This Week in Family Law

In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we cover the latest updates in Australian family law, including the arrest of former Bachelor, Sam Wood, on domestic violence charges and funding for twelve projects designed to address technology-facilitated abuse. In Law in Motion, we break down pets in family law before and after the 2025 amendments, and take a look at the court dog program. In Case N...

In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we cover the latest updates in Australian family law, including a new free service to help sexual violence survivors and the QLS 2026 Member Survey. In Law in Motion, we look into AI and Deepfakes in Family Law, the risks involved and how lawyers can approach evidence that may not be legitimate. Plus, in Case Note Corner, we go through a recent case that...

Content Warning: This episode discusses burnout, workplace stress, mental health, emotional exhaustion and the psychological impacts of working in the legal profession. Some listeners may find these topics distressing. Please take care while listening and seek support if needed. If you or someone you know needs crisis support, contact Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14. In this episode of This Week in...

Content warning: This episode discusses the deaths of children, mental health, postpartum mental illness and other sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. In this bonus episode of This Week in Family Law, we take a look at the Lindsay Clancy case through an Australian family law lens, including some tips for how fami...

In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we cover the latest updates in Australian family law, including and update in the case of Caldwell & Caldwell and an FCFCOA statement in response to media articles published by the Herald Sun and other news outlets. In Law in Motion, we look at the phenomenon of vibe coding and how lawyers can and are using it to create their own software to optimise...

In this bonus episode of This Week in Family Law, The Honourable Garry Watts and family lawyer Amelia Cox speak about the establishment of the new National Enforcement List, with its own dedicated registrar and email filing address, and the complexities of Part 11.1 of the FCFCOA Rules. Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:50 - National Enforcement List 19:20 - Outro Disclaimer: This podcast is intende...

In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we explore the growing role of social media as evidence in family law proceedings. We look at recent cases where social media posts, photos and online activity have been relied upon in Court, and discuss what practitioners need to consider when social media becomes part of a family law matter. Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:54 - What's Up? - Update...

Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of toxic workplace environments, bullying, harassment, workplace conflict and the mistreatment of legal professionals. Some listeners may find these topics confronting or distressing. Listener discretion is advised. In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we speak to two lawyers who have been impacted by toxic workplaces in the legal industry,...

Content warning: This episode discusses domestic and family violence, including statistics relating to domestic violence. If you or someone you know is impacted by domestic, family or sexual violence, support is available from 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or at 1800respect.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we cover the latest updates in Australian family...

In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we cover the latest updates in Australian family law, including the 2026 NSW Law Society Council Election and the upcoming Rural, Regional and Remote conference. In Law in Motion, we take a deep dive into Cryptocurrency and hidden assets, and look at the four main questions practitioners need to be asking themselves when dealing with these types of asset...

In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we cover the latest updates in Australian family law, including the FLS Expert Conference in Canberra, the Law Society of NSW AI Hub Resource and the High Court finding that secret recordings can be used as evidence in DV cases. In Law in Motion, we explore the legalities behind Sofia Vergara's frozen embryo dispute with ex-husband Nick Loeb, plus s...

In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we cover the latest updates in Australian family law, including 2026 national and state statistics on marriages and divorces, Webex divorce hearings, and the recent non-compliance case of Catlin and Catlin. In Law in Motion, we explore the Hague Convention cases behind the controversial 60 minutes episode titled 'The Point of No Return' and the...

In this bonus episode of This Week in Family Law, we cover the all the latest updates in Australian family law that occurred during our break, including State Budgets and their impact of their respective courts, the NSW Supreme Court's new Instagram account, and all the latest on AI in Family Law. Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:34 - What's Up? - Updates in Family Law for this week Discl...

In our first episode for Season 2 of This Week in Family Law, we cover the latest updates in Australian family law, including updates to court transcripts, new judicial appointments, fee increases, and the FCFCOA's response to a controversial 60 Minutes report.  In Law in Motion, each of our hosts tells a crazy client story that has stuck with them to this day. From explicit photos for eviden...

In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we take you back to our inaugural Family Law Forum Conference, where we spoke with clinical psychologist and Director of The Relationspace, Dr Catherine Boland, to explore the psychology behind parenting disputes. Dr Boland shares her insights on high-conflict parenting matters, the impact of anxiety and overprotection on children, and what family lawyer...

In this bonus episode of This Week in Family Law, we chat to UK family lawyer Katie Phillips to compare the differences in family law between Australia and the United Kingdom. Katie describes her path to becoming a family lawyer in the UK, and reveals some key differences in de facto relationships, no-fault divorce, family violence, spousal maintenance and more. Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 2:08...

In this bonus episode of This Week in Family Law, we discuss topics that have been given some airtime with recent Full Court and Div 1 decisions including estoppel in property cases where there have been findings about family violence in earlier proceedings, identifying the power when making interim financial orders, and the fate of Robb & Robb after the 2025 property amendments. This is part...

In this bonus episode of This Week in Family Law, we discuss topics that have been given some airtime with recent Full Court and Div 1 decisions including pleadings, Harman obligations, restraining lawyers, and cryptocurrency. This is part one of a two-part series with The Honourable Garry Watts AM. Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:58 - Pleadings 6:42 - Harman obligations 11:08 - Restraining lawyer...

In this bonus episode of This Week in Family Law, we dive into the AI technology in LEAP Legal Software, including use cases for tools such as LawY, Matter AI and Ruffle. We also discuss the security and privacy guardrails set up around the artificial intelligence in LEAP to ensure it meets the strict regulations of the legal industry. LEAP's AI is purpose-built for law firms ensuring it is m...

In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we discuss the release of a new practice direction from the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia on the use of Artificial Intelligence, which provides guidance on the responsible use of AI by all court users, including parties, lawyers and private experts. The practice direction aims to maintain public confidence in court process, ensure that th...

In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we cover the latest updates in Australian family law, including a farewell to the Honourable Justice Aldridge, a new AI practice note from the Supreme Court of Victoria, a landmark Canadian decision recognising a new tort of intimate partner violence, and the Court's new robing policy.  For Ethics with Elena, we dive into what to do when your client...

In this bonus episode of This Week in Family Law, we discuss the 2026 federal budget and the cuts to Legal Aid NSW, including what they mean for vulnerable Australians navigating the family law system. From 1 July 2026, Legal Aid NSW will significantly tighten eligibility for family law representation, leaving many people with disabilities, older Australians, and those from culturally and linguist...

In this episode, we cover the Federal Circuit and Family Court's new pilot of electronic divorce hearings by video, the Court's AI Transparency Statement, the Law Council of Australia's warning that children's voices are at risk as the family law safety net frays, and a Treasury consultation on preventing perpetrators from accessing victims' superannuation death benefits....

In this episode, we cover the Senate inquiry into domestic, family and sexual violence and suicide, the Children's Online Privacy Code consultation, and perfectionism in the legal profession. In Law in Motion, we explore financial control and economic abuse as family violence, what it looks like in practice, and best practice tips for acting for the alleged perpetrator. In Case Note Corner, w...

In this episode of This Week in Family Law, we discuss the demonstration hosted by US-based AI company Anthropic for its new legal plugin, which attracted 20,000 registrations from lawyers, as well as a controversial new celebrity endorsement for legal AI. In Law in Motion, we explore how AI is reshaping how junior lawyers develop professional judgment and discuss some practical actions both junio...