It is not unusual in reported cases for Judges to make observations about aspects of practice. The case of Baines and Crabal, an interim parenting matter, where judgment was delivered by Judge Scarlett in the Sydney registry on 30 April 2014 is a case in point. In handing down judgment His Honour included some very...
Recently I had cause to revisit the issue of the threshold issue in spousal maintenance. The matter was looked at by the Full Family Court in the case of McCrossen and McCrossen [2006] FamCA 868. A wife who wanted to become a teacher failed in her bid for spousal maintenance because the court found she...
Eric and Fran are in conflict. They’ve always had a hard time working together, but lately the frustration and tension has spilled over to colleagues and family members on each side. Fran catches you first, her story emerging in messy, manic detail. Eric, she claims, is acting unreasonably. He is incompetent and he is being...
Almost weekly if not more frequently we are being made aware of surveys predicting rises in property prices for 2014. In today’s Financial Review we are told that property is in for a bumper year, with higher prices, increased building and more jobs according to a new survey. The bullish outlook, based on the views...
Recently, the Ipswich District Law Association invited Mike to attend their February seminar and discuss the notion of “Advocacy in the Family Law Jurisdiction” with interested local legal practitioners. Mike, who is a regular speaker at legal seminars, emphasized among other things, the importance of preparation, civility and courtesy in obtaining the best results for...
