The court imposes mandatory dispute resolution prior to applying to the court for child related matters in hopes that couples are able to resolve their issues and reach an agreement on their own terms.

Some couples will fall short of this goal and will have to resort to litigation to reach an agreement. However, some couples will succeed and, viola! The dispute resolution will have been effective and agreement, which once seemed impossible, has occurred.

So what happens once you reach an agreement?

The details of the agreement can be recorded in a parenting plan, which can be renegotiated over time. The agreement must be written, dated, and both parties must sign it in order for it to be valid. If you intend to make this plan permanent and final, you can subsequently apply to the court to have the agreement made into a consent order, in which case it becomes legally binding.

Bear in mind that changes made in your parenting plan may in turn have an affect on child support, income support, and family assistance payments. Also, if your parenting plan dictates an amount for child support, the Child Support Agency has the authority to enforce the agreement.

If you think there is a chance of reconciliation, you may be eager to attempt family counselling to work out your problems with your former spouse. But what if the damage is already done, and you are not interested in reconciliation? Should you still consider some type of family counselling?

Often, couples with no intention of getting back together, still find family counselling to be beneficial. Counselling may help you cope with the changes brought on by a separation or divorce, and can also be help you to understand and address any issues your children may be experiencing because of the breakup. Counselling helps you explore hurt feelings, unresolved issues in your relationship, new living situations, and financial adjustments. So, even if you have no intention of reconciliation, counselling still may be helpful as you experience a breakup.

Alternatively, you may in fact be hoping for reconciliation. Or, you may have an otherwise steady relationship, but you and your partner have been fighting more than normal. If find yourself concerned because of recent and atypical fighting that is occurring in your relationship, or other problems have arisen, counselling may be just what you and your partner need to get through a rough patch in your relationship. Counselling can help you get to the root of the problems in your relationship, and help you cope with new challenges as your life together evolves.

If you don’t think that counselling is necessary for you, it still may be something your child could really benefit from. Even if your child seems resilient and undaunted by your divorce or separation, she could be experiencing emotional issues that can manifest later. Addressing these feelings timely can save your child much emotional heartache and result in healthier relationships between your child and yourself as well as your former partner.

If you are interested in counselling, you may find a private practitioner who is qualified to serve as a counsellor for you, or you may take advantage of government sanctioned community based organizations as well. Don’t let money be an excuse to not take advantage of counselling; there are government resources available that make adjustments to the costs of counselling if you are on a low income or experiencing financial struggles.

If you have further questions about family counselling, you can always contact the Family Relationship Advice Line on 1800 050 321, visit www.familyrelationships.gov.au, or seek advice from one of the knowledgeable lawyers at Matthews Family Law.

Child Support can be sought via the Child Support Agency or a Child Support Agreement. Legal and adoptive parents will be recognised as having parental responsibilities towards the child.

Parenting Orders. may be sought in the Local Court, the Federal Circuit Court or the Family Court. The principles that apply to the legal parents of children of marriages also apply to the legal parents of children of same sex couple relationships. A partial resolution to this issue is for the co-parents to apply to adopt the child, this step will entitle the co-parent to many of the rights of a legal parent.

While many married or de facto couples terminating their relationship try to work things out amicably, it can be tough.  Here’s this person you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with, and now you don’t even want to sit next to them at the same table.  But it’s almost always best to avoid court, at least in the beginning.  We recommend trying a number of alternatives, before going to Family Court:

Work it out on your own

Sit down and talk to each other.  This can save both of you time and money.   And being able to work things out at such a difficult time in your relationship bodes well for the future, demonstrating that despite the breakdown, you can work together for what’s best for everyone.

Family Dispute Resolution 

Many couples start with family dispute resolution.   Trained practitioners in the field of family disputes, with additional training in law, social work and psychology work with a separating couple to help them through the process.   This is generally used when children are involved.

Mediation 

Mediation is led by a trained, objective person whose role is to help each of you define the issues at hand, manage the discussion and come up with solutions.  The mediator is interested in resolving the problem in the best way possible for everyone involved.  The mediator does not judge or make a final decision but will help you come to your own resolution.

Collaborative Divorce 

Collaborative divorce is similar to mediation but each side also has a lawyer and often a social worker or counsellor and a financial advisor are involved.  Together all sides work together to help both of you come up with a solution that works for everyone.  Among the incentives to make this approach work: if negotiations fail, neither sides’ lawyer can represent them in court.

When is it time to throw in the towel and go to Family Court?

