Insights

Generally speaking, access to a court file is only permitted to the parties involved and named in the court proceedings on the file in question but permission can be granted to inspect a file.

The Full Court of the Family Court of Australia has ruled that persons under the age of 18 who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria and wish to undergo treatment can now do so without the need of seeking approval from the Family Court.

There are different ways to start families now-a-days and it is possible that conflicts can arise around who and who isn’t a legal parent to a child. Other than natural conception, artificial alternatives with donor sperm and the act of surrogacy are methods utilized quite frequently.  

There is some confusion around money given to people by family members as gifts or loans.

“Fly-in-fly-out” work schedules are now common placements in a number of industries such as mining and construction.

The Family Law Legislation Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2011 (Cth) confirmed the paramountcy of the child’s best interests as a consideration in the making of parenting orders.