Joondanna parents: Are you thinking about separating or partner, or are you already separating from your partner? If you have children, property, or business interests then getting the right family law advice is a must. It might surprise you but the cost of not doing so can lead to both emotional and financial ruin. We are experienced, compassionate and affordable legal advisors in all matters of Family Law. Our local Perth Family Lawyers team will guide you through every step to receive the best possible outcome for your family.
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.
There is no automatic fifty-fifty in Western Australia. A settlement is worked out in steps: identify and value the asset pool, weigh up what each of you contributed, then adjust for future needs. High land value against a small asset base means the numbers look generous on paper and are awkward to actually divide, so superannuation often has to do the balancing.
The work usually covers:
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.
Call us and we will tell you where you stand before you commit to anything.
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.
The assessment is one thing. Whether it gets paid, and what to do when it does not, is another. In Joondanna, both parents usually stay close to the same schools and the same commute, so the arrangement tends to be practical — the income disclosure is where the argument sits.
We assist with:
We can also deal with the costs that sit outside the formula — school fees, medical expenses and extracurriculars — through a written agreement.
Give us a call and we will set out how this works in your situation.
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!
Until the assets are formally divided, both of you remain exposed to the other’s debts and decisions. Around the inner suburbs there is often an investment property or a share portfolio alongside the home, and each has its own tax consequence on transfer.
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.
If this is where you are at, call us and we will talk it through.
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. Around the inner suburbs the gap between two professional incomes can be wide enough that maintenance is genuinely in play, at least for a period.
Maintenance is often better resolved as part of the overall settlement than run separately, and we will advise you on which approach suits.
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.
The law starts from the best interests of the child, not from either parent’s preference. Around the inner suburbs the distances are short, which gives real flexibility — the arrangement should say what happens when work travel or shift changes get in the way.
We draft arrangements with enough detail to be enforceable and enough flexibility to survive a change of job or school.
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.
The critical difference for de facto couples is timing: there is a two-year limit from separation to apply, and it is missed more often than you would think. In the inner suburbs de facto separations often involve an apartment or villa bought by one party before the relationship, and contributions since then still count.
We advise on whether the relationship meets the definition, what you are entitled to, and how to deal with property and children.
If this is where you are at, call us and we will talk it through.
Contact our experienced divorce lawyers for Joondanna.
The divorce application itself is usually the simplest part of a separation. It is a court order ending the marriage, nothing more. For clients around the inner suburbs the practical point is the deadline: once the divorce is final, you have twelve months to start property proceedings.
Sole or joint application, we handle the filing and tell you what the court will want to see.
Contact us and we will explain the realistic options for a matter like this.
The households we act for around Joondanna tend to be two working adults, no children or one, and a relationship that was never formalised.
Two incomes and few dependants sounds simple, but de facto separations carry a two-year time limit from the date of separation, and it is missed more often than people expect.
We work throughout the inner suburbs — Kensington, Lathlain, Leederville among them — so none of this is new territory.
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 minutes 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, and you should not wait. Property and parenting can be dealt with as soon as you separate. Once a divorce is final, there is a twelve-month limit to start property proceedings, which is a deadline people do miss.
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.