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    What is a Gett? 1024 683 Dorter

    What is a Gett?

    When a couple who practise their Jewish faith separate and wish to “divorce”, there are only two ways to end their status as a married couple – by death or the grant of a Gett.  The issuing of the Gett effects the divorce between the Jewish couple according to Jewish Law.

    Pursuant to Jewish law (“Halakha”), a “divorce” can be accomplished only by the parties. It is effected by the formal delivery by the husband and the acceptance of the wife of the bill of divorcement (“Gett”) under the supervision of the Rabbinical Court, namely the Beth Din. The parties are divorced and free to marry again once the Gett has been delivered and accepted.

    However, outside of Israel, the Beth Din lacks judicial power, therefore, should one spouse seek a Gett and the other refuse, the Beth Din in Australia is unable to assist them. They may however apply to the Family Court for assistance.  

    What happens if I do not get a Gett?

    Without a Gett, a woman will be unable to remarry under Halakha and for a man it is extremely difficult to do so.

    Without a Gett, a woman is termed “agunah”, literally meaning one who is “chained” to a man from whom she is unable to procure a Gett. Any child or children born to an “agunah” will bear the stigma and burdens of being illegitimate. It may have consequences that flow through the descendants who forever may be unable to rectify their situation.

    Requirements of a Gett

    Halakha requires the following specific formalities to be complied with in order for a Gett to be considered valid:

    1. A divorce document must be written; this is usually done by a professional religious scribe (“sofer”).
    2. It must have been written on the explicit instruction and with the free-willed approval of the husband, with the specific intention that it is to be used by the man and the wife to that marriage.
    3. It cannot be initially written with “blanks” to be filled in later.
    4. It must be delivered to the wife, whose physical acceptance of the Gett is required to complete and validate the “divorce” process.

    Can the Family Court of Australia order my ex-partner to grant me a Gett?

    The Family Court must consider two factors in determining whether an order should be made.

    Firstly, it must be consonant with the requirements of the Jewish Law or otherwise a Gett may be void (for unlawful duress) and the Court’s actions therefore futile.

    Secondly, from a public policy perspective, if not a constitutional one, civil courts should not be seen to become involved in religious matters.

    Getting a Gett

    Where does this leave us?

    The Family Court of Australia has been hesitant to assist separating Jewish Parties obtain a Gett.

    The Court has entertained applications in relation to Getts in some circumstances but is yet to make a finding that on a final basis that the court has the power to Order parties to attend a Beth Din and do “all acts and things necessary” to obtain a Gett.   

    Gett Assistance

    For many Jewish Couples who separate it is important to obtain a Gett following the breakdown of a marriage. If securing a Gett is important to you, we can assist you by:

    • Negotiating this element or ‘limb’ of your final settlement through mediation or a round table conference outside of court proceedings and document the agreement reached as a consent order; or
    • Seeking Orders from the court, to the effect that you and your ex-partner are to attend “when called upon” and declare that such order “not be construed as in any way inhibiting, directing, influencing, or controlling any deliberation, decision, order, decree, direction or recommendation of the said Religious court or in any way inhibiting the Respondent or Applicant in making any application”.

    If you would like any assistance with the above, Dorter Family Lawyers and Mediators are expert family lawyers who specialise in all areas of family law and can assist. Please contact us on (02) 9929 8840.

    Rebekah Dorter
    Principal

    Maeve Cooper
    Solicitor

    This post is an overview only and should not be considered as legal advice.  If there are any matters that you would like us to advise you on, then please contact us.

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    Financial Abuse 1024 683 Dorter

    Financial Abuse

    When it comes to domestic and family violence verbal and physical abuse usually come to mind. However, a further widespread form of domestic and family abuse is ‘financial or economic abuse’.

    What is Financial Abuse?

    Financial abuse occurs when one party uses money to control, coerce or to restrict the other person in a domestic relationship. This type of abuse frequently occurs hand-in-hand with other forms of abuse, such as physical or emotional abuse.

    Am I Being Financially Abused?

    It can be difficult to recognise financial abuse. Perpetrators may often ‘excuse’ their behaviour as a consequence of the victim’s financial illiteracy or being due to “traditional roles” in the family.  A pattern of behaviour is usually exhibited and unfortunately, the abuse may escalate over time.

