New Service to Assist Separating and Separated Families

New Service to Assist Separating and Separated Families

NEW SERVICE TO ASSIST SEPARATING AND SEPARATED FAMILIES
A telephone service to provide separating and separated parents with access to dispute resolution has moved a step closer with the selection of the preferred provider, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock and Minister for Human Services, Senator Chris Ellison announced.
Relationships Australia Queensland, in consortium with Relationships Australia NSW, has been selected as the preferred provider for the service which will begin in July.
The service, which can be accessed through the Family Relationship Advice Line, will provide additional support to separating and separated parents, particularly those in dispute over payment of child support.
This telephoned-based dispute resolution service is the latest addition to the Government’s extensive reform of the Child Support Scheme.
The service will complement the face-to-face services already funded by the Australian Government to support parents who are unable to reach agreement on parenting issues after separation.
Child Support Agency customers in dispute over parenting issues that affect their child support payments will be a priority.
This new service will make family dispute resolution services more accessible for people living in rural or remote locations and will help parents to focus on their children’s needs in negotiating workable parenting arrangements.
The aim is to support parents to resolve parenting matters themselves without the need for a third party.

Source: Ministerial Media release

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

Egg donation in Australia: who can donate?

Egg donation can help another person or couple become parents. But donating eggs involves more than medical treatment. It also involves decisions about consent, identity, family connections and the interests of a child who may be born. The starting point is straightforward: an egg donor must be donating their own eggs, have medical clearance and… Read More »Egg donation in Australia: who can donate?

De facto relationship: what counts under family law?

Sharing a home does not automatically make two people a de facto couple. Equally, living apart does not necessarily mean that a de facto relationship cannot exist. Under Australian family law, the question involves more than an address. The central issue is whether the couple’s relationship amounts to living together on a genuine domestic basis.… Read More »De facto relationship: what counts under family law?

Paid egg donation in Australia: is it legal?

Can someone be paid to donate eggs in Australia? The short answer is no. Human eggs cannot lawfully be treated as something to buy or sell. Australia permits altruistic egg donation, not commercial egg donation. But that is not the end of the story. A donor may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses associated with the… Read More »Paid egg donation in Australia: is it legal?

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