logo
logo
Sign in

Consent Orders: 2 Questions You Need to Ask

avatar
Muhammad Waqas
Consent Orders: 2 Questions You Need to Ask

Is it possible to set aside a Consent Order in certain circumstances?

 

If the parties themselves wish to set aside a Consent Order they can do so by simply agreeing to this between themselves if they wish to do so. So for instance, if one party had intended to purchase the interest of the other in the former matrimonial home within a certain period of time, and if the Consent Orders had required them to do so within that time limit, but then they changed their minds about this, the parties could reach an agreement between themselves to instead sell the property and that the second party would receive the same amount of money from the sale proceeds as they would have if the property had been transferred. In such a situation, the parties are not required to attend court to have the Consent Order set aside, however, they may wish to have the changes reflected in their Consent Orders by asking the court to rescind the Consent Orders.

 

As a general rule, the Family Court will only consider an application to set aside a Consent Order in very limited circumstances. There may be circumstances in which, for example, the Court is persuaded that a Consent Order should be set aside in the event that there has been a miscarriage of justice as a result of fraud, duress, the giving of false evidence or the suppression of evidence. An order may also be set aside if there has been some kind of hardship or a change in circumstances of an exceptional nature that has resulted in hardship for one party due to the care of a child or children of the marriage or relationship. In that case, the court may also be inclined to set the order aside. Last but not least, if circumstances have changed since the Consent Order was made in such a way that it is no longer feasible for the Consent Order to be implemented, then the Court may be open to setting aside that Consent Order in the future.

 

As well as not being receptive to the setting aside of consent orders in relation to the future care arrangements for children, courts are also not eager to do so lightly. In fact, there is a threshold test that states that before the court will even consider reopening the matter of parenting consent orders, it must be satisfied that there has been a significant change in circumstances that would warrant a reopening of the matter.


 

If the court makes final orders, it will do so with the understanding that these orders will be the end of the matter once and for all. This is the idea behind the courts making final orders. When it comes to parenting matters, it is usually not considered to be in the best interests of the children for parties to be constantly going back to court to change the children's living arrangements because that is not considered to be in the best interests of the children.

 

Do consent orders have a cooling-off period when they are signed?

 

Consent Orders are not subject to a cooling-off period once they have been made. As soon as a Consent Order has been made by the court, that is the end of the matter and until it is established by a fresh application to the court that the Consent Order should be set aside, then it will remain in place until it can be overturned by the court. In light of this, it is often a very good idea for parties to obtain independent legal advice before signing off on Consent Orders, particularly if they have any doubts or reservations about their position, or if they wish to give themselves sufficient time to think about the Orders they are about to sign before signing them, which is why it is a very good idea for parties to both obtain independent legal advice before signing off on Consent Orders.

 

In order to withdraw your consent to the making of Consent Orders, you must do so between the time you sign them and the time the court decides to consider the matter and make Orders on the basis of the documentation that you have submitted to the court. There is no longer any jurisdiction for the court to make Consent Orders if the Consent is withdrawn by either party. From the time the signed documents are submitted to the court until the Consent Orders are actually issued, it usually takes about four weeks from the time that the signed documents are submitted to the court until the Consent Orders are actually issued, so there is still plenty of time for you to withdraw your consent. I would suggest that either you or your solicitor notify the court as soon as possible that you wish to withdraw your Consent in order to ensure that it is noted before the court decides the issue, as once the Consent Orders are made, it is very difficult to be able to change them.

If you require assistance a Family Lawyer in Adelaide please contact Kate Austin Family Lawyers. We would be pleased to assist you with your Consent Orders







collect
0
avatar
Muhammad Waqas
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more