clients achieve optimum results
1300 635 529
clients achieve optimum results
Maintenance
What is this about?
Common questions arising from relationship breakdown include how children will be supported and your eligibility or obligation for spousal maintenance.
To move forward, knowledge of your rights and obligations is vital.
We offer specialist advice in relation to all aspects of child support and maintenance, including assessment, review/appeals and private agreements, and spousal maintenance orders and financial agreements.
How We Can Help
As experts in family law, we’ll explain your entitlement to ongoing financial support for your children (cash and non-cash) or, alternately, clarify if you are required to provide for your children. Our lawyers can outline the various options for arranging child support, and which one is most appropriate for you.
We can inform you of possible spousal maintenance entitlements or obligations you may have (cash and non-cash), or advise about a court application to seek spousal maintenance orders if the court deadline has passed.
First Steps
If you are seeking early advice about your options or looking to begin a particular process, book a free initial consultation by calling us or filling in our online form.
We’re happy to arrange whichever time and means (in person, telephone, or online) suits you best for this consultation.
Mathews Family Law Services
Mathews Family Law Services
Child Support and Spousal Maintenance
Child Support
- Child Support Agency change of assessment
- Cash and non-cash support
- Support for disabled or student adult children (over 18 years)
- Binding child support agreements
- Limited child support agreements
- International child support
- Registration and enforcement of overseas child support
Spousal Maintenance
- Spousal maintenance consent orders or financial agreement
- Court application for spousal maintenance
- Cash and non-cash support
- Financial agreement excluding spousal maintenance
- Registration & enforcement of overseas spousal maintenance orders
We’re happy to arrange whichever time and means (in person, telephone, or online) suits you best for this consultation.
eligibility or obligation for spousal maintenance.
To move forward, knowledge of your rights and obligations is vital.
We offer specialist advice in relation to all aspects of child support and maintenance, including assessment,
review/appeals and private agreements, and spousal maintenance orders and financial agreements.
We can inform you of possible spousal maintenance entitlements or obligations you may have (cash and non-cash), or advise about a court application to seek spousal maintenance orders if the court deadline has passed.
- Child Support Agency change of assessment
- Payments for children and adult children
- Binding child support agreements
- International child support
- Registration and enforcement of overseas child
Family Law
Services
Child Support
- Spousal maintenance orders
Child Support
- Child Support Agency change of assessment
- Payments for children and adult children
- Binding child support agreements
- International child support
- Registration and enforcement of overseas child
We’re happy to arrange whichever time and means (in person, telephone, or online) suits you best for this consultation.
With over 60 years’ combined experience, we understand the importance of giving you options to achieve your parenting goals in a timely manner, while putting your children's best interests first.
Alternatively, we can guide you through Family Dispute Resolution (mediation) to negotiate an agreed outcome, without having to go to court. In the event agreements cannot be reached, our experienced litigators will advocate for you and your children in court. Our Parenting Coordination service provides ongoing support with the implementation of complex court orders.
- Best Interests of the Child’ considerations
- Same sex parenting
- Parental responsibility
- Living and spend time
- arrangements
- Relocation
- International parenting issues
- Parenting Plans
- Co-parenting
- Varying parenting court orders
- Rights of grandparents and others
Family Law
Services
relationship breakdown include how
children will be supported and your
eligibility or obligation for spousal
maintenance.
experience, we understand the
importance of giving you options
to achieve your parenting goals in
a timely manner, while putting your
children's best interests first.
rights and obligations is vital.
- Child Support Agency change of assessment’
- Cash and non-cash support
- Support for disabled or student adult children (over 18 years)
- Binding child support agreements
- Limited child support agreements
- International child support
- Registration and enforcement of overseas child
- Spousal maintenance consent orders or financial agreement
- Court application for spousal maintenance
- Cash and non-cash support
- Financial agreement excluding spousal maintenance
- Registration & enforcement of overseas spousal maintenance orders
What is Child Support?
As you and your spouse separate and divorce, child support will be a one of the issues you will need to address. The primary purpose of child support is to guarantee that children’s day-to-day needs will be met through regular cash and non-cash support . Additionally, child support allows children to enjoy the same or similar standard of living of both their parents. Child support can be arranged by agreement between the parents, or through an administrative assessment conducted by Services Australia – Child Support.
Child Support Agreements
Often the best way to arrange for child support is through an agreement between the parents in the form of a child support agreement. This method allows parties to deviate from the formula used in the administrative assessment used by Services Australia – Child Support to determine support. There are two types of agreements that may address child support: a binding child support agreement and a limited child support agreement.
Child support agreements are considered binding if both parties to the agreement were given independent legal advice (from separate lawyers), and the agreement must state that this is in fact the case. Additionally, the lawyer who administered the legal advice must also execute and sign a certificate, which is included in the agreement. A binding child support agreement can be for any amount – including an amount less than prescribed under the Services Australia formula.
www.interventionordersmelbourne.com.au
A Family Violence Intervention Order grants the affected family member experiencing family violence immediate short-term and long-term protection.
