Love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage…

Love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage…

Last week I happened to be in Melbourne, as I was a speaker at the Surrogacy Australia conference. This was the beginning of a manic week, which also involved attendances in the Family Court in Adelaide, and Cairns (twice).

In any case, I happened to be walking past the Commonwealth Courts building in Melbourne, which houses the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. Then I saw this, which I took to be ironic.

How often does romance end in divorce? More importantly, in this picture, how often do those intending to marry take a horse drawn carriage past the place where they may divorce? Is this an omen of bad things to come?

Request an Appointment
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Request an Appointment - Stephen Page
Things to Read, Watch & Listen

NSW surrogacy law is not extra-territorial: judge

It is depressing to read a judgment and realise that a judge has got something fairly basic wrong. It is even more depressing, as a family lawyer of 38 years post-admission, to see a judgment where the judge got two significant issues of law wrong in the judgment. Sadly, that occurred in the case of… Read More »NSW surrogacy law is not extra-territorial: judge

Queensland couple referred to police for surrogacy

A Queensland husband and wife, in the recent case of  Lloyd & Compton [2025] FedCFamC1A 28,  who had undertaken surrogacy in North Cyprus, were denied their chance of parenting orders and leave to adopt because they had undertaken commercial surrogacy. Instead, they were referred to the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions for engaging in commercial… Read More »Queensland couple referred to police for surrogacy

The Disclosure Requirements in Family Law

In this video, solicitor Ella Leitch outlines the disclosure obligations every separating person must understand. For anyone engaging with family lawyers, the message is clear: transparency is essential. Failure to disclose relevant documents can lead to severe procedural and even criminal consequences, derail property settlements, and damage parenting matters. This article summarises the key legal… Read More »The Disclosure Requirements in Family Law

Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board