Riverfire 2013

Riverfire 2013

I am very fortunate in my job that I get the ability to travel. I am often asked to present at conferences. This year alone I have presented in:

  • Townsville- North Queensland Law Association conference
  • Brisbane- Surrogacy Australia, surrogacy forum
  • Sydney- Fertility Society of Australia conference, and surrogacy forum organised by Circle Surrogacy
  • Melbourne- Surrogacy Australia conference; presentation for the Australian Psychological Association, family law and psychology interest group; surrogacy forum organised by Circle Surrogacy
  • Anchorage, Alaska- American Bar Association, Family Law Section conference

I also travelled to San Francisco to attend a conference there and catch up with business colleagues in Los Angeles.

On the current state of the year I am to present in a week’s time in Brisbane to the Australian Association of Social Workers, and then in November in Charleston, South Carolina (at the American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys conference).

In my travels I take my trusted DSLR held together with tape and take lots of pictures. I have shared many of these with my friends and family on Facebook, but not on my blogs.

This morning it struck me as obvious that I should post some of these pics on my blogs.

Last night I was lucky enough to attend Riverfire in Brisbane, the annual fireworks spectacular. Just before the fireworks the International Space Station flew over, this tiny speck of light zipping past.

 

Things to Read, Watch & Listen

Australia’s Surrogacy System is Broken — Here’s What Needs to Change

Surrogacy in Australia is at a critical crossroads. Families are increasingly forced to look overseas to start or grow their families, surrogates often find themselves without clear legal protections, and children born through surrogacy face a tangled web of legal uncertainty.

Surrogacy Nightmare: Aussie Couple Referred for Criminal Charges After Overseas Baby Journey

Surrogacy can be a beautiful path to parenthood, but it also comes with intricate legal challenges, especially when undertaken overseas. In a recent and cautionary case from Queensland, Australia, a couple’s journey to parenthood through commercial surrogacy in North Cyprus ended not with joy alone, but with legal turmoil and potential criminal charges.

NSW Surrogacy FAIL: What Lawyers Got Wrong and How to Avoid It

Surrogacy journeys should be joyous and smooth pathways to parenthood, but unfortunately, legal missteps can turn them into complex, frustrating ordeals.

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