We explain what this means and what your options and rights.
For a simple fast and cost effective divorce with minimal fuss we offer a fixed fee standard online divorce application. The fee includes an application for divorce, court filing fees and disbursements.
Unbundling breaks up the family lawyer’s role into a number of agreed limited legal services. This empowers the client to select only those legal services that they require and can limit the lawyer’s involvement to a single issue, court or mediation process including:
- Advice only
- Research only
- Drafting letters or court documents
- Reviewing client prepared letters and court documents
- Negotiation coaching in preparation for mediation or settlement meeting
- Negotiating on behalf of the client
- Attendance at mediation or court appearance on behalf of the client
- Drafting settlement agreements
- Providing independent legal advice for financial agreements
- This is supported by a written ‘unbundled limited scope engagement /
agreement’ (costs agreement) and fixed fees by agreement.
Family law advice is expensive. To assist you, Mathews Family Law offers a free initial telephone consultation:
Fixed Fee Services
| Intervention Order | $1,950 + GST |
|---|---|
| Online Application for Divorce | $990 + GST (+disbursements) |
| Family Dispute Resolution and Property Mediation | |
| Intake Meeting (per hour) | $500 + GST |
| Joint Session (up to 3.5 hours) | $1,750 + GST |
| Unbundled Legal and Mediation Service (per hour) | $385 + GST |
Your initial conference with us is important. It warrants the attention of an accredited family law specialist who will apply their knowledge of the law to the special circumstances of your matter. For this reason we do not offer a ‘free half hour’ service
Book A Free Consult
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Level 2, 599 Malvern Road
Toorak, Vic 3142
Call Us
1300 635 529
Level 2, 599 Malvern Road Toorak, Vic 3142
© Mathews Family Law & Mediation Specialists. All rights reserved.
Expert family law advice you can trust to look out for your future
© Mathews Family Law & Mediation Specialists. All rights reserved.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legisiation.
© Mathews Family Law & Mediation Specialists. All rights reserved.
AFFILIATES
Vanessa Mathews
Managing Director FDRP and Mediator
BCOMM BSW LLB
Accredited Family Law Specialist, FDRP,
Mediator and Parenting Coordinator
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and managing director of Mathews Family Law & Mediation Specialists, and has the rare combination of social work qualifications and experience, combined with nearly 20 years’ experience as a lawyer and mediator; it makes her approach to resolving legal relationship issues both sensible and sensitive.
She is a fully accredited family law specialist, mediator, family dispute resolution practitioner and parenting coordinator with a commerce degree – adding a financially astute aspect to her practice.
Vanessa has extensive experience in complex issues that arise from relationship breakdown, and works in partnership with her clients,
who regularly describe her as empathetic
Vanessa is an active member of the family law profession and
a member of the:
- Law Institute of Victoria, Family Law Section
- Law Council of Australia, Family Law Section
- Resolution Institute
- Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators
- National Mediation Accreditation System
- Relationships Australia Family Lawyers Panel
- Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers
- Relationships Australia / Federal Circuit Court ‘Access Resolve’ Mediation Service
- Relationships Australia ‘Property Mediation’ Service
Vanessa and Mathews Family Law & Mediation Specialists
are regularly recognised as a ‘Leading Victorian Family
Lawyer’, ‘Recommended Family Law Mediator’ and a
‘Leading Victorian Family Law Firm’ by Doyle’s Guide to
the Australian Legal Profession.
Get Started With Vanessa
Book A Free Consult
Vanessa Mathews
Managing Director FDRP and Mediator
BCOMM BSW LLB
Accredited Family Law Specialist, FDRP,
Mediator and Parenting Coordinator
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and managing director of Mathews Family Law & Mediation Specialists, and has the rare combination of social work qualifications and experience, combined with nearly 20 years’ experience as a lawyer and mediator; it makes her approach to resolving legal relationship issues both sensible and sensitive.
She is a fully accredited family law specialist, mediator, family dispute resolution practitioner and parenting coordinator with a commerce degree – adding a financially astute aspect to her practice.
Vanessa has extensive experience in complex issues that arise from relationship breakdown, and works in partnership with her clients,
who regularly describe her as empathetic
Vanessa is an active member of the family law profession and
a member of the:
- Law Institute of Victoria, Family Law Section
- Law Council of Australia, Family Law Section
- Resolution Institute
- Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators
- National Mediation Accreditation System
- Relationships Australia Family Lawyers Panel
- Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers
- Relationships Australia / Federal Circuit Court ‘Access Resolve’ Mediation Service
- Relationships Australia ‘Property Mediation’ Service
Vanessa and Mathews Family Law & Mediation Specialists
are regularly recognised as a ‘Leading Victorian Family
Lawyer’, ‘Recommended Family Law Mediator’ and a
‘Leading Victorian Family Law Firm’ by Doyle’s Guide to
the Australian Legal Profession.
Get Started With Vanessa