Insights
Writing on family violence and coercive control, property settlements, parenting arrangements and surrogacy, alongside published work, media coverage and commentary elsewhere.
THOUGHTSI write about family law as it actually works, what’s changed, what hasn't, and what it means for the person in the middle of it.
When surrogacy goes wrong.
The case of Lamb and Anor & Shaw [2017] FamCA 769 is a powerful illustration of what can happen when a surrogacy arrangement breaks down and of the limited legal protections available to intended parents under current Australian law.
It underscores the critical importance of obtaining expert legal advice before entering into any surrogacy arrangement, and of understanding that the law, as it currently stands, may not protect you in the way you expect.
Recent updates on family violence and coercive control.
The way Australian family courts assess coercive control changed significantly with the Full Court's decision in Pickford & Pickford [2024].
For the first time, the Court set out a structured five-step framework for evaluating allegations of coercive and controlling behaviour:
Parental alienation: what the courts actually look for.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia is generally cautious about using the term “parental alienation syndrome”.
However the issue arises frequently in a family law context and the court’s focus is often on behavioural dynamics such as conflict, loyalty and enmeshment, coaching or brainwashing.
PUBLISHEDPieces I've co-written, work published in other places, and coverage where I've been asked to comment.
