As the world becomes increasingly digitalised and the number of people who own cryptocurrency increases, cryptocurrency is becoming a more common feature in family law property settlements.
What happens to the engagement ring when you separate prior to getting married or when you separate/divorce after marriage? Does the recipient get to keep it, or should it be included in the assets available for distribution between the parties?
Under Australian family law, superannuation is treated as an asset. The balance of yours and your former partner’s superannuation should therefore be considered when negotiating and formalising a property settlement agreement after separation.
When proceedings are initiated in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, certain matters may be eligible for, or be allocated to, specialist lists. For example, in a property matter where the net asset pool is modest, the matter may be allocated to the PPP List.
In family law proceedings, Interim Hearings are generally scheduled after a First Return Hearing and once you and your former partner have had an opportunity to resolve interim issues by consent but have been unable to do so. As the name suggests, decisions made at an Interim Hearing are on a temporary or interim basis.
When negotiating property settlement after separation, how an inheritance is treated can vary. Judges in family law matters have wide discretion to decide whether it’s included in the asset pool and, if so, how it should be divided.
There appears to be a common misconception that you need to be divorced to commence or finalise your property settlement or that property settlement and divorce are both part of the same process. This is incorrect and likely an urban myth.
Documents received and/or disclosed during family law proceedings cannot be used for any other purpose other than what they were provided for. This is due to an implied undertaking or obligation to the Court, known as the Harman Undertaking.
Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is a type of mediation. It can be used by separated couples to resolve parenting and/or property disputes. We explore the types of FDR available to parties (both before and after court proceedings have commenced), the FDR process and commonly asked questions.
Family law proceedings are often messy, tiresome, and emotionally driven. In these circumstances, secretly recording your former partner to gather evidence for court proceedings may be tempting.
Before taking a family law dispute to court, separated couples are required to make a genuine effort to resolve parenting and/or property disputes by following certain steps known as the pre-action procedures.
After filing your initiating court documents, your matter will be listed for a First Return Hearing in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. A First Return Hearing is a procedural hearing and, as the name suggests, is the first Court event after you have filed an application to have a matter dealt with by the Court.