Property
We understand how stressful it can be to navigate a marriage or de facto relationship breakdown. Our experienced team is here to provide you with the information, guidance and support you need to feel secure and optimistic about your future and get the best outcome.
As soon as you’ve separated from your partner, you can make arrangements to divide your property and debts. This process doesn’t need to happen in court. If you’ve already agreed on how things should be divided, we’ll draw up the documents to finalise the arrangements and get underway with the legal processes. These legal processes are important to ensure that the matter is finalised and both parties move on with a clean financial break from one another and properly protected from future claims.
If you and your former partner can’t agree on who gets what, there are other solutions. As a family law specialist, we will advise you on your rights, obligations and options to progress your matter.
Binding financial agreements
Some couples in a de facto relationship or marriage choose to engage us to have a binding financial agreement (known informally as a prenuptial agreement) drawn up to protect their property and other assets in the hopefully unlikely event they separate. If you’d like to safeguard your assets for the benefit of your or your children’s future, we can help.
Wills
When you separate from a partner, you may wish to change the conditions in your will to remove your former partner’s entitlements. You need a will that makes your wishes clear, avoids conflict amongst your loved ones, and is legally valid and binding. Doing this protects your family and friends from costly and stressful legal disputes at a difficult time in their life. Seton Family Lawyers can help you to amend or create your will.
Parenting
What happens to your children when you separate from your partner? Who will your child or children live with? How will they spend time with the other parent? We’ll help you to navigate these difficult questions and decisions, and the legal system, to get the best outcome for you and your children.
The law focuses on the rights of children to have an ongoing relationship with both parents. This means that separating from your spouse or partner doesn’t mean that you are separating from your child or children.
When it comes to deciding who the child or children live with and how much time they spend with the other parent, the law ensures that the best interests of the children are served first.
The court has to consider facilitating a meaningful relationship between the children and both of their parents and also protect the children from harm.
However, in most circumstances, you don’t have to go to court. We are known for settling 98% of matters outside of court. Our family law specialist team can take you through all of the areas that need to be considered and document what you think is a fair approach to the arrangements for your children. If your former partner agrees, we will help you formalise the documents without costly court proceedings.
Divorce
Going through a divorce is a highly emotional time that can be stressful for everyone involved, especially if you don’t have an experienced divorce lawyer on your side to help guide you through the process.
If you have been separated for 12 months or more, you can file an application for divorce. Our divorce solicitors are experienced in all family law matters and will ensure your divorce goes as smoothly as possible. In the rare circumstance that your separation cannot be handled amicably, you can rely on us to provide expert legal representation in court.
Talk to our team today
Don’t wait to get the professional support that you need to protect yourself and your family.
