New ways of doing old problems: family law in the time of Coronavirus

New ways of doing old problems: family law in the time of Coronavirus

Paul Doolan (Partner at Barkus Doolan)  and Zoe Durand discuss:

• Parenting - compliance with orders due to coronavirus and health conditions. 
• Commonsense and making decisions in best interests of children.
• Property issues, loss of value of assets and loss of income.
• Impaired ability to pay child support, spouse maintenance. 
• How s75(2) factors may be affected. 
• Unique circumstance of loss on value of assets and earning capacity (unlike past economic recessions).
• Difficulty for people resolving disputes at the moment. 
• Sense of community in family law during Coronavirus.
• Changes in the Court and increased use of technology during Coronavirus.
• Practical issues for lawyers i.e. signing up affidavits etc, deposing of documents, getting both parties to sign the same document, changes re tendering documents.
• Lack of supervisors to supervise time. 
• Long term changes that may persist after Coronavirus.
• Family Violence - UK  example.
• Potential family law reform.
• Merger of Courts.
• Paul's comments on Senator Pauline Hanson and her views.
• Paul Doolan's own personal views about family law reform. 
• Legal Aid and false economy of cutting funding to Legal Aid.
• Wider question of "Who are we these reforms for? Where should the law reform be targeted?"