JJ Lawyers

  Understanding Parenting Arrangements In Australia, when parents separate or divorce, determining care and living arrangements for their children becomes a critical part of the transition. The legal term "child custody" has been replaced by "parenting arrangements" to focus on the child's needs rather than parental rights. Parenting arrangements refer to decisions about where the child lives, how much time they spend with each parent, and how parental responsibilities are shared. For more information on how Australian family law encourages collaborative decision-making between parents, visit the Family Relationships Online . Parental Responsibility Australian family law assumes that both parents have equal shared parental responsibility unless there are concerns about child abuse or family violence. This responsibility refers to the legal duty of parents to make important decisions about the child's upbringing, including their health, education, and religio...

Understanding Coercive Control Coercive control is a persistent pattern of controlling, isolating, and intimidating behavior that aims to strip away a person's autonomy and freedom. Unlike physical abuse, coercive control can be difficult to identify because it often involves emotional manipulation, surveillance, financial restriction, and verbal threats. Yet, its impact is just as damaging, often leaving long-term psychological scars on victims. For a detailed overview of coercive control and its impact on victims, refer to the Australian Institute of Family Studies literature review . Why It Matters Victims of coercive control may not even realize they are being abused. Over time, they become isolated from family and friends, lose access to money, and feel they have no say in their own lives. This form of abuse lays the groundwork for further violence and can escalate to physical harm or even homicide. A study by the Australian Institute of Criminology found that coercive control...

Broadening the Definition of Abuse When people hear the term "domestic abuse," their minds often jump to images of physical violence — black eyes, broken bones, or bruises. But domestic abuse is a far more complex and multifaceted issue. While physical violence is undeniably traumatic, it is just one of many forms that abuse can take. Emotional manipulation, financial control, psychological intimidation, and technological surveillance are all powerful, damaging tools used by abusers. Society’s narrow focus on physical harm has, for too long, left victims of non-physical abuse without recognition or adequate support. Abuse can be quiet. It can be invisible. And yet, its effects can be just as devastating. The Hidden Toll of Emotional Abuse Emotional abuse often goes undetected by outsiders but can be one of the most psychologically harmful experiences a person can endure. This form of abuse might include constant criticism, humiliation, gaslighting, or deliberate isolation fr...