Child Custody, Parenting Orders, Children’s Residence & Contact
After a separation or divorce it is important to have arrangements for children in place. The wellbeing of the child is absolutely imperative. Sometimes these arrangements are informal or verbal agreements with your ex-partner, however it is more secure, legally speaking, to have such arrangements put in writing and recognised by the court.
The court encourages parents, wherever possible, to come to an agreement when making parenting arrangements rather than resorting to contested court proceedings. Our family lawyers are experienced in negotiations and can assist you in this regard. We understand the pain and expense which can arise from lengthy court battles and you can be assured that our family lawyers will always, wherever possible, aim to settle the matter without recourse to court action.
If an agreement is reached between the parties, one of our family lawyers can draft consent orders so that the agreement is formally recognised by the Australian legal system.
If negotiation between the parties do not reach a resolution we can assist you through arranging and assisting your participation in alternate dispute resolution such as mediation or conciliation.
If all other avenues are exhausted we can apply to the Family Court to obtain parenting orders. Our family lawyers are experienced in court room litigation and will fight vigorously for your rights. More importantly our family law team will always be mindful of the best interests of the children.
The family law team at Prime Lawyers will carefully consider every aspect of your case. Please contact us on
(02) 9521 2222 to speak with a family lawyer today. You can also send through your enquiry online now and we will contact you shortly
When making parenting orders, the Court will have regard to a number of issues, primarily the:
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Recognition of the benefit to the child of having a meaningful relationship with both of the child's parents; and
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Recognition of the need to protect the child from physical or psychological harm from being subjected to, or exposed to, abuse, neglect or family violence.
There are several arrangements that a Court will consider
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The child will live solely with one parent.
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The child will live with one parent and spend time with the other parent. Although there are no hard and fast rules in respect of the frequency of spending time with the parent that the child does not live with, the standard regime tends to be fortnightly contact from Friday evening to Sunday evening. This regime can and should be tailored to meet the needs of each family.
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There are parents who have shared care of their children. For example, the child may spend half the week with one parent and the balance of the week with the other or they may spend a week with one parent and the following week with the other parent.
Prime Lawyers have extensive experience in representing clients who require child custody arrangements put in place. Our family lawyers will carefully consider every aspect of your case. Please contact us on (02) 9521 2222 to speak with a family lawyer today. You can also send through your enquiry online now and we will contact you shortly
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