Helpful Family Law Links

Below is a list of Family lawyers Perth recommended links.  There is a lot of information on the internet about family law in Australia.  The list of links below provide access to reliable information about family law on a range of topics.  We also provide a summary of various family law topics under Family Law Services, covering the main areas of family law.  However, reading this information is not a substitute for receiving independent and personal advice from an experienced family lawyer.  Every case is different.  You must obtain advice from an experienced family lawyer about your own personal rights and obligations in your specific set of circumstances.  Not sure if you need to speak to a family lawyer.  We offer a 15 minute free telephone consultation or a reduced fee initial consultation.

General

Preparing for your Initial Consultation – Financial Issues

Preparing for your Initial Consultation – Children

Children

Child Contact Services

Equal shared care in family law

Commencing proceedings re children

Relocation – a case study

Parenting plans

Family Law Services

Property

Property Settlement in Family Law

Time limits in family law

The duty of disclosure in family law cases

How to complete a Form 13 Financial Statement

How to prepare family law consent orders

Family Law Services

Child Support

The Ultimate Child Support Guide

Divorce

New online divorce application

How to prepare a basic divorce application

The Family Court of Western Australia deals with divorce and financial and child-related proceedings between married and de facto couples in Western Australia.  The Perth Family Court is located at 150 Terrace Road, Perth.  The various form and brochures of the Perth Family Court are provided on the website of the Court as well as access to other useful information including links to other family law related websites and organisations.  The Online Information Sessions are available to be viewed and are highly recommended.

The Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia deal with divorce and financial and child-related proceedings throughout Australia, except in Western Australia.  Over the last 10 years or so the Federal Circuit Court (formerly the Federal Magistrates Court) has gradually adopted more of the workload of the Family Court.  The bulk of the workload being now conducted in the Federal Circuit Court.  The Family Court is now responsible for handling lengthy and complex family law cases. There is a protocol between division of work between the Family Court and the Federal Circuit Court.  The websites of the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court provide access to forms, brochures, kits and information about family law services and processes.

The Child Support Agency (CSA) administers the assessment of child support for all children under the age of 18 years of age.  The CSA publishes The Guide online and provides an online calculator for estimating the child support.  Forms and other information can be obtain from the website of the CSA.

The Law Society of Western Australia is the representative body for the legal profession in Western Australia.

The Legal Practice Board of Western Australia is the regulatory body for legal practitioners in Western Australia.  A party seeking to make a complaint about a legal practitioner can contact The Board for information.

Family Relationships Online is an initiative by the federal government to provide a one-stop-shop for separating couples to obtain family relationships advice and services from the family relationship centres.  Family Relationships Online provides a number of brochures and publications.  It also provides parties with the ability to access the Family Relationships Advice Line.

Relationships Australia (RA) is a provider of relationships support services. RA offers services including counselling, family dispute resolution (mediation) and education programs.  The website has numerous publications and provides a good resource for information for family law clients.

The Child Support agency provides a calculator on its website to calculate the amount of child support payable.  The basic assessment of child support involves a complex mathematical calculation. The calculator is useful method for estimating the child support payable.  However a party should consult an experience family lawyer to ensure that the child support calculation is correct and whether any grounds or departure for a child support assessment apply.

Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is now compulsory.  FDR is provided by an FDR practitioner.  Family Relationships Online’s family dispute resolution registrar provides a database FDR practitioners.

Beacon Family Law is able to provide fixed fee and lump sum packages upon request.  We invite prospective clients to e-mail us with a query so that we may formulate an estimate of the likely legal costs payable.

If parties have reach an agreement, then they should prepare an application for consent orders, unless a binding financial agreement is appropriate.  The Family Court of Western Australia provides a number of online kits.  The application for consent orders kit is available for parties to download from the website and provides a useful tool for parties are attempting to prepare an application for consent orders.

The Family Court of Western Australia allows parties to download from Court’s website various forms. The above link enables parties to download a Form 13 Financial Statement under the heading prescribed forms.  A Form 13 Financial Statement is required to be completed to commence proceedings in relation to the financial matters.  A Form 13 may be completed for information purposes when attempt Alternative Dispute Resolution.

The Perth Family Court website provides a number of non-prescribed forms that can be downloaded. The above link provides that access to the client information affidavit which is often used in her is required to be completed to commence proceedings in relation to child-related proceedings.

Legal practitioners are required to provide to their clients copies of brochures entitled “Legal Costs – Your Right to Know” and “Your Right to Challenge Legal Costs.”

The Family Court of Western Australia provides a range of brochures regarding financial and child-related proceedings.  These brochures be provided very useful summaries of the processes and services available to parties to resolve their family law concerns.