I HAVE SEPARATED – WHAT DO I DO NOW?

The experience of separation is extremely daunting and can be a time when uncertainty and anxiety about your future impacts on your health and well being. Whilst we can’t resolve how you are feeling about your separation, we certainly won’t make it worse. Our aim is to help you resolve the family law legal aspects of your life which in turn will remove the uncertainty about your future and let you get on with the rest of your life.

Here at Family Lawyers & Mediation services we don’t hard sell our services by giving free advice, pretend to be bulldogs, counsellors, make promises about how much we care about you, or any other self serving statements. What we do promise is that we are lawyers who are passionate about helping our clients resolve their family law matters. We focus on resolution, not creating or adding to conflict.

On the very first occasion you seek our advice we will discuss dispute resolution methods including:

• Negotiating with the other party and/or their lawyers
  • Negotiations can be formal through correspondence; or
  • through personal meetings with lawyers and parties; and
  • By telephone, video conferencing and face to face.
• Collaborative law processes where both parties are represented by lawyers specially trained in the collaborative process;
• Engaging in mediation at an appropriate time;
• Agreeing to engaging in private arbitration; and
• As a last resort or where necessary by commencing court proceedings.

Why You May Need To Take A Step Back

Sometimes you need to take a step back and consider how you want to deal with the parenting arrangements, financial aspects (child support) and settling property settlement matters rather than launching into angry responses or instructing solicitors to send demanding and unconstructive correspondence. We can show you how to avoid the pitfalls of family law problems by constructing a more conciliatory approach where possible. We know from our experience that how you begin your family law negotiations will determine the future conduct of your matter. Start badly and it is likely that your matter will be unnecessarily protracted, more expensive and damaging to the mental health of all involved.

The Best Interests Of Your Children

Where children are involved it is important to understand the basic principles of the Family Law Act including that the best interests of children are the paramount consideration. Of course the Act also requires that the protection of children from harm be at the forefront of consideration when determining parenting arrangements. There has only been a brief mention of how we can help you through the various methods of resolution available.

Seek Advice First

Get advice before you do or think what you should do.

In the meantime DON’T:

• Take advice from friends and relatives. They will have stories about their own experience or their friends and relatives’ stories but they are most likely wrong.
• Necessarily believe your ex partner as to what you are entitled to or what the “law” says. Most likely whatever you hear will be wrong and just a little biased.

Call us today on (07) 3804 3244 to discuss your individual circumstances. We’re here to help!