    Financially abusive behaviour can include but is not limited to:

    • taking control of someone else’s finances (e.g. being in charge of all the household income and paying the other person an allowance);
    • controlling how all of the household income is spent;
    • forcing a family member to claim social security benefits like Centrelink;
    • insisting that a family member apply for a second credit card;
    • preventing a family member from working;
    • preventing a family member from studying;
    • refusing to give access to bank accounts;
    • denying a family member access to money so they cannot afford basic expenses such as food or medicine.

    The Effects of Financial Abuse

    The effect of financial abuse can be far-reaching and usually includes suffering from emotional trauma and homelessness.

    Financial abuse affects the victim’s financial independence preventing them from accessing education, healthcare and in some cases basic personal items which can leave them with no alternative but to remain in the abusive relationship.

    In many cases, financial abuse continues post-separation. This includes perpetrators engaging in prolonged litigation, hiding assets or defaulting on financial responsibility such as a mortgage leaving the victim with poor credit score, thus exacerbating their financial stress and vulnerability.

    What Support is Available for Financial Abuse?

    Any form of abuse is unacceptable. We all have a right to live life without fear of abuse or violence. Support services are available on both state and federal levels and can assist you if you are experiencing domestic or family violence, including financial abuse.

    Some support services which are available include:

    Do You Need Legal Help?

    Dorter Family Lawyers and Mediators offer specialist family law advice in Milsons Point on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, and are available to assist you with any questions you may have about financial abuse. 

    Please get in touch with us on (02) 9929 8840 or hello@dorterfamilylawyers.com

    Rebekah Dorter
    Principal

    Tim Russell
    Solicitor

    This post is an overview only and should not be considered as legal advice.  If there are any matters that you would like us to advise you on, then please contact us.

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    The Duty of Disclosure 1024 575 Dorter

    The Duty of Disclosure

    Do I have to Disclose?

    The answer is… Yes!

    We are often asked by our clients what they must disclose in their family law matter after they have separated from their partner and what their former partner is obligated to disclose.

    Both parties to a marriage or de-facto relationship are required to provide full and frank disclosure of information relevant to their financial circumstances. This means parties must provide each other with all information relevant to an issue in their case, including information recorded in a paper document or stored by some other means such as a computer storage device and also includes documents that the other party may not know about.

    This duty of disclosure is a positive duty imposed by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Family Law) Rules 2021 and is quite different to the obligations parties may have in a commercial dispute.

    What does disclosure involve?

    As part of your disclosure obligations, common documents required are those that evidence the following: –

    1. All income or earnings (whether paid directly to the party or not);
    2. Any interests in any ‘property’ or entity fully or partially owned or controlled by the party;
    3. All financial resources, including interests in a trust;
    4. Any disposal by the party that may affect, defeat or deplete a party’s claim; and
    5. All liabilities of the party or of any relevant entity.

    ‘Property’ for the purpose of a family law settlement is not just real property but is a much broader concept and means all assets, including superannuation.

    When does your duty to disclose begin?

    Your duty to disclose begins once you separate (with the pre-action procedures) which means before a case starts, and this duty continues until the case is finished. The duty of disclosure is an ongoing obligation and extends to all documents in your possession, power or control.

    Your duty to disclose continues until your matter is finalised which means that you must continue to provide such information as your circumstances change or more documents are created or come into your possession, power or control.

    What happens if a party to a case does not disclose?

    There are a number of consequences which may follow if a party to a case fails to disclose, including but not limited to cost orders, and if a matter has been finalised the settlement may be re-opened if the non-disclosure resulted in a detriment to the other party.

    It is important to provide disclosure in a timely matter, and to be honest and forthcoming with your disclosure documents. Non-disclosure contributes to significant delays in resolving a family law matter and significantly increases costs.

    We can help you

    Dorter Family Lawyers and Mediators offer specialist family law advice in Milsons Point on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, and are available to assist you with any questions you may have about child support.  Please get in touch with us on (02) 9929 8840 or online here.

    Rebekah Dorter
    Principal

    This post is an overview only and should not be considered as legal advice.  If there are any matters that you would like us to advise you on, then please contact us.