VIC Contravention of final orders - when is it ‘worth’ doing something about it?

[lak82]

Unfortunately no DVO. I didn’t see the point in going through it again when the orders were so strong. I mistakenly believed they would cover it. I also just couldn’t keep going to court. This was 5 years of my life, and my child’s life consumed with this.

There definitely is free legal advice in Victoria (legal aid) who assisted with the first DVO (a two year process in the end) and they were next to useless. Which is why I chose to go into huge debt during family court. I needed lawyers who were reliable and who would somewhat ‘protect’ me from all the trauma. In my case, it was worth it. I do not believe that I’d have had a good outcome with legal aid.

 

[lak82]

Sorry I missed answering this: he owns his own business and has everything in family trusts. As a result child support gets nothing from him and I suspect going to court would be the same outcome. He owes over $120,000 legal fees to me & child support of $55,000. The child support seems a lot but that has built up over 17 years, so it’s really not. To be clear, he could easily pay off all that debt. He’s very comfortable financially. It’s simply to punish me. Like this whole thing had been.

 

[Rod]

Get enforcement orders. Family Court can look behind trusts in some instances.

 

[lak82]

Get enforcement orders. Family Court can look behind trusts in some instances.

We were told it would take $16,000 to $32,000 to get to that point. I don’t know that money, it also seems like throwing good money after bad.

 

[Rod]

You know his affairs better than anyone else. I can't comment on whether that is money well spent.