Inside family law : conversations from the coalface

402 Pages·2018·5.98 MB·English

by  Zoë Durand

This book is dedicated to my husband Francois for his support,
and my one year old daughter Alice who let me know the draft
manuscript was ready by (literally) eating it.
This book is not legal advice and the views and comments are
of a general nature only. This book is not to be relied upon in
substitution for detailed legal advice for an individual’s
specific situation. The views expressed by individual
interviewees do not necessarily represent the editor’s own
views. Likewise, each individual interviewee does not
necessarily ascribe to the views expressed in other interviews,
nor to the views of the editor.
May this book be just the start of an ongoing public space for
discussion, where individual’s stories can be heard, because as
Karen Blixon said:
‘All sorrows can be bourne if you can put them into a story or
tell a story about them.’
Contents
Q&A Index
60 useful questions for those navigating the family law system
Key practical points for lawyers
Preface
Judges of the Family Court & Federal Circuit Court
Former Federal Circuit Court Judge Stephen Scarlett OAM
RFD
Come on, let’s try a bit harder
Retired Federal Circuit Court Judge Robyn Sexton
Not a case of one size fits all
The Honourable Justice Peter Rose AM QC
The less glamorous part of it
Judge Joe Harman
Not the dollar, not the corporation, but the family
Parenting Matters: Court experts and other
professionals
Dr Antony Milch, Expert psychiatrist
To forgive each other
Alison O’Neill, Expert clinical psychologist & expert report
writer
Allow children to have a childhood
Linda Campbell, Family consultant, single expert report
writer, family therapist
Permission to love the other parent
Julia Nowland, Family therapist & counsellor
Working out the kinks
Jakki Schwartz, Children’s contact supervisor
Without seeing their children
Property Matters: Court experts and other
professionals
Brian Pickup, Specialist forensic accountant, expert
business valuer
The complexity within
David Bird, Expert real property valuer
A human element
Tristan Oddi, Real estate agent
Fully informed
Charlie Viola, Wealth management adviser
Emotions have ruled reality
Mark Lipson, Specialist forensic accountant, expert
business valuer
The numbers don’t tell the whole story
Individuals who have navigated the family law system
Simone: I never had that
On being a child with parents going through bitter litigation about
parenting
Nina: A vague, but powerful painful perception
On being a teenager, protected (yet not) throughout her parent’s
separation outside of court
Kris: Unconditionally
On being a child with parents litigating in court
Noah: Terrible things
On being a child when his relationship with his mother fractured
Brooke: Two lives
On being a mother with a child who is self-harming in family law
proceedings
Jacqui: Subtle quiet abuse
On how the court process facilitated ongoing abuse from an ex-husband
Michael: We’ve got to stand up for the blokes
On being a father and survivor of domestic violence and misuse of child
support
Ryan: Getting on and off at various bus stops
On being a self represented litigant in property proceedings
Robert: When the dust has settled
On being a father and ex-husband resolving property matters outside of
court
Hugo: The Club
On being the new partner of (and funding) a mother trying to have Orders
for supervised time only reviewed
Marco: Suffering in silence
A single gay dad’s journey through international commercial surrogacy to
have his daughter
Barristers
Trevor Tockar
Through the hoops
Tom Hutchings
It takes a village to raise a child
Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes
A potential loophole
David Blackah
Work with the system, not against it
Mark Holden
When women tell men things
Greg Kenny
The persuasive impact of a concession
Bridie Nolan
Don’t die on every hill