Same Sex Couples and Separation
The legalising of same sex marriage in December 2017 has brought significant changes to Family Law.
Previously, gay couples were recognised as having the same rights as defacto couples. Under the Family Law Act, de-facto couples are entitled to the same property settlement and parenting order processes as married couples. Although nothing changes for same sex couples in these aspects, the fact they can now marry invites more options when it comes to entering and ending a relationship.
One of these options is to enter a Binding Financial Agreement. Although defacto couples can enter a Binding Financial Agreement at the start of their relationship, it is far more commonly entered by married couples and ensures that whatever assets are brought into the relationship by a party, are retained by that party in the event of separation.
Additionally, same sex couples may also now file for divorce if their relationship irretrievably breaks down.
If you wish to seek advice on Binding Financial Agreements and Divorce in Same Sex relationships, please contact our office for assistance.
Satisfied Family Law Clients
I just wanted to say thank you for your help in my matter. A special mention to Sandy Naidu for her help and professional way she run me though my process and out come. A credit to her profession and making me feel comfortable though it all as well as the back up care to see how I am traveling though life after the process. I would recommend Ma... Read morersdens services to all my friends and family. Thank you so much sandy.
Brett Tassy
Nevine Youssef and the team were just fantastic. For a protracted family law matter, I would definitely recommend them. Nevine was compassionate and supportive, and was definitely in my corner when I needed it most. Maddison and the conveyancing team was also fantastic to work through a few challenges for property settlement. I was so very happy I ... Read morewent to Marsdens. Could not recommend them highly enough.
Bobby P
Matthew Mangiapane at Marsdens Campbelltown guided and helped me through lengthy and frustrating divorce proceedings. His expertise and experience helped me with the separation of the marital assets and avoided going to court, saving me and my ex wife a lot of time and money. I highly recommend his legal services to anyone going through a separatio... Read moren.
Nathan Hopper
Tom and the team supported me throughout my entire divorce case. Tom was compassionate and truly an expert in Family Law. He stayed across every detail of my long protracted court matter and approached every step with the precision of a professional chess player. I am incredibly grateful for his guidance and for helping me navigate one of the tough... Read moreest periods of my life. I can't recommend Marsdens, Tom and Vincent highly enough. I would whole heartedly recommend Tom and his team (especially Vincent) for any law matter.
Janelle Vastag
Sandy was not only knowledgeable but also personable, friendly, and consistently willing to go the extra mile. From our very first conversation, I felt completely supported and in safe hands. She took the time to fully understand my situation, guided me through each step with clarity, and always made sure I felt comfortable with the direction we we... Read morere taking. Her patience was exceptional. I openly admit that attention to detail isn’t my strongest trait, and Sandy repeatedly gave me the extra time and guidance I needed to work through documents and understand the next course of action. Her professionalism, communication, and calm, confident manner made a stressful process so much easier to navigate. I unreservedly recommend Sandy without hesitation. If I could award more than five stars, I would. I’m delighted to hear she has recently been promoted, it is thoroughly deserved. My experience with Marsdens as a whole has been very positive, and every person I dealt with was of a high standard, but Sandy was truly outstanding and one of the best people I’ve ever had in my corner. Thank you to Sandy and to Marsdens for your expert work. I sincerely hope I won’t need legal support again, not in a negative sense, but because you’ve helped resolve my situation so well, yet if I ever do, I know exactly who I’ll be contacting.
Joe Ward
Mrs Nevine Youssef is a highly skilled practitioner. I would have no reservations in recommending her to anyone needing a family law specialist. She kept me informed at all times and explained all issues clearly. She provided highly valuable guidance during an extremely stressful period of my life. She was honest and realistic about the sort of out... Read morecome I could expect. She applied a laser like focus to address issues as they arose and always identified solutions. Her calm demeanor was very reassuring. I felt heard and respected.
