Harrisdale parents: Are you separating from your partner or thinking about separating from your partner, and do you have children, property or business interests than getting the legal advice a family lawyer is highly recommended. The cost of not doing so can be emotionally and financially devastating. You need compassionate, experienced and affordable legal representation. Our Perth Family Law experts are extremely knowledgeable and will 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.
The point of a property settlement is a clean break with numbers behind it, not a rough split agreed in a bad week. A recent build with a big loan behind it leaves far less equity than the sale price suggests, so borrowing capacity ends up deciding the outcome rather than the valuation.
We can help you work through:
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.
Talk to us early. It usually means fewer costs and more options.
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.
Most child support arguments are not really about the amount. They are about income that has not been properly disclosed, or a care arrangement that no longer matches what is actually happening. In Harrisdale the school and daycare runs are long and shift or FIFO rosters are common, so the care arrangement has to be written around the roster rather than around a standard week.
We assist with:
Where the assessment does not reflect what someone actually earns, there are formal ways to challenge it, and we use them.
We take these matters on regularly. Call us and we will be straight with you about it.
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!
Financial separation is the step that stops your finances staying tangled with your former partner’s indefinitely. In the south-east corridor the offset account, the car loans and the personal debt matter as much as the house, because the net position is what gets divided.
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.
Where one party stepped back from work during the relationship, maintenance is often the bridge between separation and getting back on their feet. In the south-east corridor both parties are usually working and the mortgage absorbs most of it, so the question is often whether either household can carry the loan at all.
Maintenance is often better resolved as part of the overall settlement than run separately, and we will advise you on which approach suits.
If this is where you are at, call us and we will talk it through.
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. In the south-east corridor young children and long commutes mean the arrangement has to survive a roster change and a school move, so build that in from the start.
We help negotiate a parenting arrangement, then formalise it as a parenting plan or consent orders so everyone knows where they stand.
Contact us and we will explain the realistic options for a matter like this.
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. In the south-east corridor it is common for both to be on a large mortgage without ever formalising anything, which is fine until it is not.
The process is the same as for a married couple: identify the asset pool, negotiate, then formalise through consent orders.
Give us a call and we will set out how this works in your situation.
Contact our experienced divorce lawyers for Harrisdale.
The divorce application itself is usually the simplest part of a separation. It is a court order ending the marriage, nothing more. Across the south-east corridor we usually deal with the parenting arrangements and the mortgage first, and the divorce application after.
Where you have been married under two years, or your former spouse cannot be located, there are extra steps and we will walk you through them.
Give us a call and we will set out how this works in your situation.
The households we act for in Harrisdale are usually young families — often de facto, often with a child under school age, and both working.
At that stage the pressing question is usually whether either household can carry the loan alone, and whether the parenting arrangement will still work in five years.
We act right across the south-east corridor, Haynes, Hilbert, Hopeland included, so this is familiar ground for us.
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.
It is treated as property and forms part of the asset pool, which surprises a lot of people. It can be split by consent orders or court order, and for many couples it is the second-largest asset after the house. It is also the one most often missed in an informal agreement.
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.