Women in missing middle struggle during divorce process
There has been a surge in demand for services for women and families in the 'missing middle' - those ineligible for Legal Aid but still unable to afford a lawyer.
Many who do go through divorce are forced to accept unfair settlements because they cannot afford to fight for what they are entitled.
It's a story familiar to Kathy, who asked that AAP withhold her full name for privacy reasons, after spending years in a de facto relationship with a man who subjected her to financial, physical and emotional abuse.
Despite having her own money and assets when she entered the relationship, her ex took over the couple's finances.
But when she tried to leave he launched a calculated campaign to exhaust her financially and emotionally, locking her out of their bank accounts, refusing to hand over documents and hiding assets in secret accounts.
"He was a vicious and vexatious litigator and kept firing his legal team so (the case) would be constantly deferred," Kathy told AAP.
Many perpetrators are able to weaponise the court system by using delaying tactics that make legal fees soar, psychological counsellor Naomi Pearce said.
Through her firm TFA Legal, she and other psychologists along with lawyers and social workers provide a trauma-informed service that addresses not only legal outcomes but also the emotional and financial wellbeing of women navigating high-conflict separations and abuse.
"What we are trying to do is remove the ability for someone to use the system of the family court to ruin someone's life," she said.
"We help women cope and hang in there, just to get everything done in the legal process, maintain their rights and move forward in their lives."
Kathy was advised to contact JustFund, an organisation that provides a flexible line of credit based on a person's expected family settlement rather than their income, credit score or employment status.
"The court system is an unfair playing field ... by the time I got help from JustFund, I was totally broken," she said.
Since launching, JustFund has unlocked more than $1 billion in settlements and helped more than 2300 Australians get access to legal representation.
Co-founders Jack O'Donnell and Andy O'Connor started their careers as lawyers but saw too many clients turned away by their firm.
"I remember one single mum leaving a relationship who had assets but didn't have the financial resources to pay our fees and it stood out as being really unfair," Mr O'Donnell said.
"We wanted to leverage our legal experience to design a solution that didn't exist but we knew could be life saving for individuals."
JustFund clients are overwhelmingly women and many earn just 35 per cent of their former partner's income.
Mr O'Connor said the service aimed to level the playing field in the legal system.
The service isn't exclusively for DV survivors but more than 64 per cent of their clients have experienced financial abuse or coercive control.
"Navigating a divorce is really challenging emotionally and financially," Mr O'Donnell said.
"We see a real problem in Australia that there are hundreds of thousands trapped in really unhealthy relationships because they can't afford to leave."
"At its core we are trying to empower people get through something really difficult," he said.
"To be shackled by a lack of funding to get through a divorce; it shouldn't be that hard."
Women are consistently falling through the gaps in under-resourced legal aid and the high costs of legal services, Ms Pearce said.
"We see women who are legally entitled to support or assets but are so traumatised by what they've been through.
"They just don't have the emotional capacity to keep going and without support, they walk away from everything they're owed."
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australians robbed of half a million dollars each: Henry
Working Australians had been robbed $500,000 since the turn of the century by the failure of the country to find ways to get businesses and people to work smarter, the former head of the federal Treasury has revealed, saying the situation will get worse without substantial reforms. Before the federal government's productivity roundtable next month, Ken Henry, who headed a review into the tax system under the Rudd government and was pivotal to the introduction of the GST under the Howard government, said the nation's children were being short-changed by a current generation afraid to make hard decisions. Henry, the chair of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation, used an address to the National Press Club to argue the nation's poor productivity performance would become worse if environmental laws were not overhauled to both reduce red tape and protect nature. As Treasury secretary, he oversaw the first intergenerational report, released by then-treasurer Peter Costello, in 2002. After a sharp lift in productivity through the 1990s, the report assumed it could continue to grow over the next 40 years at around 1.75 per cent annually. Instead, productivity has slowed both here and around the world. In Australia, it has averaged less than 1 per cent since the turn of the century and has been negative over the past two years. Henry said as wages usually grew in line with productivity, the drop in productivity over the past 23 years had resulted in smaller pay packets for ordinary workers. 'The average full-time Australian worker has been robbed of about $500,000 over the past 25 years because of our failure,' he said. 'When I hear people say, we cannot do this to enhance productivity, cannot do that because it will hurt somebody, I think – give me a break. Who are we talking about here?'
