Community Family Law Questions

In this episode Ben and Heather addressed some specific questions submitted by people in the Coffs Coast community. It is likely that these questions will be similar to those being asked by many listeners.The five questions addressed were: •When a couple separate, is ownership of cars automatically assumed to be the person who has the registration, regardless of who bought the vehicle? •Do you have any suggestions on how to work out joint parental orders when one parent is Fly In Fly Out? •I'm preparing myself to ask my husband for a divorce. I'm really nervous because I don't think he sees this coming and is likely to react really emotionally. Do you have any recommendations on what I need to have prepared before I start the conversation? •My wife has mental health problems - bipolar disorder specifically. I am very worried about my children spending extended periods of time with her on their own. Do you think it might be possible for me to get sole custody? •My partner and I have been trying to manage our separation without getting lawyers involved. We've been doing pretty well but have recently come up against disagreements on the value of the house and how to divide this asset. Is it possible for me to engage a mediator to help us work this through, without have to involve a lawyer?Episode note (important): This episode includes discussion of parenting arrangements and property matters in response to listener questions, recorded before changes to family law provisions commenced on 6 May 2024 (parenting) and 10 June 2025 (property). The way the Court approaches these issues has been updated since this recording, so some legal references in these parts of the episode may now be out of date. Please seek current legal advice and refer to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and Attorney-General’s Department resources for the latest information.