“An entirely fresh approach is needed in Family Law for custody issues and Parenting Orders to avoid such tragedy.” For an hour and a half, Philip Cockman was sure his son Aaron was dead. It was May 11, 2018 when…
Capital gains threat revived for Australian expats
A zombie tax measure designed to crack down on capital gains tax exemptions for Australian expats has come back to life in the wake of Scott Morrison’s election win. The $581 million plan to remove the tax exemption for Australians…
Offloading Tax Liabilities Between Spouses
With property division between separated spouses, it has always been the position that the tax liability of one spouse is taken into consideration as part of the settlement as a liability of the marriage. However, as a result of the…
Do it for the kids: why ‘family law needs to evolve’ in separation cases
Victor Paul Borg explores the new thinking on whether children should be cared for jointly or singly by parents following separation. This suggests that Malta’s Family Court decisions are causing unnecessary harm to public health. One of the world’s foremost specialists…
See What You Made Me Do: why it’s time to focus on the perpetrator when tackling domestic violence
Review: See What You Made Me Do: Power, Control and Domestic Abuse by Jess Hill. (Black Inc). You will not sleep if you read Jess Hill’s new book. Nobody should. Anybody familiar with Hill’s work as an investigative journalist will…
Boy, 6, sent by judge to live with dad who abused him for seven years
A man has spoken out about his ‘hell on Earth’ after he was physically and sexually abused by his father from the age of six. The boy, now 19, was sent to live with his dad by a Family Court…
Women’s Family Law Support Service may end after NSW Government cuts funding
A service dedicated to providing free support to women forced into the family court system may be forced to close its doors after the New South Wales Government rejected pleas to extend its funding. The Women’s Family Law Support Service…
Sperm Donor Is Child’s Legal Father, Australia’s High Court Rules
Australia’s highest court granted parental rights to the sperm donor of an 11-year-old child in a decision Wednesday morning. The legal battle began a few years prior, when the mother of the child and her same-sex partner planned to relocate to New…
Children the losers in Australia’s family courts, Law Reform Commission finds
The Australian Law Reform Commission says children are falling through the gaps between the federal family courts and state-based child protective services. It found that Australia’s family law system is placing children in unsafe situations, including letting them live with…
Broken dad Aaron Cockburn wants name cleared
One year to the day since he lost his four children at the hands of his gun-wielding father-in-law, bereaved father Aaron Cockman says there are still those in the close-knit community of Margaret River who treat him as if he…