Webinar On Demand - Proving De Facto Relationships: Shifting Thresholds and Complex Family Dynamics

1 CPD Unit – Substantive Law

When does a relationship cross the threshold of becoming a de facto relationship at law?

The legal principles defining a de facto relationship are well established, but recent court decisions are shaking things up, showing a more complex and sometimes unexpected side. Is this temporary, or are the benchmarks for proving a de facto relationship changing? With more people living separately as they get older for a variety of lifestyle, medical or personal reasons, it is crucial to know when a relationship is a de facto relationship to help clients avoid family law surprises.

In this webinar, join family lawyer, John Spender as he:

• provides a detailed review of the cases of note since Fairbairn v Radecki [2022] HCA 18 and the facts which have ultimately led the court to find that a de facto relationship existed;
• compares and contrasts the relevance of living arrangements in such decisions, how the court has viewed alternative living arrangements and the relevance of the reasons supporting such arrangements to the court’s determination;
• reviews what evidence was required to prove the relevant dates of a de facto relationship when there is no shared residence;
• explores the legal implications for clients with complex family dynamics, including blended families and financial interdependencies; and
• discusses the implications for older clients, particularly in cases involving aged care and later in life relationships.

This session is designed for legal practitioners, accountants and advisers, particularly those with ageing clients or those in relationships but not legally married.

Continuing Professional Development

Legal CPD:

WA legal practitioners (QA Provider ID 29250)

1 CPD Unit, CPD Obligation Field 4 – Substantive Law. To ensure you receive your CPD Units for this event, please provide us with your Legal Practice Board Practitioner ID during registration. Note: CPD Units are only uploaded to the Legal Practice Board after the Webinar On Demand is viewed. This is not an interactive activity.


Legal practitioners outside of WA

If you consider that this webinar satisfies your individual requirement, or is relevant to your immediate or long-term professional development needs, you may claim 0.5 CPD Units for every 30 minutes of attendance and participation.

Accounting CPD:

1 CPD Point

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Presenter: John Spender
Partner, Kennedy Partners

John has expertise in all areas of family law, including complex parenting and property disputes, financial and child support agreements, and international matters involving forum and jurisdictional disputes. John has been practising in family law since 1993 and has been an accredited family law specialist since 2003.

Since 2016, John has been annually recognised by Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession. He is a member of the Law Institute of Victoria, the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. He has been a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers since 2015.