The breakdown of a marriage or similar relationship is a difficult thing to go through, but seeking early advice from divorce lawyers when going to a family court in Sydney can make the process much easier.
Between taking care of your finances, children and emotions, it can be difficult and overwhelming figuring out where to begin! One of the best things you can do to safeguard your property and family is to get legal aid from a professional family solicitor as soon as possible.
Here are some ways they can help you during this challenging time:
Children’s arrangements
It is usually in the best interests of all involved for your children to continue to engage in meaningful relationships with both parents, as long as it is practical and safe to do so. That being said, it is crucial that you organise arrangements that are in the best interests of the children. It can be difficult to change arrangements once they have been made, so careful planning with Sydney divorce lawyers is important.
It is also important to try to maintain a positive relationship with both your children and former partner, as this will make the process much smoother. This means keeping your children out of the more challenging or adult matters of the situation and trying to cooperate with your former partner where possible.
Property settlement
The financial aspects of separation can be made easier to manage if you seek advice from Sydney divorce lawyers and are proactive in terms of defending your assets. There are several different things you can do to protect your assets before formalizing your property settlement, including:
Protecting joint funds
Ensuring that you safeguard your joint funds is important so that you don’t overspend. An example of this is making your joint bank accounts require two people to sign for withdrawals over a certain amount (e.g. $500).
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Put your name on the title
Sydney divorce lawyers recommend making sure your name is on the title for any properties that you and your former partner own. Otherwise your ex-partner could refinance, sell or mortgage the property that you thought was yours without you even knowing! If this does happen to you, make sure you get advice about how to lodge a caveat on the property.
Avoid purchasing new property (for now)
Try to avoid buying any new property or large assets until you have formally separated from your partner and have a finalized property settlement. If you don’t, your former partner could say that they have an interest in the new asset even if you bought it after separation. Sydney divorce lawyers also recommend storing valuable or sentimental items in a safe place.
Copy financial documents
Ensure that you make reproductions of all financial documents belonging to you and your former partner. This includes tax documents, bank and superannuation statements, company and trust documents, and payslips. This helps you be informed of each other’s financial positions and makes matters easier for Sydney divorce lawyers.
Update Binding Death Nominee (BDN)
Your BDN and life insurance beneficiary will need to be changed following separation if you have nominated your former partner for these. If you do not update these, your superannuation and life insurance will fall to them after your death.
Conclusion
You may need to take other measures depending on your specific situation. As such, it is recommended that you get advice from Sydney divorce lawyers at your earliest convenience. Understanding your legal rights and obligations ensures that you can make an informed choice and stay out of situations that could negatively affect your settlement.
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