Blog
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What you need to know about: PARENTING ARRANGEMENTS
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
This is part of an information series to provide simple, easy-to-understand guidance for dealing with family law matters when a relationship breaks down. For more information or the help of a specialist family lawyer, please contact Watts McCray Family Law. The most important thing to know about parenting arrangements is that by law, decisions should always made in the best interest of the child. If a couple cannot agree on where the child will live and how much time will be spent with both parents, the Court will make decisions that ensure the child’s wellbeing. What are my responsibilities as [...]
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Debate continues over proposed changes to the Family Law Act
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
In late 2010, proposed changes to the Family Law Act were presented to the Federal Government. The changes, designed to provide better protection for families and children at risk of violence, remain before the parliament. The proposed changes include a new definition of family violence with a list of examples of the kind of behaviour that might fall into that definition, along with a revised definition of abuse. They are also aimed at removing the barriers that might stop parents raising safety concerns for their children in court, and reducing the weight placed on shared parenting. If passed, the changes [...]
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On the road to divorce
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
Australians are no strangers to commuting. And if you live in Sydney, you live in the city ranked 10th for the most pain experienced by commuters. To add salt to the wound, that commute can increase the probability of your marriage failing. Last week, Umea University in Sweden released findings that marriages in which one partner has a commute longer than 45 minutes are 40% more likely to end in divorce. Statistics taken from two million Swedish households between 1995 and 2000 provided the results for the study, and revealed that when one spouse (which is usually the husband) spends [...]
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Man closes Sydney Harbour Bridge to get his message across – “Plz help my kids”
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 6
A Sydney father went to desperate measures this morning to protest against the rights of children and fathers when parents separate and divorce. The man – “Mick”, 38 – climbed to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at 5am this morning using ropes to climb the arch. Once at the top, he hung two banners, reading “Kids First” and “Plz Help My Kids”. From the top of the bridge on his mobile phone, the man spoke to different members of the media. He told the Nine Network: “If I have to stuff 4 million people around for one morning [...]
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Division over proposed changes to the Family Law Act
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 7
Proposed changes to the Family Law Act have been introduced into Parliament for consideration, that focus on the best interests and safety of the child. The government released the draft changes in November 2010, stating that the changes were designed to provide better protection for families and children at risk of violence. The proposed changes to the Family Law Act include a new definition of family violence with a list of examples of the kind of behaviour that might fall into that definition, along with a revised definition of abuse. At the core of the family violence definition is a [...]
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Understanding your legal rights in a de facto relationship
Author: Watts McCray Comments: 0
Today, the law recognises the many different forms and shapes that relationships and families take. Married, non-married, de facto and same sex couplings are all different relationship varietals that garner legal rights. Because of the broad and wide definitions of de facto relationships, many people don’t realise that they are actually in one. If you’re in a de facto relationship, do you know your legal rights? A relationship is given de facto status, for property settlement purposes, when two people have lived together for 2 years and are not married. Since 1999, same sex couples may also be recognised for [...]