Resolving it Yourself

You might think that resolving your family law issues yourself without getting solicitors involved is the ideal solution.

In one sense, of course, it is. Ideally, most people would like to maintain the best relationship they can with their ex-partner, nor do they want to spend unnecessary money.

However, trying to resolve family law matters without proper legal advice is dangerous. I have lost count of the number of clients who have come to see me who have ended up in serious difficulties because they have tried to resolve things with their ex-partner without understanding how the law works.

In relation to property matters, the Family Law Act is a complex piece of legislation, and you can be left with very significant liabilities in the future if you do not properly bring your financial relationship to an end. It is not only a question of your potential liabilities under the Family Law Act, but there are many other significant issues in relation to your Will, how you hold the title to real estate, superannuation, and the like that you need to understand. Not having a clear appreciation of how all these issues work leaves you very much exposed in the future.

In relation to parenting matters, again, ideally, resolving these issues directly with your partner in such a way that you are both happy and the children are protected is the best result. However, the reality is that if it was so easy to resolve issues with your partner, you would probably still be together. Getting sensible and correct legal advice in relation to parenting matters allows you to negotiate directly with your ex – partner if you wish, but with the benefit of knowing what the law says.

If you want to resolve things directly with your ex-partner, that is in many senses an admirable ambition. Just make sure, however, that you understand your legal position before you make decisions that could potentially have a dramatic impact on the rest of your, and your children’s lives.

I offer an initial consultation service at a reduced fee for all my clients. By the end of an initial conference, you will know what your legal rights are, what the risks are, what the potential costs are, and have a clear appreciation of where you stand.

From there, if you want to continue to try to resolve things directly with your ex-partner, at least you know where you stand legally. In fact, in some circumstances my advice to clients is for them to go back and talk to their partner and try to resolve things themselves. Having an initial consultation is a great idea – the cost is minimal compared to the information and knowledge that you get, and it doesn’t damage your relationship with your ex-partner – you don’t even have to tell your ex about our meeting if you don’t want to.

If you need assistance contact me at [email protected] or call one of my offices for a no obligation discussion and for expert legal advice.