Family Law and De Facto Relationships

With the family Law Act recognising the same rights and obligations in both marriages and De facto relationships, it can be quite shocking to find, having spent some time in a de facto relationship, that either the relationship comes to a end and you feel you are being asked to walk away with nothing, or that your hard earned assets are now subject to a claim by your previous partner.

Knowing and recognising your rights are an essential element to being able to protect them. It is completely normal to enter into a relationship starry eyed, in the belief that we will live ‘happily ever after’, and lets hope the ‘ever after’ is true for many. However it is also important at a point in time for you both to really sit down and have the conversation that nobody wants to have – ‘What will happen from a financial perspective if we were to break up?’

Having this conversation and getting to know your rights when the relationship is going well, is so much easier and more productive then at the tail end when we are flooded by emotions, that no longer enable us to think and feel in a balanced fashion. It can also save 10’s of thousands of dollars to do it early.

I am a firm believer, that when both parties are fully educated about there rights, and thinking logically, they are the best people to determine what is fair and equitable in the event of a breakdown of the relationship. It is however important to be educated and to record that agreement which will be enforceable in the future.

Should you have any initial questions, please contact us direct for a no obligation consultation.