Sometimes though, Family Court may really be the right way to go.  Here are some factors to consider when making the choice whether to continue (or start) alternative approaches or go to Family Court.

Imbalance of Power

If your partner is abusive or domineering or makes more money or controls the finances in the family, this may put you in a much weaker position if you are trying to work it out by yourselves.  While some neutral third parties like a mediator have experience handling these types of people, you still might find yourself stuck and unable to move forward.

Your Partner has an Aggressive Lawyer

Even the most well-meaning of people can fall under the spell of a tough lawyer.   If they are working towards “getting even” rather than being fair, it’s probably time to go to Family Court and let a judge decide.

Your Partner does not Communicate

Each side has to be willing to talk about the issues at hand, express their needs and wants and listen to the other side.  You can’t really work out a problem with someone who refuses to show up to meetings or won’t express what they want  or won’t agree to anything,  If this describes your partner – repeatedly – it may be necessary to find a good lawyer and turn to the Family Court.

Vanessa Mathews is an accredited specialist in family law, and has the expertise and experience to provide you with the separation and divorce legal advice you are looking for.

Contact Byron Bay Family Law & Mediation Specialists, Accredited Family Law Specialist, Level 2, 599 Malvern Road, Toorak, Victoria, phone

1300 635 529, [email protected]

Byron Bay Family Law: www.mathewsfamilylaw.com.au

Family Court of Australia: www.familycourt.gov.au

Federal Circuit Court of Australia: federalcircuitcourt.gov.au

 When there is a dispute over custody sometimes it is appropriate to have an independent children’s lawyer appointed. An independent child’s lawyer takes a proactive role and acts as an “honest broker” during custody proceedings as the child’s legal representative.

This person does not take instruction from the child, but rather they are to form an opinion after viewing the evidence and act in the best interest of the child. They are impartial, and are to ensure the child’s views are expressed in the proceedings, and make sure that all relevant matters are drawn to the court’s attention.

An independent children’s lawyer will not automatically disclose conversations with the child to the court. Rather, he or she will only disclose this communication if it is in the best interest of the child. However, if the lawyer determines that is in fact in the best interest of the child to share contents of the conversation with the court, it may do so even without the child’s permission.

When deciding whether the appointment of an independent children’s lawyer is proper, the court will consider a list of factors, that hail from a 1994 case.  Some of these factors include:

• allegations of child abuse
• intractable conflict between the parties
• issues of cultural or religious difference
• where the sexual preferences of one or both parents impinge on the child’s welfare
• issues of significant medical, psychiatric or psychological illness or personality disorder relating to the child or the parties
• where it is not appropriate for the child to live with either parent
• the proposed separation of siblings
• where one party wishes to relocate the child which would exclude the child from spending time with the other parent

An independent children’s lawyer is not necessary in most custody proceedings. Typically, they are only appropriate where the custody dispute is highly contentious, there are allegations of violence, or other extreme circumstances exist. If you think your case is one in which your child would benefit from representation by an independent children’s lawyer, you simply need to make an application to the court. Occasionally, the court will take action on it’s own initiative if it determines that doing so is in the best interest of the child.

It is possible to challenge a decision made by the CSA. There may be a right to internal review, an appeal to the Social Security Appeals Tribunal or to a court. Seek legal advice if you are considering challenging the CSA.

As you and your spouse separate and divorce, child support will be a one of the issues you will need to address. The primary purpose of child support is to guarantee that children’s day-to-day needs will be met through regular periodic support payments. Additionally, child support allows children to enjoy the same or similar standard of living of their parents. Child support can be arranged by agreement between the parents, or through an administrative assessment conducted by the Child Support Agency (CSA).

Child Support Agreements

Often the best way to arrange for child support is through an agreement between the parents in the form of a child support agreement. This method allows parties to deviate from the formula used in the administrative assessment used by the CSA to determine support. There are two types of agreements that may address child support: a binding child support agreement and a limited child support agreement.
Child support agreements are considered binding if both parties to the agreement were given independent legal advice (from separate counsel), and the agreement must state that this is in fact the case. Additionally, the counsellor who administered the legal advice must also execute and sign a certificate, which is included in the agreement. A binding child support agreement can be for any amount – including an amount less than prescribed under the CSA formula.
Unlike a binding child support agreement, a limited child support agreement does not require that the parties obtain independent legal counsel. The only requirements for this type of arrangement are that the agreement be in writing, signed by both parties, and that the amount agreed to is at least equal to the amount payable under the child support agency formula.
It is not possible to modify or alter a child support agreement; rather you must terminate the agreement and enter into a new one. The Child Support Assessment Act provides for several ways to terminate a child support agreement:

• by entering into a fresh agreement
• by agreement in writing
• a court order
• a new notional assessment, and
• simply if the agreement is three or more years old.

