Author: Jacky Campbell

Funding the fight

Frequently in family law proceedings, one party has greater access to resources to pay for legal costs and related expenses than the other party. The discrepancy between parties' resources is often most stark in complex financial cases. This article looks at the...

Essentials in de facto property law

Introduction Since 1 March 2009 the Family Law Courts have been able to deal with property and maintenance disputes between de facto couples in all states except Western Australia (and South Australia since 1 July 2010). This paper does not deal with the jurisdiction...

Stanford—the High Court decision

Introduction Judgment was delivered by the High Court in Stanford v Stanford[1] on 14 November 2012. In a rare examination of the Family Law Act 1975 (“the Act”) and particularly s 79, the High Court stated its views regarding: Whether an order for alteration of...

Valuing a haunted house

Does a resident ghost increase or decrease the value of a home? Unfortunately, this important issue remains unresolved in Australia although in Descas & Descas [2013] FMCAfam 69, the wife tried to argue that it had a detrimental effect on the home’s value. There...