May is Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month. Over the last decade, I have acted for countless people involved in family law conflicts (property settlement and parenting disputes) who…
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This is what good friend Rod Suthers proudly said to me when he recently handed me this old machine he bought from a second hand shop 25 years ago. As I undid the box and opened the lid, I observed what looked like a small typewriter, just with less keys…
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Unfortunately this is not an uncommon position taken by parties regarding asset values when embroiled in Family Law property settlement conflicts after separation or divorce…
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I just want what’s FAIR. This is not an uncommon position taken by parties who become embroiled in Family Law property settlement disputes following family law separation or divorce…
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Due to the recent volume of foot traffic to our office foyer and our already heavy workload, our office now operates via appointment only. We are still here every day, working long hours, helping our clients with the various legal conflicts they may encounter…
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In business, there are those tasks that cannot be done during work hours due to other pressing client demands. In our office foyer, there is a display of vintage dictation/transcription machines previously used by lawyers or other professionals in days gone by…
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As an owner of small business, you stay until the job is done. Demand often increases around Christmas time where everyone knows there will be no production of work over the holiday period. I’ve always prided myself on doing the very best I can. Going the extra mile sometimes means staying back…
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It’s getting to that time where I probably should let everyone know of our Christmas closure dates. Our office will close at 12 noon on 18 December 2023 and will re-open on 22 January 2024 at 9:00am. We have decided to take a slightly longer break this year taking into account client and court commitments at the end of 2023 and at the start of 2024…
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Recently, the Australian Bureau of Statistics have released the most recent statics on divorce in Australia. Interestingly, the facts for 2022 are that 49,241 divorces were granted in 2022, compared to 56,244 in 2021.
For 2022, the average duration of marriage for which divorce was granted was 12.8 years…
Family Law in Australia is generally an adversarial system, with some exceptions. More than a decade of experience in legal practice tells me that at times, it can be come unnecessarily adversarial. Receiving voluminous correspondence raising debate about factual matters which do not advance…
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As I leave the Maryborough office in the evening after another busy day, it dawned on me that we are only a month away from Christmas. 2023 has gone so quickly, it feels like only yesterday we were re-opening the office from the last Christmas break…
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Over the last few weeks, I haven’t had time to scratch myself. Court cases, mediations, letters, case outlines, matters in the pre action procedure stage as well as a raft of new client appointments. We are now in territory where it starts to dawn on us all that Christmas for another year is only a “few” weeks away…
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Achieving successful outcomes in legal cases is a bit like making a good cake. To achieve a great result, a number of ingredients are required throughout the process in getting to the end result.
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Recently, the John Willett Lawyers team participated in the Zonta Says No Charity Golf Day at the Maryborough Golf Club to raise issues surrounding Domestic Violence within the Maryborough community…
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There is often a misconception that all family law disputes are decided in the Federal Circuit and Family Court at Brisbane. This is not always the case…
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I have seen some of the most ingrained family law conflicts resolved at mediation over the last decade. Mediation is a process whereby both parties involved in the dispute agree to attend at or with a neutral, independent third party who acts as an intermediary in helping parties arrive at a mutually agreed resolution…
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Coercive control is a form of behaviour which can often be found in cycle of violence type partner or intimate relationships. It is a complex issue and can take a number of forms.
The National Domestic and Family Violence Bench Book describes coercive control as a course of conduct aimed at dominating and controlling another. The Bench Book notes victims experience feelings of “walking on eggshells”…
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After receiving much interest from the Maryborough and wider community on the recent renovations to the historic Maryborough Courthouse, I found it only fitting to follow up with a further update…
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The Heritage listed Maryborough Courthouse has been going through periods of renovation and recently had all of the downstairs verandas replaced. I have spent hundreds of hours in and around this building as a Lawyer in Maryborough over the last 10+ years…
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