Australia: Family and Matrimonial

When parents separate in NSW, demanding work schedules—whether FIFO rosters, shift work, or frequent travel—raise immediate concerns about custody arrangements. Does a busy career weaken your parenting case, or can the right legal strategy protect your time with your children while maintaining professional commitments?

When you pass away, your superannuation doesn't automatically become part of your estate—it's held in trust and distributed according to specific rules. Without the right nomination in place, the fund trustee, not your will, may decide who receives your super. Understanding binding versus non-binding nominations and ensuring your documentation is valid can make the difference between your wishes being honored or your super going to unintended beneficiaries.

Employee share schemes can become complicated assets in property settlements, especially when equity vests after separation. Australian family courts treat unvested options, performance rights and bonuses differently depending on timing and conditions, with case law pulling in conflicting directions on whether they constitute divisible property or merely financial resources.