Zeno Lawyers, 4/830 Pascoe Vale Road GLENROY 3046 Melbourne, VIC, Australia

What do the NSW/VIC border closures mean for parents co-parenting across the two state lines? There will be many children, who ordinarily reside in NSW, spending school holidays with a parent in Victoria or vice versa. From 8 July 2020 a 'border entry permit' will be required for those wanting to travel from Victoria into NSW. Parents and children travelling to NSW for the purposes of 'child access' meet the eligibility criteria for obtaining a permit. ... The following is a direct link that parents and carers can access to obtain a border entry permit. https://disasterassistance.service.nsw.gov.au//stepPersona

If you are living in Victoria and are renting, here is what you need to know: 1. There is a 6 months moratorium on evictions. This means if tenants can't pay their rent, they can't be evicted. 2. $420million has been allocated towards land tax relief for landlords. This will include a 25 per cent discount and deferral of payments to March 2021.... 3. Additional land tax relief will be offered to landlords if they are involved in a mediation process with tenants. This means if a tenant is experiencing significant hardship and broker a deal with their landlord through CAV or Small Business Commissioner. 4. Tenants experiencing financial hardship can apply to CAV or Small Business Commissioner to broker a deal to have their rent reduced. If the parties negotiate in good faith and the landlord agrees to reduce the rent BUT the tenant continues to suffer from financial stress (where the rent represents more than 30 per cent of your income) the State government has allocated $80million in rent assistance. To be eligible tenants would have to have gone through the negotiation processs, earn less than $100k per year and have less than $5k in savings. Up to $2000 will be made available to them to assist with their rental repayments. This money will be paid directly to the landlord and applies to residential tenants only.

If you are a small business, sole trader or employee and have lost your job, closed up shop, or otherwise affected by the restrictions imposed by the government amid this COVID-19 pandemic and want to know what you are entitled to, you can email your questions to [email protected] and we will happily try to assist you. Just remember, we are all in this together!

An update from the Family Court of Australia for parents who have matters currently before the Court.

Significant changes have been made, over the past week, to the way in which the Family Court of Australia, and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia conduct all future hearings. The table below provides a breakdown of how the new measures will affect you. The the most significant change is a reduction to face-to-face Court time, with hearings being conducted via teleconference, if deemed suitable by the Court.

Over the past week, Federal and State Courts have implemented new policies and procedures in light of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We will provide our followers with a detailed update on Friday 20 March 2020 of the significant changes. This will be done in one post to avoid information dumping, that may create confusion and unnecessary anxiety for those who have matters currently before the Courts, as the policies are reviewed and changed from time to time.