignoring it and hoping everyone gets distracted. Rule 11.67 permits a respondent to file an affidavit in response, although an affidavit is not compulsory; the Court’s guidance says a respondent must file a Notice of Address for Service. More dramatically, r 11.68 provides that if a respondent fails to attend the hearing, the Court may determine the proceeding, issue a warrant to bring the respondent before the Court, or adjourn the application. Rule 11.69 then sets out the hearing procedure: the Court informs the respondent of the allegation, asks whether it is admitted or denied, hears the applicant’s evidence, hears the respondent’s answer and evidence, and determines the proceeding. This is why a contravention response should generally be prepared with actual legal strategy rather than a 26-page affidavit beginning, “For some background, in approximately March 2009 her mother made a comment at our engagement party…” Fascinating perhaps. Relevant is another question entirely.

It is also worth understanding that contravention, enforcement and contempt are not interchangeable labels for “the other person did something infuriating.” An Application—Contravention is used where a party seeks a consequence or punishment for breach of an order; enforcement mechanisms may instead be appropriate where the real objective is simply to compel performance, particularly with financial or property orders. Contempt sits at the particularly serious end: under r 11.71, an Application—Contempt must state the alleged contempt and be supported by an affidavit setting out the facts relied upon, and the Court describes that procedure as appropriate where conduct involves a flagrant challenge to its authority or serious disregard of obligations under an order. Choosing the wrong procedure can waste time, money and credibility — three commodities already in critically short supply in most family-law proceedings. Before filing anything, ask the boring but extremely useful question: what outcome am I actually asking the Court to achieve? Enforcement? Make-up time? A sanction? Variation of the existing orders? Or have the arrangements changed so significantly that the real problem is that the old orders no longer work?

If you believe parenting, property or other family-law orders have been contravened — or you have been served with a contravention application and are now staring at it as though it might disappear if you avoid eye contact — Transitional Legal can help. Our family-law solicitors deal with parenting disputes, high-conflict matters, urgent applications, Family Dispute Resolution and proceedings in both Divisions of the FCFCOA. We can assess whether the conduct actually amounts to a contravention, identify the appropriate application or response, help particularise individual allegations, prepare affidavit evidence, consider reasonable-excuse issues, advise on FDR and section 60I requirements, and represent you through the National Contravention List process. Contravention proceedings are technical, potentially serious and spectacularly unforgiving of badly prepared evidence. Before declaring World War III over a missed handover — or assuming that a Court order has roughly the same legal status as the instructions on a shampoo bottle — get advice about the evidence, the law and the outcome you actually need. Contact Transitional Legal.