Drug and Alcohol Use and Parenting Arrangements: What Parents Need to Know
Concerns about drug or alcohol use can have a significant impact on parenting arrangements and family law proceedings, particularly where there are questions about a child’s safety or wellbeing.
The Court’s primary focus is always the best interests of the child, meaning allegations of substance use may require an assessment of any risks to parenting capacity and the child’s care. In some cases, testing or safeguards may be considered to support appropriate arrangements.
Importantly, there is no one-size-fits-all approach - every matter depends on the specific circumstances and whether substance use affects a parent’s ability to safely care for their child.
If you need guidance navigating parenting matters involving drug or alcohol concerns, contact the team at Pippa Colman Family Law & Associates.
Do grandparents have “rights” when it comes to children after a family separates?
A question commonly asked is “What rights do I have as a Grandparent?” The short answer is that grandparents do not have an automatic right to see their grandchildren. However, children have rights.
What happens to the family home?
When parties separate, there is often a dispute over the family home. In most cases, the family home is often the major asset in the property pool, together with superannuation. The family home is identified and valued with all of the other assets owned by the parties. This takes place as part of the process of working out what is available for division between the couple.
The 5 Step Process
Following your separation, you may find yourself asking “what am I entitled to?” or friends and family asking you “how much will you get?”. There is no ‘one size fits all’ answer to this question, and the answer will depend on a range of factors specific to the individual circumstances of your case.
Top 5 things to do when separating
Going through separation can be stressful, upsetting, confusing and scary. Whilst everybody’s experience is different, a lot of people share the feeling of not knowing what to do first. There are a lot of things that will need to be taken care of – some more urgent than others.
Here is a ‘top 5’ list of things to do when you are separating. Not all may be applicable to you, but the purpose of the list is to give some initial guidance about the things you might prioritise.