The start of the year is often a very busy and stressful time for separated families as children are returning to the primary caretaker, usually after spending significant time with the other parent over the holidays, and young children are often due to be enrolled in school for the first time. At Affinity Lawyers, we...
The start of a new year is the perfect time to sit down and take stock of your present circumstances. Are you happy with your job, relationship and current living arrangements? Do you have a dream of undertaking further study, starting a new sport or hobby or simply taking more time out to relax? More...
The Gold Coast is abuzz with start of year auction activity, launching this weekend. While there will be many bargains to be had, it is important that common sense and caution are still applied to purchases at auction. While purchasing residential property at an auction is a common way for property to be purchased in...
After much speculation about a commencement date, it has now been announced that the Property Occupations Act 2014 will come into force on the 1st December 2014. The introduction of the Property Occupations Act 2014 (‘POA’) is an effort to simplify the often complicated process of residential conveyancing and attempt to reduce the red-tape associated...
We are only weeks away from Christmas and this is usually the time that families enjoy a holiday away at the end of a busy year. Whether it be a local beach getaway or an extravagant overseas holiday, when there has been a separation or divorce and there are children involved, it is important to...
We have previously highlighted the detrimental affect social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter can have on your family law matter when it comes before the Court, but thought it was time for a reminder to ensure that you are aware of the dangers. Family law matters, including separation, divorce and children’s issues are...
If you are an existing client of our firm, you would have recently received an important letter in the mail regarding Estate Planning and Wealth Protection. This letter highlighted the importance of obtaining legal advice tailored to your specific circumstances to ensure that your loved ones are protected and your wishes are adhered to after...
Wills are obviously an important part of Estate Planning; however to maximise wealth building, tax minimisation and family protection strategies, a proper Estate Planning review should also involve consideration and review of such matters as: (a) Life Estates and Asset Structures; (b) Superannuation structures and nominations; (c) The legal effect of how...
Separating parties who come to an agreement about how they will divide their assets post-separation often decide that they do not want to formally document their agreement and instead, have their ‘agreement’ documented in a statutory declaration signed by both parties in front of a witness. Presumably this is often done to save money, however...
There are no hard and fast rules regarding finalising a property settlement immediately after separation, however it is important to remember that the Family Law Act 1975 does impose time limits for the commencement of property settlement proceedings in the Family Law Court or Federal Circuit Court. These include a time limit of 12 months...
