GET LEGAL HELP
We support families as they sit between the prison system and their community. The safety and welfare of you and your family are paramount to us. We have experience dealing with situations of family violence and are committed to family law firm canterbury ensuring the wellbeing of everyone involved, both during the family law process and permanently afterwards.
Services Australia considers each parent’s income, their combined income, the amount of care each parent provides, and the child’s age to calculate the cost of raising the child. Changes in either parent’s financial situation can also affect the support amount. Child support covers financial assistance for raising children under 18, while child maintenance applies to adult children over 18.
If a child turns 18 while still in full-time secondary education, child maintenance may apply. This can be requested as an extension of child support through Services Australia or, in some cases, as a child maintenance order or agreement through the Federal Circuit and Family Court. When deciding who pays child support, Services Australia compares each parent’s share of care to their share of combined income.
We can help you gather the relevant documents you may need for the affidavit so that your divorce application runs smoothly. We help people facing particular kinds of serious legal issues, such as Child, Youth and Family or Work and Income matters, debt or credit problems, or criminal charges. Legal Aid Commissions can provide a grant of Legal Aid to an individual if their legal matter falls within the Commission’s guidelines and they live in the same state or territory. A grant of Legal Aid may be available for family law, criminal law and some civil law cases. You do not need to apply for a grant if you need one-off legal assistance. If you need one-off assistance, you can get free legal help without a grant through our duty services.
Please note, the firm is only authorised to provide legal aid services for the areas of law listed in the search result. Family Court Services is located at the Family Court of Western Australia's registry. When you arrive at the court you should go to the front counter of the Registry (the main office) of the Family Court.
If it is a litigation matter and lawyers require a court Dispute Resolution Certificate to be issued, lawyers are responsible for providing this to the chairperson or FDRS. If risk is too high, it may not be suitable for dispute resolution, even with lawyer involvement and a shuttle format. If a lawyer believes a case may not be suitable, we encourage you to contact us as it can be screened out at an early stage. If you apply to the court for a parenting order, the judge may consider the certificate when making decisions in your case, including whether one of you should pay towards the other person’s legal costs. Generally, discussions during the dispute resolution process are confidential. This includes our Kids Talk process, or with anyone at the dispute resolution session.
The case manager will have sought each client’s availability to attend and assessed the most appropriate venue and format for the conference, depending on participant needs. If your client needs an interpreter, we will arrange an interpreter for them at no charge at every stage of the FDRS process, including the conference. Join Chief Justice Richard Niall a for a recorded conversation about the law’s role in our community and the challenges shaping justice today. Many government bodies and institutions deal with the law and law-related matters - here are some of the most significant.
If a parent cares for the child less than their income share, they will usually pay child support. If they care for the child more than their income share, they may receive support. Only the parents’ incomes are considered—income from non-parent carers is not included. Depending on your situation, you might be considered separated under one roof - this means you and your spouse have separated but still live in the same home. If you wish to file for divorce while still living together, an affidavit is also required. An affidavit is a written statement created by a party or witness to provide evidence to the court, demonstrating a change in the marriage and explaining the reasons for the couple's separation.
Kristen is a family law lawyer who has worked across both family law and family violence jurisdictions. She joined FDRS in 2016 as a Case Manager, was accredited as a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner in 2023, and was appointed as an in-house Senior Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner in 2024. Our Prison Advice Service can help in the areas of law outlined above as well as provide advice on Department for Correctional Services (DCS) decisions and processes and victims of crime compensation claims. If you are experiencing family violence, there are services that can provide support and advice.