The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
Impulse spending is costing us thousands. Here's how to cut back
That dopamine hit that comes with giving in to an impulse buy is euphoric. Just a few clicks and you've got a new purchase in your cart. Many of us have our credit card already saved in our phone, meaning you have probably just spent $200 faster than you can say 'debt'. What can often follow is an overwhelming feeling of failure and guilt that can crush your spirits. That $200 hole in the monthly household budget will be felt somewhere down the line – probably at the supermarket when you're trying to purchase the essentials. There might be a cost-of-living crisis, but Australians still spend $47 billion a year on impulse purchases costing people thousands of dollars a year. Young Australians are the biggest culprits, with Gen Z spending $74 a week on impulse purchases, compared to just $9 a week by Baby Boomers, according to Finder. So why do we do it? If you're swamped with deadlines and balancing the pressures of raising a family, you probably tell yourself that you deserve a little something for all your hard work. Avid social media scrollers may see an ad from a favourite brand, tempting you to make a purchase, knowing it will give you a quick dopamine hit. It's even easier to buy into the consumer culture knowing that purchased items could be on our doorstep within mere hours, depending on where you live. Distract yourself with a walk, call a friend or head to the kitchen and do some meal prep for tomorrow instead. But acting on the urge to feel good in the moment is usually short-lived. Instead, consider the long-term benefits and rewards you will experience by resisting short-lived spending temptations, financial therapist Jane Monica-Jones says. Monica-Jones, who offers therapy to people with bad financial habits, says there are ways to overcome an addiction to instant gratification.
7NEWS
6 hours ago
- 7NEWS
‘Pretty but deadly': popular pot plant sparks urgent weed warning in Queensland
A popular houseplant sold at Bunnings and nurseries around Australia has been slapped with a stern warning from experts, who urge Aussies to keep it out of their gardens or risk damaging native bushland. The alarm was raised by Sunshine Coast Council after a staff member spotted the fast-growing arrowhead vine — also known as Syngonium podophyllum — spreading through local bushland. The exotic plant, with its distinctive arrow-shaped leaves, may appear harmless when displayed in a hanging basket. However, according to the authorities, it is causing significant damage to Australia's environment. 'Arrowhead vine is a persistent creeper or climber, and once it gets going, it'll take root wherever it touches the ground,' a Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson said. 'In natural areas, it can smother native plants and completely throw our ecosystems out of whack.' The plant's juice is toxic which can irritate skin, and poison humans and pets if ingested. The creeping vine is native to Central America but is now classified as an environmental weed in Queensland and a 'sleeper weed' in other states — meaning it can become invasive without warning. While it's not banned under Queensland's Biosecurity Act, residents and councils still have a legal obligation to prevent its spread under what's called a General Biosecurity Obligation. Garden dumping fuels the spread The plant's increase outside our backyards is largely blamed on people illegally dumping garden waste, an offence which cops heavy fines. Dumping can cost offenders $333 on the spot, or up to $5,007 if taken to court. 'Small pieces of this plant can easily take root and grow rapidly,' the council warned in a social media post. 'Just one careless dumping can spark an invasion.' From pot plant to pest Experts said around 75 per cent of Australia's worst environmental weeds were once sold as ornamental garden plants. 'Over time, they escaped from gardens and began threatening our bushland, farms, and in some cases, even human health,' the Invasive Species Council said. The Sunshine Coast Council is now urging Australians to keep the vine contained in pots, and to never toss it into the bush or green waste bins. 'If you're getting rid of it, bag it and put it in your general waste bin or hang it off the ground to dry out and die,' the council advised. Residents are urged to check the council's weed identification site to identify and manage invasive plants. Aussies caught off guard The warning has taken many by surprise, with locals expressing shock on social media. 'Wow — I've got this in hanging baskets and several variegated ones. I had no idea it was invasive!' one person wrote. 'I'll make sure it stays in pots from now on.' Another added: 'Thanks for identifying it as a weed. What's the best way to get rid of it?' The council responded: hand-pull small infestations, remove all roots and stem fragments, and bin it properly. For more information, check out Queensland Government's Arrowhead Vine Factsheet. Stream free on
