The Undesirability of Appeals in the Family Court
Recently, we have had a number of cases where parties have good prospects to appeal, but a decision has been
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4 May 2021
Yes. But we do not recommend this in all circumstances because it can potentially blow up any goodwill between you and your ex-partner and make it more difficult to resolve your family law matter.
Nothing can be done for the return of those funds short of an order from the family law courts, by which time the money may all be gone.
If the money has been spent, then unless you can prove your ex-partner spent it recklessly, negligently, or wantonly (which is a high threshold), the court won’t notionally add it back into the property pool.
If your ex spends the money to pay for theirs and your children’s reasonable living expenses (groceries, clothes, housing, etc), it will not be considered as a ‘negative contribution’ or add back to the property pool.
On the other hand, if the money were placed on black at the casino, there would be an argument for an add back.
So, when should I transfer funds from the joint bank account?
It is not a criminal offence, nor does it fall foul of the family law legislation, for you to transfer the balance of funds from joint bank accounts into your sole account after separation.
One caveat is not to transfer funds from company or trust accounts without first speaking to a family law specialist, as there may be legal and tax ramifications in those circumstances.
We generally advise clients that the circumstances in which it is most appropriate to take joint funds are:
If you have been the homemaker and do not have a job or sufficient income to meet your and your children’s needs, it may be that your only way to support yourself and your children is to withdraw funds from the joint bank account.
So, what are my other options?
Some other options to consider are:
While this will preserve the asset pool the downside is you will have no access to the funds without your partner’s agreement.
The level of conflict, amount of funds in joint accounts and your financial circumstances will determine the tactical approach in your matter.
If you do have significant funds in joint accounts, it is critical that you speak to a family lawyer urgently once you separate.
If you need any assistance in your property settlement matter, please feel free to contact our Niki Schomberg or one of our other experienced family lawyers.
Recently, we have had a number of cases where parties have good prospects to appeal, but a decision has been
It is probably commonsense and goes without saying, but in so many matters we have clients present to us in
The Family Law Amendment Bill 2023 (Cth) which was passed on 19 October 2023 will result in significant changes to
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