Anonymous
Being involved in a multi-day trial in the family court is both confronting and an emotional drain. But I had the privilege of being supported by an extraordinary legal team from Marsdens Law Group - Family Law. In particular, being case managed for quite some time by Mrs Vayshali Chandra - partner, and Mr Matthew Mangiapane - Associate, I was the ... Read morebeneficiary of an unwavering client best-interest commitment at all times. In conjunction with Special Counsel Mr Paul Livingstone, a brilliant strategist and tactician, it was evident that I was in very capable hands. Observing my legal team in action they collectively displayed the hall marks of a "well-oiled machine". Their stellar performance throughout the trial showcased their extensive experience and energy. I would recommend Marsdens Law Group in a heartbeat.
Eric Willebrands
I would just like to thank Vayshali very much for all her help over the last year, she has always been supportive and helped me above and beyond what she needed to do. Also thanks to all the other staff that have helped me get through a very hard time in my life. Vayshali and her team are highly recommended. Thank you all again.
Leah Scarcella
I received legal advice from Joshua regarding a legal matter. Joshua's knowledge and communication skills were great and he assisted me greatly in understanding my matter.
Melissa Vella
After a long and emotionally exhausting three-year legal battle, I can say that having Nevine and Peeraya by my side made all the difference. From the very beginning, they were nothing short of amazing-supportive, compassionate, and incredibly hardworking. They went above and beyond every step of the way, tirelessly preparing multiple affidavits ... Read moreand attending numerous court hearings with unwavering grace and determination. Their dedication paid off: my children and I got our home back, and we received a fair settlement. Peeraya, in particular, worked late into the night with me, ensuring every piece of evidence was accurate and every affidavit reflected the truth of my experience. She was not only thorough and professional but also deeply considerate of my needs throughout the process. Thanks to their commitment and support, I walk away from this chapter a much stronger woman than the scared one who started this journey. I truly couldn't have asked for a better legal team. While I'm relieved the legal process is over now, I'll genuinely miss their humour, their empathy, and the reassuring conversations that helped carry me through. I wholeheartedly recommend Nevine and Peeraya to anyone seeking legal representation. Choosing them was one of the best decisions I made.
Tamryn Michels
Going through seperation is difficult as it is. Andrew Larque has always given his time to listen to my concerns regarding my now 8 year old daughter. As simple as it may sound, anyone who is going through difficult times just needs someone to be there to simply listen and be present even just by telephone. From my experience with Andrew, a job of ... Read morea family lawyer is seen and viewed as to put the child best interest. During my difficult time it was hard to trust anyone. I'm glad I trusted Marsden because now my 8 year old daughter is in a better care and we'll supported. My daughter is now back at her original school, she plays weekend netball, orange belt in her karate club and most of all really engaged with her school activities and group of friends.
Marvin Monteverde
I was so impressed with Marsdens and Carla with the family law practice. Helping me through a very difficult time and giving sound and easy to understand advice and continually updating me on progress. Carla and her team were accommodating to my situation, empathetic and worked with me to get a really good outcome. I would highly recommend them.
Sarah Hall
Marsdens Law Group did an amazing job for me over the past 15 months, getting results better than I could have expected, and also setting up a new will was easy and stress free.
Gavin Shaddock
Nevine was prompt and had every detail at hand when it was time to attend court. Nevine gave me honest advice and in NO way did Nevine proceed to make my matter drag on. I am so grateful for this because all the advice I got from people in similar situations was that 'solicitors are only there to make money for themselves.' In my experience this wa... Read mores far from the truth from Nevine & the whole Family Law Team.
George Vumbaca
On a personal note, you and your staff have done an outstanding job. You made the process very easy, cannot fault you in anyway and yes you do come highly recommended by me and wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to anybody else. No doubt I will talk to you sometime in the future.
Frank
I was in good hands where Tom had case strategies and counselling advice to assist me make sensible decisions that benefited me in the long term which is important amidst short term emotion.
Matthew Stewart
Nevine was spot on. Whilst the result was not in my favour, Nevine explained this from day one. Nevine made this experience easy to deal with and is one of the best solicitors I have had dealings with.Thank you.
Irene Hatlipetros