What can Parramatta City Legal Do for you?

Parramatta City Legal will assist you to navigate your way through the labyrinth of legislation and case law to provide you with the correct and up-to-date legal principles which will be applied to your case. We will set it out for you in straightforward and practical terms so that you are equipped with the knowledge of what the likely outcomes will be in your matter.

Our Principal, Consultants and panel of Barristers have extensive experience in providing family law advice and services to the community. We appreciate the manner in which the courts operate. Our objective is to pass on our knowledge and expertise to you so that you can have confidence in the way your case is being dealt with. It will assist you to achieve the best outcome in your case, within realistic parameters.

Through the Family Law knowledge we possess, we can assist you to mitigate your legal costs and reduce the time and stress involved in running your case. We have a solid and reliable history of resolving disputes without the need for taking them to fully defended hearings.

Children & Parenting Orders

Almost invariably, the mother, father and ‘significant others’ will appreciate the need to put the child(ren)’s physical and emotional needs first. Issues involving who a child ‘lives with’ (formerly called ‘custody’ and ‘residence’), ‘spends time with’ (formerly ‘access’ and ‘contact’), specific issues (relating to long term and day-to-day decisions) can often be hotly contested issues between separated parents and ‘significant others’. This is where Parramatta City Legal can help.

Our staff at Parramatta are always conscious of the highly sensitive nature of such issues. We make a conscious effort to ensure that your experience with us is as comfortable and manageable as possible. To this end, we value understanding, patience and compassion. We are able to guide you through a vast array of parenting matters ranging from settling issues as to the nature and frequency of who the child ‘spends time with’ to obtaining an urgent recovery over from the Court when a child has been abducted.

Relatively recent changes to the Family Law Act 1975 have meant that the law now encourages equal parenting between both mother and father and modifications in the way that the Court handles applications. In determining what is in the child’s best interests, the Court now has regard to 2 primary considerations:

  1. The benefit to the child/ren of having a meaningful relationship with both of the child/ren’s parents
  2. The need to protect the child/ren from physical or psychological harm from being subjected to, or exposed to, abuse, neglect or family violence.

In balancing the two considerations, it is mandatory on the Court to have greater regard to the need to shield the child/ren from any family violence or risk of harm.

When we carry out your instructions we will be mindful of guiding you through this revolutionary era of Family Law.

Property Settlement

Parramatta City Legal has the necessary skills and expertise to advise you competently on the adjustment of proprietary interests of you and your ex-spouse/partner upon separation. This can involve assessing the most effective way of dealing with the former matrimonial home, dividing superannuation interests and making applications for / resisting claims for spousal maintenance.

The paramount consideration in determining whether or what orders for property division should be made is whether such orders are just and equitable. Broadly speaking, there is a three-step process in determining how matrimonial or relationship assets are to be divided. They can be summarised as follows:

  1. The court needs to identify and value all the assets and liabilities of both parties, whether individually or jointly owned.
  2. An assessment needs to be made as to the contributions made by both parties to the assets of the relationship. This will include direct and indirect financial contributions, non-financial contributions such as domestic duties and contributions to the welfare of the family. Non-financial contributions are viewed by the Courts as equal in value to financial contributions.
  3. A final assessment is made as to the future means (income earning capacity and financial resources) and needs (care of children, health, age etc.) of the parties.

We are also able to assist by postulating likely Court outcomes which will equip you well for an early settlement, if the proposed compromise position is reasonable.

Parramatta City Legal can also assist in protecting your future interests should your relationship break down. The mechanisms available include entering into Binding Financial Agreements (‘pre-nuptial agreements’) which will prescribe precisely how the parties’ assets are to be divided post-separation. Such instruments can also be made during or after separation by agreement. We are also able to protect your financial interests by applying to the Court for an order preventing your ex-spouse/partner from dealing with certain property if you fear that he/she may be selling marital assets to disadvantage you.

Our Family Law Practice is well supported by our Property Law department which will assist you in issues involving the sale of matrimonial assets, stamp duty exemptions, mortgages and conveyancing.

Overall, we set out to proffer not only valuable and sound advice, but also a realistic assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of your case so as to avail you of the information necessary to finalise your matter with the maximum possible result.