Services 2

Divorce & Separation

No matter how long you were married, getting separated or divorced from a spouse can be one of the most challenging experiences you’ll ever go through. Our separation and divorce lawyers in Sydney, at Lapointe Family Law, have dealt with dozens of divorce cases and have represented many different clients who have found themselves in a wide array of circumstances. This experience, as well as our relevant qualifications, has prepared us for anything!

We aim to provide you with fair legal representation at an affordable price. In addition, we want our professional legal services to be easily accessible for the average Australian as everyone deserves quality legal representation.

Did you know that you and your spouse need to be separated for at least a year before you can get divorced in Australia? Our divorce and separation lawyers in Sydney know all of the intricacies of getting through the separation and divorce process. We understand how stressful getting divorced can be, and we aim to alleviate the stress involved as much as possible.

Parenting Plans & Orders

Parenting cases can be super emotional and complex, and you want to ensure that you have a lawyer on your team that has your child’s best interests at heart. At Lapointe Family Law, we consider ourselves some of Sydney’s very best child parenting lawyers.

Over the years, our parenting lawyers have been involved in dozens of child parenting cases and have dealt with a wide range of different clients and circumstances. This has given us valuable experience and the confidence to take on any parenting case. Teamed with our qualifications, we have all the resources we need!

We ensure that you and your child get fair representation and will do everything we can to ease the stress of the situation. Our fees are affordable as we aim to make our professional legal services available to the average

Property settlement

Property settlements can arise from divorce or from separation and can definitely be a messy process if not handled tactfully. That is why you need professional property settlement lawyers in Sydney to assist you with your property settlement and ensure that everything is handled smoothly.

One of the implications of separation is that in the majority of cases, the overall net assets from the relationship have to be split between both parties in an equitable way. We’ll negotiate hard for your fair share of the net assets and explain to you the factors the Family Law Act takes into consideration in determining these equitable splits and how the final agreed property splits or desired outcome can be achieved by the parties.

It can be tempting to want to ‘walk away’ just to exit an uncomfortable situation quickly, but this can have negative long-term implications for you financially, which you may definitely end up regretting in the long run. We’ll look over any informal agreements you’ve made, and our expert team of property settlement lawyers in Sydney will let you know if your proposal is equitable after considering the factors a court would consider in determining the property settlement. Or we can start from scratch and guide you through from start to finish. It’s important for Lapointe Family Law to take you through the process step by step to ensure you understand your rights and ultimately achieve the best possible outcome based on your particular situation. We aim to make the entire process as stress-free and manageable for you as possible. Even if you know nothing about law, that is what we are here for!

Lapointe Family Law has dealt with dozens of property settlement cases, and our professionalism and attention to detail have garnered us a reputation as being some of the very best property settlement lawyers in Sydney. We are very proud of the impeccable property settlement services we offer here at Lapointe Family Law and are happy to have helped so many clients.

Child Support

While child support is typically arranged by parents directly with the Department of Human Services (Child Support) the system is complex and doesn’t always take into account the particulars of your situation. We can take you through this process and provide advice on your options, for example how to enter into a Binding Child Support Agreement with the other parent to deal with both periodic child support cash payments and non-periodic expenses such as school fees, school-related expenses, medical costs, and extracurricular activities. In addition, we can assist with how to recover unpaid amounts of child support if a payer parent refuses to pay, how to receive your child support as a lump sum, and how to handle this in the most tax effective way.

Spousal Maintenance

In some circumstances, Spousal Maintenance is appropriate in addition to Child Support or may be considered on a standalone basis. This often occurs in situations where one partner is unable to support themselves adequately after separation and the other party has the financial capacity to pay the person in financial need. We can explain how Spousal Maintenance works and negotiate a fair outcome for you.

Domestic violence

Family violence can take many forms, including physical, sexual, emotional or psychological. In Australian family law, children have a right to a meaningful relationship with both parents, and also the right to be protected from harm. If your situation involves violence, we will work towards a positive legal outcome, while aligned, highly qualified wellbeing professionals can provide the emotional support you may need.

Financial Agreements and Prenuptial Agreements

Prenuptial and financial agreements suit many couples entering relationships later in life. Often, they are prudent where children exist from a former relationship, or in situations involving significant wealth, or when each party brings significantly differing levels of assets into a new relationship. However they are not full proof and without controversy and we will explain the positives and negatives of entering into such agreements and how they impact on your rights under the Family Law Act.

Whatever your reason for considering a Financial Agreement, we’ll ensure you’ve been advised of all your options, and you’re well informed so the best decisions are made.

Collaborative Law

Our divorce and separation lawyers in Sydney also practice collaborative law. This process is aimed at allowing couples who have decided to divorce or separate an opportunity to come to certain agreements without having to go to court. Collaborative law processes are often cheaper and have more desirable outcomes.