Coogee parents: If you have already separated or are thinking about separating, And you have children, property or business interests then getting the right family law advice is a must. The cost of not doing so is immense. Both emotionally and financially. You need experienced, compassionate and affordable legal representation. Our team of local Perth Family Lawyers has the experience and knowledge to guide you through every step to receive the best possible outcome.
Let us do the heavy lifting as dealing with family law issues is emotionally challenging. We provide the support and guidance you’ll need so you can be enjoying a new future with confidence and clarity.
When going through a divorce or separation you’ll want expert advice and representation to ensure a fair division of property assets.
Almost every separation lands on the same question — what happens to the house, and what does the other person get instead of it. Where there is a second property, a caravan or a boat in the mix, it needs valuing properly rather than being waved through as a lifestyle item.
Typically that involves:
We identify and value the whole asset pool, including superannuation, work out a split that reflects contributions and future needs, then document it through consent orders so it is binding and final.
We take these matters on regularly. Call us and we will be straight with you about it.
If you are divorced, separated and have children under the age of 18, speak to our Perth child support lawyers who know the WA Family Law.
Child support is assessed on a formula, but the formula only works if the figures going into it are right. Self-employment and rostered work are common around Coogee, and irregular income is the single most common reason an assessment does not reflect reality.
We assist with:
We help establish an assessment, change one that no longer fits, put a binding agreement in place, or recover payments that have stopped.
Talk to us early. It usually means fewer costs and more options.
Asset division for separated couples can be contentious and having a clear and thorough process will make the process easier for both parties. We can help!
Dividing assets means finding all of them first. The ones that get missed are usually superannuation and anything held in someone else’s name. Around the Fremantle and southern coastal suburbs there is often a boat, a caravan or a second property, and those are assets in law regardless of how they are thought of at home.
We can assist with:
We locate and value everything, deal with the debts as well as the assets, and then formalise the division so neither of you is exposed to the other afterwards.
Talk to us early. It usually means fewer costs and more options.
If you are considering separating from your spouse, or have already done so, you may be entitled to, or liable for spousal maintenance.
Spousal maintenance cuts both ways. You might not be getting enough, or you might be paying more than you should be. Where income around the Fremantle and southern coastal suburbs is seasonal or self-employed, a maintenance figure set off one good year rarely holds.
We assess whether maintenance is payable at all, at what level, and for how long, then negotiate or apply for it.
Call us and we will tell you where you stand before you commit to anything.
Orders can be put in place or existing orders can be updated to make sure that parental responsibility of a child or children is protected.
Parenting arrangements have to work for years, and they have to be able to change as school, work and the children do. Around the Fremantle and southern coastal suburbs catchments are spread out and one parent often moves closer to work, so the orders need to say what happens if someone relocates.
We draft arrangements with enough detail to be enforceable and enough flexibility to survive a change of job or school.
Talk to us early. It usually means fewer costs and more options.
If you have been in a De-facto relationship and you are now separated then talk to our team today about sorting out your parenting plans and financial asset division.
A de facto separation raises the same questions as a divorce — property, maintenance and children — without the divorce itself. Around the Fremantle and southern coastal suburbs a shared property, or one bought by a partner before the relationship started, is usually the sticking point regardless of whose name it sits in.
We advise on whether the relationship meets the definition, what you are entitled to, and how to deal with property and children.
Talk to us early. It usually means fewer costs and more options.
Contact our experienced divorce lawyers for Coogee.
You need twelve months of separation before you can apply, and you can be separated while still living under one roof if it comes to that. A joint application saves time and avoids service, and the whole thing can be done online without either of you attending.
Sole or joint application, we handle the filing and tell you what the court will want to see.
Call us and we will tell you where you stand before you commit to anything.
People in Coogee households frequently earn irregularly — seasonal work, contracting, or a roster that takes them away for weeks.
Where income is irregular, a support figure set off one strong year rarely holds, so establishing a realistic average matters more here than almost anything else.
The Fremantle and southern coastal suburbs is home ground for us, Coolbellup, East Fremantle, Fremantle included.
Appointments in the office or online, whichever you prefer.
If you are needing to get a property fixed up to be sold after a slit Electricians Near you will get your wires and lights up to code.
Legal guidance for property settlements and conveyancing, property disputes across Perth.
In the same way an electrician can help you get your house ready for sale a plumber can do the same, checking for leaks, drips or other issues in the home.
If you are moving house after a family dispute case has been finalised talk to a settlement agent today to discuss your options.
No — there is no automatic equal split in Western Australia, and that’s the most common misconception we correct. A settlement is worked out in steps: identify and value the whole pool, assess what each party contributed financially and non-financially, then adjust for future needs such as care of children, health, age and earning capacity. That process sometimes lands near half, and often doesn’t. A long marriage where one party raised children and the other built a career rarely produces an even division, and neither does a short relationship where one party brought in most of the assets.
Yes. ABMS Lawyers acts across the Perth metropolitan area from our office in South Perth – it is a straightforward drive from our South Perth office. Consultations can be in person, by video or by phone, documents are exchanged electronically, and signing can be arranged to suit you. Call us and we will work out the best way to handle it.
Superannuation is treated as property and forms part of the pool, which surprises a lot of people. It can be split between the parties by consent orders or by court order, and for many separating couples it’s the second-largest asset after the family home — sometimes the largest. It’s also the asset most often overlooked in an informal agreement, and the hardest to fix afterwards. Splitting it requires orders drafted so the fund can actually act on them, so it’s worth getting the wording right the first time.
No. There is no automatic equal split in Western Australia. The asset pool is identified and valued, contributions are weighed up on both sides, then an adjustment is made for future needs such as care of children, health, age and earning capacity. Sometimes that lands near half. Often it does not.
Not automatically. Neither party has to leave simply because the relationship has ended, and moving out doesn’t forfeit your interest in the property — that’s another common worry with no basis. Who stays is usually a practical question about who can meet the mortgage, where the children are settled and whether both parties can reasonably remain under one roof in the meantime. Where they can’t, interim arrangements can be agreed or ordered covering who lives where and who meets the outgoings until a settlement is reached. If safety is a concern, that changes the picture and should be raised straight away.