parenting | property settlements | divorce applications | adoptions

family law

REDCLIFFE FAMILY LAWYERS

FAMILY LAWYERS IN REDCLIFFE

Lawrence Sinclair Lawyers focuses on family law matters. At any one time there will be multiple files ongoing that involve anything from passport applications for children to divorce applications where the estranged spouse cannot be located.

Every family law file is unique in the issues and the personalities that are involved. That is why at Lawrence Sinclair Lawyers we tailor an approach for you and if things change in the course of your matter, we then revisit our options.

Occasionally clients will come to use and they have already reached an agreement and simply want us to draw up the paperwork. Other times we are approached by clients where the other party cannot be found or presents a danger to the client and the children.

Family Law is an extremely wide area of law that has become increasingly specialised.

Every client and family law dispute is unique. Every matter involves a variety of dispute resolution approaches from negotiated correspondence to round table discussions and formal mediations.

It is very important that you feel comfortable with your family lawyer as throughout the process of assisting you they will come to know more about you and your life than most other people.

At Lawrence Sinclair Lawyers, we like to provide our clients with a sensitive and expert service that recognises what you are going through while at the same time giving your the advice that you need to hear. You may not always like our advice but we are not acting in your best interests if we do not provide you with the information that you need to make the right choices for you.

Come and see us in Redcliffe one street back from the Esplanade and see how we can help you move on with your life.

DIVORCE APPLICATIONS

You must be separated for twelve months to apply for divorce. Whether or not you are “separated”, particularly if you are separated under the same roof can be a complex question and it is important to obtain legal advice before you spend money on an application.

One party to a divorce can apply on their own (a sole application) or both parties can apply ( a joint application). Choosing how to apply can affect whether or not you need to appear in court or if you are eligible for a fee reduction.

PARENTING MATTERS

Parenting matters vary from disputes involving time with each parent and whether or not parental responsibility should be shared to urgent matters involving child abuse and international abduction. What the issues are in your case will determine how we proceed. Some parenting matters are wider than the Family Law Act and also involve Child Safety Services and the Queensland Police Service.

It is very important to consider how your children are affected by the separation. The research suggests that it is the conflict around separation rather than the separation itself that causes the most damage. Please see our section below on strategies to protect children from the impact of separation.

PROPERTY SETTLEMENTS

Property Settlements can range from your house, cars and superannuation settlement to settlements involving companies, trusts and commercial properties.

The law regarding what a just and equitable settlement is in a property settlement is complex and involves many factors such as the length of the marriage, whether or not there are children, the relative future earning capacity and what assets each person brought into the relationship.

 

HELPING CHILDREN COPE WITH SEPARATION

Lawyers can help you resolve your parenting disputes and reach a resolution that is consistent with the best interests of your children. How you and the other parent choose to behave when you have the children in your care will make a massive difference to the quality of life that your children will have after separation. 

 

family law caloundra

COUNSELLING AND COURSES

There are also courses occasionally held by Relationships Australia to help children adjust to separation that are for different age groups.

Many private counsellors also provide sessions for children adjusting to separation and some visits can be funded by Medicare. 

It is important that you talk to the other parent if you are contemplating sending children to a psychologist or enrolling them in a course. 

Visit Relationships Australia for more information on the courses available.  

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Parents play the largest role in how their children adjust to separation. Sadly many parents choose to involve their children in the dispute even if they are still too young to have started school.

It is critical that parents try to distance their children from the dispute. Please click on the links below to download information on what you can expect and how to minimise the damage caused to children. 

      

Post Separation Parenting from the Parenting Centre
What about the children from Relationships Australia

 

Highly Experienced

At Lawrence Sinclair Lawyers we have years of family law experience to draw on to assist you to obtain the best result possible. Tina has been involved in multiple high level settlements and mediations involving more than ten million dollars in assets as well as parenting trials involving a high level of risk to children.

Some Types of Parenting Applications

Some parenting disputes cover the whole range of issues from parental responsibility to which parent the children will live with. Others involve issues where one party will not comply with Orders or if one of the parents feel unable to share parental responsibility due to a domestic violence or a complete inability to communicate.

Contravention applications

Sometimes even though there are court orders in place, one parent just will not comply. If the breaches of the orders are repeated or if they are quite serious is it possible to file a contravention application to bring the other party before the court.

Parental Responsibility

There are two types of parental responsibility. They are sole parental responsibility and equal shared parental responsbility. The law says that it is in the best interests of children to have equal shared parental responsibility which means they must consult each other and endeavour to agree on long term issues affecting the children such as where the child will go to school.

Recovery Order Applications

Recovery orders are applied for in the event that a child or children is not returned to the other parent in accordance with an order or other agreement. If there are no orders in place a recovery order can still be applied for if the parents have stopped all time with the other parent.

FAMILY LAWYERS REDCLIFFE

WE’RE HERE TO GIVE YOU ADVICE AND TO ENSURE YOU ALWAYS KNOW THERE IS SOMEONE ON YOUR SIDE.

GET IN TOUCH TODAY TO HAVE AN INITIAL CHAT OR TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT.