Family Law Lawyers inArmadale, Western Australia

Family-law matters for Armadale residents are heard at the Family Court of Western Australia (FCWA) in Perth — WA is the only state in Australia with its own Family Court exercising both state and federal family-law jurisdiction. The FCWA hears parenting orders, property settlements, divorce, spousal maintenance, and de facto matters. Family-violence restraining orders sit in a separate stream and are heard at the Armadale Magistrates Court.

Parenting matters proceed under Part VII of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth). Parenting orders set out who a child lives with, who they spend time with, and how parental responsibility is allocated. The 2024 amendments removed the previous presumption of equal shared parental responsibility, refocusing the framework on the best interests of the child as the paramount consideration. For Armadale families, mediation and Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) are typically the first step before any court application — a section 60I certificate is generally required before filing.

Property settlements proceed under Part VIII (married) or Part VIIIAB (de facto) of the Family Law Act. The four-step approach the FCWA applies — identify and value assets, assess contributions, consider future needs, check that the result is just and equitable — is well-established. Time limits matter: applications for property division must be made within 12 months of divorce or within 2 years of separation for de facto matters. Armadale property pools often include a family home in Kelmscott, Seville Grove, Harrisdale, or Piara Waters, plus superannuation and small-business interests.

Family-violence restraining orders are made under the Restraining Orders Act 1997 (WA) — a separate WA state framework from federal family law. The Armadale Magistrates Court can grant interim orders urgently and final orders after a defended hearing. Many Armadale family matters involve coordinated federal family-law proceedings (in Perth) and state restraining-order proceedings (at Armadale). LawyerLink routes to a partner firm experienced in running both streams in parallel.