Child Support Agency and Administrative Assessments

Should you and your former spouse be unable to reach an agreement and execute either a binding or limited child support agreement, you may arrange for child support through the CSA. In order to obtain this, you must first make an application for administrative assessment of child support. The assessment will be made using the appropriate formula and can be subject to private enforcement or registered for collection through the CSA.
Administrative assessments are calculated by using a formula that requires parents to share in the support of their children and is based upon the level of care provided as well as their respective incomes. The various applicable formulas take into consideration a child support income amount, adjusted taxable income, self-support amount, and relevant dependent child allowance, among other figures. There are six formulas available, although the most common is “formula 1.”

The steps to determine formula 1 are as follows:

• Calculate each parent’s daily child support income for the child
• Calculate the parents’ daily combined child support income for the child
• Calculate each parent’s daily income percentage for the child
• Calculate each parent’s daily percentage of care for the child
• Calculate each parent’s daily cost percentage for the child
• Calculate each parent’s daily child support percentage for the child
• Calculate the daily cost of the child
• If a parent has a positive child support percentage under step 6, the annual rate of daily child support payable by the parent for the child is calculated by using this formula:

Parent’s daily child support percentage for the day

X (multiplied by)
Costs of the child for the day
Formulas 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are less common. They are variations provided to consider non-parent careers, non-resident parents, multiple cases, and special circumstances or deceased parents.
Should any of the elements used in the formula change, the CSA should be notified so that the child support amount may be recalculated.
It is possible to be awarded an amount that is inconsistent with the administrative assessment of child support. If you are seeking a departure from the assessment you simply need to fill out a form and submit it to the CSA who will then schedule a conference to hear the parties. A written decision is ultimately provided to both parties. In determining whether a departure is proper, grounds for such must be established, it must be just and equitable, and it must be deemed otherwise proper, and there must be a special circumstance. The Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 has enumerated ten types of special circumstances:

• Costs of caring for a child. It costs you more than 5% of your child support income amount to spend time with the children.
• Special needs of a child. It costs you extra to cover the children’s special needs.
• Manner expected by the parents. It costs you extra to care for, educate or train the children in the way that you and the other parent intended.
• Income and earning capacity of the child. The child support assessment does not take into account the income, earning capacity, property or financial resources of the children.
• Money, goods, or property from the payer for the benefit of the children. The children, the payee or someone else has received, or will receive money, goods, or property form the payer for the benefit o the children.
• High costs of child care. You are the payee, you have sole care of the children, an it costs you more than 5% of your child support income amount for the child care for children younger than 12 years of age at the start of the child support period.
• Necessary expenses in self-support. You have necessary expenses in supporting yourself that affect your ability to support the children.
• Income, earning capacity, property or financial resources of one or both parents. The child support assessment does not take into account the income, earning capacity, property or financial resources of one or both parents.
• Legal duty to maintain another person or other children. You have a legal duty to maintain another person or other children not included in the child support assessment, and it costs you: more than 5% of your child support income to have contact with that person or those children, extra to cover the special needs of that person or those children, extra to cover the necessary expenses of that person or those children.
•  Additional income. You have earned additional income for the benefit of resident children.

A child support assessment ends upon a child support terminating event. Such an event can occur when the child turns 18, when the child is adopted, or when the child, career or liable parent dies among other events.

Alternative Payment Methods

While it is most common to receive child support in periodic payments, it is also permissible to receive it in a lump sum payment. The most common situations where lump sum orders are considered are where there are difficulties in enforcement or where the liable parent is asset rich and income poor, although there are many other situations in which a lump sum could be awarded.
Another payment method that has been gaining in popularity is a combination of the periodic payment and lump sum concepts. This results when the liable parent deposits the sum to be held on trust and distributed as child support liabilities accrue.
Finally, a party does have a right to make objections regarding decisions made by the CSA. The objecting party must lodge the objection 28 days from service of the decision, and a decision regarding the objection will be made within 60 days. Additionally, there is a formal process available to allow parties to appeal an objection decision. 

