With school holidays drawing to a close, students in NSW are set to return back to school from Monday 2 February 2026 (Eastern Division) or Monday 9 February 2026 (Western Division). From attending school for the very first time, starting at a new school, or entering a new grade, it is no doubt an exciting tradition for families to take photos of their children and share this milestone on the internet.

However, Australian Federal Police Commander, Helen Schneider, has warned parents that it is important to be mindful and vigilant about what images they post or share online. Seemingly innocuous details in back-to-school photographs such as school signs, uniforms and street signs may allow individuals on the internet to easily identify what school your child may be attending. This can lead to dangerous consequences as your child’s privacy and protection may be compromised.

The Australian Federal Police has urged parents to take actions such as blurring or obscuring your child’s school logo on their uniform, or even the background, to protect them from being targeted or identified. Other actions to protect your child’s privacy online include:

Taking these measures ensures that you limit the risk of pictures being seen by people who may misuse them or have poor intentions.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia’s recent case Joustra & Schuman [2025] introduces seminal ideas reaffirming s 60CC of Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) which focuses on how courts apply and interpret frameworks to family law matters.

What is Section 60CC?

60CC of the Family Law Act is a statutory inscription on the discretionary factors that a court must consider when determining what is in the best interest of a concerned child. The court’s primary focus is on the child’s safety, wellbeing and developmental needs, including protection from harm, developmental, psychological, emotional and cultural needs of the child, the child’s views and each carer’s ability to support the child. The court also considers the benefit of the child maintaining relationships with parents and significant others. This is important in determining as to whether a child should be removed or added to the care of a particular person as seen in this case.

Facts and key issues of the case

In Joustra & Schuman [2025], the initial facts show that the parents separated after a relationship that produced one child born in 2019, with Final parenting orders allowing the child to primarily live with the mother. However, in 2024, the mother ceased contact with the father, alleging their six-year-old was abused by him. This was found to be an unsustained allegation, as per Police and Child Protection Service reports. The father proceeded to challenge the initial Parenting Orders by lodging a fresh application to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2). There, the courts questioned the mother’s capacity to care for the child.

How the courts applied it

In application of Section 60CC(2)(a), (b) and (c) of the Act, the Court found the mother’s persistent allegations and conduct caused emotional and psychological harm to the child. It detrimentally impacted the child’s developmental needs in their engagement with a safe parent. As per his Honour’s words:

“Instead, [the child] has been subjected to interviews and examinations with people in authority and has been left traumatised to the point where [the child] is apparently triggered when seeing certain marked vehicles like ambulances. In addition to that trauma, [the child]  has been fed a false narrative that [the child]  is a victim at the hands of [the child’s]  father, when the reality is that [the child’s]  psychological and emotional safety has been imperilled by the one person he has always trusted, [the child’s]  mother.”

As such, the Child was ordered to be in the primary care of the father and mandatory therapeutic support.

Key Takeaways

It is imperative to understand that the Family Act pushes courts to focus upon the emotional and developmental needs of a child. False or unsubstantiated allegations can seriously impact parenting outcomes where the child is harmed by repeated exposure which reaffirms the act’s intention in making sure that all needs of a child are met rather than some necessary needs.

If you need advice today, please do not hesitate to contact our offices via telephone for a free initial consultation.

"Light will win, a gathering of unity and remembrance" (the theme chosen by the Chabad Community in Bondi).

On Thursday 22 January 2026, a National Day of Mourning will be held to remember and honour the victims of the Bondi Beach Terrorist Attack, along with families, friends and communities who have been impacted by this tragic event. The Australian Government has invited all Australians to join in a minute of silence at 7:01PM AEDT to remember the 15 innocent victims of the Bondi attack on 14 December 2025.

Yesterday, on Tuesday 20 January 2026, Parliament passed new gun control laws which include:

- Enhanced background checks for people with gun licences

- Limiting the importation of guns to Australian citizens

- Increased restrictions on the type of guns which are allowed to be imported

Parliament also passed new hate crime laws including:

- Greater powers for a Minister to cancel or refuse a visa if a person has spread hateful or extremist views

- The ability to designate organisations as “hate groups,” meaning that members and donors can be jailed

Freedman & Gopalan Solicitors joins the nation in mourning the loss of the victims in the attack, and sends our condolences to their family, friends and communities.

This matter was related to property settlement in a case of marriage breakdown, which was heavily contingent upon:

Background

Findings by Judge Street held that:

Orders

The court ordered several things, some of which include the following:

This ruling confirms the following:

Over the course of a week, I’ve learnt and improved many valuable skills at Freedman & Gopalan Solicitors like organisation, initiative and independence. I worked with a wonderful team who were able to teach me new skills and introduce me to the professional world of law. I was able to work in a professional environment that was nurturing and allowed me to gain insight into the different aspects of law.

During my work placement I was given challenging tasks that allowed me to work on skills like multi-tasking and organisation. Although I struggled at times, it was extremely rewarding to finish tasks that I knew were tough. The team at Freedman & Gopalan were also extremely willing to always help and had no issues giving me extra help when I needed it. Some tasks were repetitive at first but after understanding the importance of them it became more interesting. For example, scanning was a very tedious process but understanding that they were important legal documents that we couldn’t just throw away made me think about the importance of these legal documents and the role they played in this environment. Understanding how billing and invoices worked was a skill I can now apply to my general life and work environments and I’m grateful I got to learn in such a patient workplace. Being able to participate and complete law related tasks gave me a great insight into tasks I would have to complete in a professional law environment.

