First comes love, then comes marriage – next comes separation, then comes attorney.
No one enters a marriage with an intent to separate, even though the divorce rate in Australia has decreased over time. In 2019, there were 113,815 registered marriages, with 49,119 of those ending in un-happily ever after.
Dealing with divorce is a difficult situation for anyone, and statistics being the last thing on their mind. However, the realisation of becoming one of those numbers would also be hard to process and accept. Experienced family lawyers in Sydney will give you the right advice and go through the steps during this hard time.
The Steps to Separating and Finding the right Solicitor
The stages of separation are dealt differently by each of the couple, experiencing emotions in unpredictable ways, at varying times and accepting the process with individual steps to one another.
Talking to family, friends, or to a professional counsellor can help and provide much needed information to assist during this time.
Before taking the necessary legal steps to find a family lawyer, a couple must separate for a period of 12 months – then the search to find the right solicitor begins.
A Lawyer will Fight for your Right in Family Law Matters
There are many legal representatives in Sydney, which can be shortlisted locally to your area. Search by accredited professionals providing experience in the field of family law, who will guide and help you understand the legal process, responsibilities, and your rights.
Expertise in domestic relations is priority, in most cases, a marital couple also share property, assets and children to consider. Getting the right legal advice from a lawyer in family matters is crucial to handle property settlement, assets, child custody and related family disputes.
Considering the Children during the Separation Stage
Separation greatly affects children, especially when their parents are not living in the same home. In some cases, the child is at a young age and doesn’t understand what is happening.
Arrangements for the child is determined during separation, your family lawyer will guide you through the legal process of deciding where the child will reside, and which parent will take care of them.
When there is a child under the age of 18 years old involved, the court will only grant a divorce if the child has the appropriate agreement made for them.
A Family Lawyer Assists in Handling the Dividing Decisions
Who gets what? Deciding to divide property and possessions can be a messy experience.
Dispersing property equally is common if you both purchased a home together and shared the financial responsibilities of the mortgage and household bills as equal partners.
Your legal advisor can assist to resolve the shared assets and property, in a result to settle without the need of a long painful battle.
The Process of a Family Court Hearing to Finalise the Divorce
Many couples aim to handle their disputes outside the family court system.
However, if there are children under 18 years of age, you will need to attend a court hearing. The judge will require an agreement in place to ensure that the child will have the proper arrangements made for their care.
The court will ask each party if they wish to follow through with the proceedings and once both parties agree, the final decision is made, and the application for divorce is granted.
In less than 10 minutes in court, you are now un-married.
Settling the Paperwork on Settlement Day with a Family Lawyer
The family lawyer will handle the final process on settlement day – this is when it all becomes real.
What is a settlement? The solicitor will process all paperwork which was agreed upon by the couple and organise to disperse all financial amounts to each party on the settlement date, this serves as the formal arrangement to resolve and finalise their family dispute.
Making all the Necessary Name Changes after a Divorce
After all the legal appointments with your family lawyer, court hearings and long conversations with your friends and family is over. It is time to think about what happens next – changing all your details.
For men, it is usually not necessary for any name changes. But for the women, it is quite a different story. Not to mention, changing the title from “Mrs” to “Ms” on every document and bill you have. Discuss all the necessary name changes with your family lawyer.
