Blog
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What you need to know about de facto relationship legislation
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
This month, the Federal Government introduced a Bill to rectify an administrative oversight in Family Law matters involving de facto couples that appeared in court over the past three years. The Bill, to be introduced in March 2012, will correct an administrative error from earlier legislation. From 1 March 2009, couples that were in de facto relationships had their disputes and legal matters presented to the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court in cases where the relationships broke down. The legislation allowed couples to access the Family Law Courts in matters of property claims, child custody and [...]
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Watts McCray’s Pro Bono partnerships
As part of Watts McCray’s ongoing commitment to the community, the firm has recently entered into 2 pro bono partnerships. The first is with Redfern Legal Centre, in Sydney. In August 2011, the partnership commenced and now, usually of a Thursday afternoon, Watts McCray’s experienced lawyers are now avaliable to give family law advice to clients of the Legal Centre. The specialist knowledge and expertise of the Watts McCray Lawyers, brings considerable assistance to the Centre’s clients in their understanding of family law and other matters such as violence within relationships. For more information about Redfern Legal Centre and the services [...]
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Justin Dowd appointed President of the Law Society of NSW in 2012
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Watts McCray Partner Justin Dowd as the President of the Law Society of NSW for 2012. The Law Society plays a diverse role promoting and regulating the fair practice of law throughout NSW, fulfilling both a regulatory and representative function on behalf of the profession. Justin became a councillor of the Law Society in 2007, and has served on a number of committees including Professional Conduct, Family Issues, Dispute Resolution, Audit, Finance, and the Executive Committee. The Law Society of New South Wales is the peak organisation representing 25,000 solicitors in NSW. It [...]
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Watts McCray, Leading The Way in Family Law, Opens at Erina NSW
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
A specialist and leading provider of Family Law services in Australia, Watts McCray Family Lawyers have been providing Family Law services and expertise to clients for over 25 years. Combined, Watts McCray lawyers have over 400 years of Family Law experience and will open their new office on 5 March at Erina Central Coast New South Wales to provide valuable support to their existing and new clients across the Central Coast, Hunter and Upper Hunter communities. The new office to be branded Watts McCray Kernans will provide a range of services across all areas of Family Law, including separation, divorce, [...]
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Two Gay Marriage Bills Put Before Parliament
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
Two private members’ bills to legalise gay marriage were introduced to Federal Parliament earlier this month. The bills follow the ALP National Conference in November 2011, where the results of a conscience vote amended the Labor party’s stance on gay marriage to be one of support. At the conference, Labor MP Stephen Jones had indicated that he would introduce a private member’s bill to legalise gay marriage during 2012. Jones submitted his bill today, but in a historical move for gay rights movement, Greens MP Adam Bandt and Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie also submitted a bill aimed to legalise same-sex [...]
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Divorce myths busted
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
Although by definition a statistic is a numerical fact, they can be easy to twist. Often statistics can be skewed to help argue a point, or emphasise a trend. So in order to set us straight, recent Australian Bureau of Statistics supported research by social analysts McCrindle Research was aimed at busting some of the great myths about our everyday lives. One of the biggest myths that the research tackled was the divorce rate in Australia. It’s common to hear that half of all marriages end in divorce. The research revealed, however, that in Australia it is actually 1 in [...]
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The New Look of Watts McCray!
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
If you’ve visited our site before, you’ll notice that we’ve changed our look. Both the Watts McCray website and our subsidiary www.divorce.com.au have been updated. These new web developments are part of our continual commitment to provide the information and guidance our clients need to help them negotiate their family law matters. We hope you’ll find it easy to find the information you need to help you as your start your family law journey. On www.wattsmccray.com.au you’ll find a detailed run down of the different areas of family law and an outline of how we can help you if you [...]
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Australia to make it easier for same-sex couples to get married overseas
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
From February 1, the Federal Government will help same-sex couples get married in countries where gay marriage is legal. Previously, the documents needed for a couple to get married in a foreign country were only supplied to heterosexual couples. Attorney-General Nicola Roxon announced on January 27 that from February 1, the Federal Government will issue same-sex couples with the Certificate of No Impediment that is required for them to get married. This certificate is recognised as proof that both parties are at least 18, unmarried and that there is no other barrier to them taking part in a marriage ceremony. [...]
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Britain looks to Howard’s shared parenting laws
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
Parenting laws passed by the Howard government in 2006 focused on shared parenting. In November 2011, the Gillard government introduced further amendments that placed emphasis on the safety of children when determining parenting arrangements. The changes came after a number of reports found that an implied right to equal or shared parenting often compromised the safety of children exposed to violence, and placed more importance on the rights of parents as opposed to the children. Despite the rollback of such laws in Australia, Howard’s shared parenting laws are now finding favour in Britain. In early January, Britain’s Minister for Children and [...]
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Family Law Legislation Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2011 passed
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
Previously, we’ve blogged about the proposed changes to the Family Law Act that were put before the government in 2010. In late November 2011, the Family Law Legislation Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill was passed, bringing these changes into effect. This Bill has implications for parents and children who are involved in legal processes following the breakdown of a relationship. The main implication of these changes is an increased focus on the protection of children against family violence when a relationship between two parents ends. This will be ensured by these main changes: An expansion of the definition [...]