The experience and valuable knowledge I’ve learnt in such a short time will stick with me for life and I look forward to putting them into practice in the coming years. I’m extremely grateful for the time, guidance and support the team Freedman & Gopalan have given me and I will cherish the experience. Coming into such a welcoming environment helped me feel extremely comfortable asking questions and learning about a possible career path in the future. This experience with Freedman & Gopalan Solicitors has reinforced my interest in pursuing a career in law and motivated me to continue developing these skills for my future career.

 

The domestic violences laws in Australia are not strong enough to fully address the issue. one in four women and one in fourteen men experienced intimate partner violence since age 15 have been affected each year. As the Australian government tried to set new laws and protections to this issue, but some people believe that the laws are not still strong enough that are still high rates of violence, the increasing number of homicides.

Some victims often face long time to hear their cases heard, leaving them unprotected. Protection orders are sometimes breached and polices responses can be sometimes delayed, leaving victims scared and vulnerable. While Physical violences is prioritized, emotional, phycological and financial abuses are harder to find making the cases harder.

Experts and government have recognized this crisis and taken new steps to stop it. Assisting people who are facing domestic issues in their family or any other place, teaching students about domestic violence issues but is this enough to stop it.  No, they need to take more steps such as, Australia needs consistent enforcements and enough support services so victims should feel confident that the orders will be taken seriously and courts will have better resourced to hear cases. New laws should be evolving to recognize all forms of abuse and treated with seriousness they deserve.

Since the COVID pandemic, contemporary forms of technologies have revolutionized
many aspects of society, one of these being the legal profession. In particular, “virtual
courtrooms” (or electronic hearings) have become popularized after face-to-face
hearings became increasingly difficult to operate due to safety guidelines and
restrictions. However, recently there has been significant discourse regarding this
practice’s drawbacks and advantages, and even whether this COVID-era conception
should even continue.

Positively speaking, virtual courtrooms are extremely useful for participants that are
affected with mobility issues or live far away from a physical courtroom. Due to their
digitally accessible nature, even participants with family commitments or financial
strain can be able to attend a court hearing, increasing equitable access to justice for
those who live in regional areas, accessing courts remotely increases equal access to
justice opportunities

However, technology is a double-edged sword, especially when referring to the
technological gap on people in disadvantaged, low socio-economic or minority groups.
For example, technology can impose severe restrictions on accessing opportunities for
justice on individuals living in rural areas or with poor internet connection. Furthermore,
technological issues can directly impact the efficiency and legitimacy of the hearing, as
audio or visual impairments can delay trials, degrade the quality of important evidence
to be presented and exacerbate the stress of all parties.

In serious cases, online courtrooms are vulnerable to hackers or cyber-attacks, that can
severely compromise the integrity and privacy of the trial. There is no doubt that as
technology becomes increasingly advanced, infiltrators and malware will too, and we
need to find an effective method to address this looming threat.
Before, integrating virtual courtrooms fully into our justice system, it is imperative to
address concerns regarding the digital divide and technological issues to ensure that
our trials stay impartial, equitable and functional.

My week at Freedman and Gopalan has given me an incredibly valuable insight into the daily operations of a legal firm and what it means to work in a professional environment. Through tasks such as filing, scanning, organising documents, taking calls, writing emails and articles, I was able to see how much attention to detail and communication goes into maintaining an efficient workplace. Being trusted with real responsibilities helped me build confidence and develop skills I didn’t have before, and it made me develop many helpful skills I didn’t have before, and it made the whole experience feel meaningful rather than just observational.

What made the experience even more enjoyable was the team at the firm. The staff were incredibly supportive, patient, and welcoming from the moment I arrived. They worked closely together, communicated openly, and created an environment where I felt comfortable asking questions and learning from them. Their encouragement and willingness to guide me made a huge difference, and I’m genuinely grateful for how included they made me feel throughout the week. This placement has motivated me to keep exploring the legal field and appreciate the impact that a positive work environment can have. I am extremely happy with how my placement turned out, and I would definitely do it again if I got the chance.

Domestic violence is an ongoing problem in Australia with around 1 in 4 women (23%) and 1 in 14 men (7.3%) having experienced violence by an intimate partner since age 15. The holidays are often a break from work and the stress of a busy life. But for those in toxic and unsafe households, holidays can become even more dangerous than normal.

During holidays the heightened stress and expectations can increase tensions in relationships and families. Alcohol consumption and substance abuse becomes more prevalent and increases the risk of abuse. Isolation and breaks during the holidays can limit access to support and can encourage abuse as victims have no escape.

Alcohol consumption is often encouraged in social gatherings, which can make abusers feel a heightened sense of power and control allowing their behaviour to be excused. For victims of domestic violence, holiday social events come with fear rather than excitement and the anticipation for their abusers volatile and unpredictable behaviour.

We often feel the pressures of social obligations to buy expensive gifts, prepare elaborate meals and create a perfect holiday experience. This pressure often brings increased anxiety and frustration which can intensify existing tensions in families and relationships triggering abusive behaviours. Victims feel the weight of this pressure knowing expectations around these gatherings go well beyond the food.

Holidays are often a time we are all with our own families celebrating the joys of special events. Although ironic, for victims of domestic violence holidays can be extremely isolating. The pressures to be with family can often prevent victims from reaching out for help from their friends and family. Not only are victims emotionally isolated, but they can also be physically isolated as many healthcare and support centres are closed or have limited hours due to the holidays. Abusers can often take advantage of these circumstances pushing their victims into corner they can’t escape.

On New Years Day, domestic violence incidents doubled from a median of 72 to 152 incidents.  On Christmas, the average number of recorded family violence incidents rose by 33% and on New Years Eve more than 45% more domestic violence assaults than a typical day. These statistics reveal that holidays are not always joyful for everyone, and they call for greater awareness for domestic violence.

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