There are advantages to going through dispute resolution. Even though it is mandatory you should approach your session with an open mind and a positive attitude. While the goal is for you and your former partner to reach an agreement, you can still experience some benefits even if you fall short of reaching an agreement.

Simply going through this process often helps former partners communicate better, understand the other’s position better, and can sometimes turn a tumultuous situation into a more amicable one. So, even if you fail to reach an agreement, the mandatory dispute resolution may still be beneficial.

After your attempt at family dispute resolution you will be issued a certificate. Even if you fail to reach an agreement, you will still need to provide the court with the certificate, which memorializes your attempt at resolution. Once the court has received the necessary certificate you may litigate your child related issues in court and the judge will ultimately made the necessary decisions.

Unfortunately, domestic disputes can lead to feelings of anger and resentment, which can manifest itself through violence. Sometimes violence is even the reason couples are seeking a divorce. If you and your former spouse have a particularly tumultuous relationship you may feel as though sitting in the same room and being forced to talking about your issues could escalate into violence.

So what do you do if dispute resolution is a mandatory step before you can apply to the court for child related orders?

The requirement to undertake dispute resolution is waived in situations where there has been a history of, or there exists a risk of, family violence or child abuse. The court has no expectation that you will attend dispute resolution if your safety is at issue in any way.

If your situation is not extreme enough to call for a waiver of this requirement, the logistics of your dispute resolution session may be altered to accommodate your apprehension. For instance, it may be possible to conduct the session with the parties in different rooms rather than siting face to face.

Your safety prior to, during, and after dispute resolution is of paramount importance. If you have any concerns about violence you should notify your family dispute practitioner or a staff member at the dispute resolution center immediately. You should also be vocal about this concern with your lawyer if you have one. Do not be afraid to bring this up – your safety is nothing to be shy about.

While there is no inherent right for grandparents to spend time with or care for their grandchildren, the Family Law Act does provide some protection for grandparents. When it comes to settling custody disputes, the court is always going to act with the best interest of the child at heart. Sometimes, this will require removing a child from the care and custody of a parent and placing that child with a grandparent. Although rare, circumstances do exist which warrant this type of action.

There are two ways in which a grandparent may seek a parenting order. The first is by making an application to communicate with and spend time with their grandchild. This type of application may be appropriate where a parent has chosen to sever are relationship with the grandparent, and is not allowing the grandparent to spend meaningful time with the grandchild. A grandparent may make this application regardless of whether the parents are separated or not.

The second action available to grandparents is to apply for an order seeking parental responsibility for the child. This action will only be appropriate in extreme circumstances, where both parents have proven they are unfit or unwilling to care for the child.

Grandparents who are concerned about visitation rights may rest assured that they are permitted to take action seeking visitation, and sometimes-even custody, of their grandchildren.  The guiding principle in custody actions is ‘what is in the best interest of the child,’ and the relationship between a child and their grandparent will certainly be considered. If the grandparents had historically been present and involved in the child’s life the court will be inclined to allow the grandparent to continue this relationship despite the breakdown of the parent’s relationship and their subsequent refusal to let the child spend time with the grandparent.

There is a strong preference in Australia for parents to reach an agreement regarding custody without resorting to litigation. In the hope of achieving this goal, parents are required to attend dispute resolution and make an effort to resolve any custody issues on their own.

If you are able to finalise custody through a parenting order or parenting plan, without going through litigation, your child’s wishes should certainly be a factor in how you determine custody. The guiding light when it comes to children’s issues is that you (and the court) should act in the best interest of the child. If your child voices a preference to spend more time with one parent, or there is a clear bond between the child and one parent, this should certainly be considered while you work out custody issues.

Both parents should work to reach an agreement that suits the needs of the child, and considering the child’s wishes is often the best way to determine what the best interests of the child are.

What if you aren’t able to reach an amicable custody arrangement and you require the court to determine custody? Will the court entertain your child’s preference to live with one parent over the other?

The answer is yes. The court must consider the views of the child in determining the child’s best interest. While it is not a requirement for a child to disclose his or her wishes, should they choose to express them, the court must consider them. However, simply because the child voices a preference for one parent, does not mean that parent will automatically be given preference in the custody dispute. The court will balance the child’s wishes along with their credibility. A child’s age and maturity are relevant factors in determining credibility.

So whether you plan to reach an amicable agreement with your ex-spouse, or if you must resort to litigation to decide a custody arrangement, the child’s wishes are of the utmost importance. Considering the child’s views is a necessary step in determining the best interest of the child.