- Dodgy dads blitz
- By Susie O'Brien
- Herald Sun
- 18/02/2005 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: admin ( 47 articles in 2005 )
DEADBEAT dads claiming bankruptcy to dodge child support payments could soon be outlawed by Federal Parliament.
The rights of mums left behind would be boosted when dividing family property and ordering child support payments.
The proposed new laws would crack down on rogue bankrupts, particularly those moving money to shirk tax and child maintenance.
In particular, it would be harder to transfer assets such as houses to other family members to avoid paying up.
The Family Court would also have the power to stop payments to a bankrupt's creditors in favour of the non-bankrupt spouse.
In other cases, creditors would have more rights to intervene in Family Court cases and have property orders set aside.
Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock said the Bill, introduced into Federal Parliament yesterday, aimed to streamline bankruptcy and family laws.
"The Government is committed to enhancing and making the family law and bankruptcy systems more accessible, efficient and effective," he said.
He told Parliament the Bill would enable concurrent bankruptcy and family law proceedings to be brought together.
"It will offer procedures and protection to the non-bankrupt spouse that were not previously available," he said.
"At the same time, the court can be on notice about the interests of creditors of a bankrupt spouse, and can take those interests into account in determining family property or spousal maintenance orders."
The rights of mums left behind would be boosted when dividing family property and ordering child support payments.
The proposed new laws would crack down on rogue bankrupts, particularly those moving money to shirk tax and child maintenance.
In particular, it would be harder to transfer assets such as houses to other family members to avoid paying up.
The Family Court would also have the power to stop payments to a bankrupt's creditors in favour of the non-bankrupt spouse.
In other cases, creditors would have more rights to intervene in Family Court cases and have property orders set aside.
Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock said the Bill, introduced into Federal Parliament yesterday, aimed to streamline bankruptcy and family laws.
"The Government is committed to enhancing and making the family law and bankruptcy systems more accessible, efficient and effective," he said.
He told Parliament the Bill would enable concurrent bankruptcy and family law proceedings to be brought together.
"It will offer procedures and protection to the non-bankrupt spouse that were not previously available," he said.
"At the same time, the court can be on notice about the interests of creditors of a bankrupt spouse, and can take those interests into account in determining family property or spousal maintenance orders."
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