Divorce lawyers handle divorces, that's pretty obvious, but they also handle other types of legal issues related to family law, so if you are enmeshed in a legal problem, here are the situations in which a divorce lawyer could be of help to you.

Nullity

Nullity is a legal word that describes a marriage that is declared null and void, even though there was a valid ceremony between two parties. The Family Law Act of 1975 established the authority of the Family Court of Australia to declare marriages null if certain facts are established.

If you are in a marriage that you want declared null, you can hire a divorce lawyer who will take you through the legal steps required to obtain this ruling. Typically, you would have to prove the circumstances that make your marriage null and void, such as the fact that your partner was married when you held the ceremony, you or your partner were not of legal age when you married, or you were forced into the marriage.

Separation

Divorce lawyers are trained to help you file separation papers when you've decided that you can no longer co-exist with your partner. Separation requires you to make many of the same decisions that you would in a divorce, including the custody of any children, the separation of assets, the determination of where each party will reside, support payments and who will be responsible for paying bills.

Although legal separation doesn't need to be registered with a court in Australia, you need to ensure that you have everything in writing, especially if your soon-to-be ex-partner disputes or does not want the separation. It's also important to retain a divorce lawyer, because if you proceed from separation to divorce, you must prove that you were separated at least 12 months prior to the divorce petition, or the court won't grant you the divorce.

Establishing De Facto Relationships 

Divorce lawyers can also help you establish a de facto relationship, which is defined as any two people living together who are not married, but who consider themselves to be a couple. In order for you to obtain legal standing as a de facto couple, a divorce lawyer must show that you have been living together with your loved one for several years, that you are in a sexual relationship, that you share in the financial burden of keeping up a house and paying bills, and that others view you as a couple.

Establishing a de facto relationship is important, because if something goes wrong and you break up with your loved one, a divorce law firm like Calvin Nelson & Co could petition the court for the same rights accorded to married couples.