Family law news and articles

Practical general information from Empower Family Law & Mediation on family law developments and the questions clients ask most often.

Why timing is important

Common family law time limits, the value of early evidence and situations that may require urgent advice.

The deadlines that determine whether a claim can be brought at all, those that apply once a case has started, and what applying out of time involves. It covers the property and maintenance limits, service timeframes, the disclosure undertaking, and the one area with no time limit at all.

Separation: the dos and don’ts

Practical early steps for safety, children, records and finances, together with common actions to avoid.

Practical steps in the first weeks after separating, covering safety, recording the separation date, preserving financial records, and the specific legal duty that sits behind the common advice not to move assets. It also covers what becomes disclosable in parenting matters, which catches people out.

Cryptocurrency and family law

How digital assets can affect disclosure, valuation, record-keeping and negotiation in a property settlement.

How digital assets are identified, disclosed and valued in a property settlement, what the disclosure duty reaches including holdings in companies and trusts, what happens where holdings have been transferred before or after separation, and which records are worth keeping.

Neurodivergence in family law matters

Communication, planning and sensory adjustments that can support effective participation in legal appointments, mediation and Court events.

Where neurodivergence fits within the best interests test, how a child’s views actually reach the Court, the adjustments worth asking for at appointments, mediation and court, and the practical detail of transitions between households.

Relocation: I want to move with the children

What to consider before relocating, how the child’s best interests guide the decision and what a practical relocation proposal should address.

The questions to work through before raising a move, what makes a proposal persuasive, what happens if the other parent does not agree, and what the Court will want to understand about the particular child.

Where to go next

For the firm’s full article index, see news and articles. For information arranged by area of law rather than by situation, the service pages cover parenting and child custody, property settlement, divorce, separation, family violence and intervention orders, family mediation and the other areas the firm practises in.

About this information

Everything published here is general information about Australian family law. It is not advice about a particular situation, and family law changes: several significant reforms commenced in 2024 and 2025, so older material found elsewhere online may describe rules that no longer apply. Each article records the date its legal content was checked, and where an article states a figure, a threshold or a time limit, confirm the current position before relying on it.

The information in these articles is general and is not a substitute for legal advice about your circumstances.

Contact Empower Family Law & Mediation

What is on this page?

This is an index of family law news and articles published by Empower Family Law & Mediation. The articles cover practical topics including time limits after separation, cryptocurrency in property settlements, relocating with children, neurodivergence in family law matters, and practical steps immediately after separating. For the full list with short summaries, see the news and articles page.

Is the information in these articles advice?

No. The articles are general information about Australian family law and cannot account for the facts of a particular family. Family law outcomes turn on the whole history and current circumstances of the people involved. Use the articles to understand the framework and the questions worth asking, then obtain advice about how the law applies to your situation.

How do I get advice about my own situation?

Contact Empower Family Law & Mediation on (03) 7020 6542 or through the contact page. Initial appointments usually run for 1 to 1.5 hours, with the first 30 minutes at no charge, and can be conducted remotely by Microsoft Teams.

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How current is the legal information in these articles?

Each article carries the date its legal content was checked, and that date matters more in family law than in most fields because the law has changed substantially in a short period. The presumption of equal shared parental responsibility was removed on 6 May 2024. On 10 June 2025 the property provisions were restructured, the duty of disclosure was written into the Family Law Act itself, and a separate framework for companion animals commenced. Material published before those dates, including a great deal that is still online and still reads as authoritative, describes rules that no longer apply. Where an article states a figure, a threshold or a time limit, confirm the current position before relying on it, or ask us.

Where can I check the law myself?

A good deal of what people need is published free by the courts and government, and it is often better read at the source. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia publishes guidance on divorce, parenting, property, consent orders and court procedure, along with the forms and practice directions. The Family Relationship Advice Line on 1800 050 321 gives free information and limited legal advice about parenting arrangements after separation. Family Violence Law Help sets out the law on family violence in plain language. Services Australia covers child support assessments and payments. The register of accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners is searchable and worth checking before engaging a mediator, since only a registered practitioner can issue the certificate a parenting application requires.

Can I rely on these articles as advice about my situation?

No. Everything here is general information about Australian family law and none of it is advice about a particular situation. That is not a disclaimer for its own sake: family law outcomes turn heavily on facts, and two situations that sound alike can resolve quite differently depending on the length of the relationship, the structure of the asset pool, the arrangements that have been in place for the children, and whether family violence is a feature. An article can tell you what questions matter and roughly how the law approaches them, which is genuinely useful preparation. It cannot tell you what will happen in your matter. The first thirty minutes of an initial appointment are at no charge if you would like advice on your own circumstances.