Our tips to help minimise your family law costs

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One of the biggest complaints about going through a separation and dividing assets and making arrangements for children is the amount of legal fees parties might incur in the process.  Nobody wants to spend an enormous amount of money on lawyers, something we here at Southern Waters Legal know and understand.

We often find that the higher a person’s fees get, the higher the personal stress that is experienced.  Both are things that people should aim to avoid where possible, and below we list some things you can do to minimise both increasing legal fees and personal stress, in no particular order:

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Santa & Mrs Claus are getting a divorce!

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Christmas is an exciting time of year, one filled with love and laughter, but also quite a hectic time of year getting presents ready for family.

Finishing off jobs at work can cause emotions to rise and the stress that comes with it. So can you imagine what would happen in the event that your work involved not only ensuring that everything was done by the strict deadline of Christmas, but also fulfilling the wishes of billions of people around the world?

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Work Christmas Parties

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Christmas functions are notorious for an increased chance of safety-related incidents (both at the function and leaving it) and other risks such as sexual harassment or other forms of discrimination (for example, derogatory comments about a person’s ethnicity or their sick leave history that the employee thinks is ‘just a joke’ or did not intend to offend).

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What can a HR professional add to your business?

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In 2016, Southern Waters Legal was about to celebrate its 7th year in business. Up to this point Leona and I had enjoyed great success, which had led to growth but also unexpected HR issues. These issues started to take some of our time away from running the business. We decided to tackle these issues head on and employ a HR Consultant to deal with any HR issues and to take on our ‘headaches’. With HR on board we have been able to focus on what we love, which is running the business and providing the best possible service to our clients.  The flow on effect is that we have doubled revenue and staff numbers and halved our HR headaches.

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The importance of having a Will

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Even though a Will is one of the most important documents you will ever sign, current statistics show that almost one in two Australians do not have a valid Will. According to the NSW Government, 55% of Australians have a valid Will. Of the remaining 45%, some have no Will at all and others have a Will that is not up to date.

A Will is a legal document and it is a statement of your wishes that are to be executed when you pass away. When you write a Will, you appoint an executor who will oversee the processes of distributing your estate in line with your wishes.

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Separating and choosing a Lawyer

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Separating and choosing a Lawyer – the benefits of seeing an Accredited Specialist in Family Law

When parties separate, one or both parties may seek legal advice.  A natural and common concern is which lawyer a person should see.  Lawyers have varying levels of experience and with the varying levels of experience come different levels of costs.  This gives rise to another common concern, being the amount of legal fees a person is going to spend.

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How to avoid Court in a family law dispute

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The idea of going to Court often creates a sense of dread for people who have separated from their partners. It is important to know that Court is not the only way to resolve your matter with your former partner. In fact, before a person can file proceedings with the Court, a person must usually engage in a process to try and minimise the need to attend court. These actions are known as “pre-action procedures”.

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Employment law changes for casual employees

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From 1 October 2018, casual employees can now request that their employment be converted from casual to full-time or part-time.

A casual employee who works a regular pattern of hours for at least 12 months may put in a request to their employer that they be converted to full-time or part-time employment. The employee’s request must be made in writing to the employer.

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Recent decision shake up businesses who rely on casual employees

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A recent decision by the Full Federal Court in Workpac Pty Ltd v Skene [2018] FCAFC 131 has transformed the way employees are classified as “casual”.

This case confirmed that a casual employee is defined by the nature of their work, including the days and hours worked, rather than the way they are classified in their employment contract.

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Family law and vaccinations: what you need to know

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Vaccination is a divisive topic. When parents separate and can’t agree when a child should be vaccinated or not, this can become an even bigger issue.

As with any dispute surrounding arrangements for children, the ‘best interests of the child’ is the paramount consideration. If the dispute surrounds whether or not to vaccinate a child, then each party must provide evidence supporting why their position is in the best interests of the child.

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