Legal Project Management Plan & Checklist
Purpose of this Guide: Use this plan when representing an applicant seeking maintenance for a child who is turning 18 or has already turned 18. This guide helps the practitioner determine eligibility, comply with pre-action procedures, compile evidence, calculate proportional contributions, and file applications in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Jurisdiction: Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA), national registry. This parent plan covers the general intake, mediation, and drafting procedures for adult child maintenance applications. Two forks address the specific statutory gateways: Education Limb (Academic Pathway) and Disability Limb (Special Needs Pathway).
The Process at a Glance: The matter begins with conflict checks and relationship status verification. The practitioner conducts risk screening and exchanges pre-action information. If alternative dispute resolution is unsuccessful, the practitioner serves a notice of intention to file. The practitioner compiles financial disclosure, models the child's budget, drafts the Initiating Application, Financial Statement, and supporting affidavit, and files them via the portal. After personal service, the practitioner represents the client through directions, conciliation, and final hearing.
Use this fork when the adult child maintenance application is brought under the disability limb of Section 66L, where support is necessary because of a mental or physical disability of the child. This guide covers medical evidence compilation, supported work capacity assessments, NDIS funding, and special needs budget calculations.
Use this fork when the adult child maintenance application is brought under the education limb of Section 66L, where support is necessary to enable the child to complete their secondary, tertiary, vocational, or apprenticeship studies. This guide covers academic status verification, student earning capacity assessment, and study-related budget modelling.
Key Legislation and Case Law: Applications are governed by Section 66L of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (the Act). Pre-action compliance is mandated by Schedule 1 of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Family Law) Rules 2021 (Cth). The court applies a two-step methodology under Section 66H, assessing needs under Section 66J and parental capacity under Section 66K. Key cases include Everett & Everett [2014] FamCAFC 152 (a warm parent-child relationship is not a precondition to an order), Wadsworth and Wadsworth [2013] FCCA 2043 on employment, and Re AM (Adult Child Maintenance) (2006) FLC 93-262 on the scope of the disability limb. eFiling is executed via the Commonwealth Courts Portal.
* Disclaimer: We're nobody's lawyer, because we aren't lawyers. You are, so you know better than to take legal advice from an app. We also aren't accountants or dog trainers - just digital spirit guides taking zero liability for any of this. This site exists to gather the collective knowledge of practitioners like you. Verify everything and submit your feedback on the Adult Child Maintenance (Applicant) matter plan to improve the playbook. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE, it's a request for input.
This legal matter plan provides a structured workflow for Family Law cases, outlining the standard Litigation process. Utilize these tracking templates to manage your legal cases efficiently.
| Field | Token | Type | Required | Defined in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matter(4) | ||||
| Matter numberⓘ | matter.matterNumber | text | Required | inheritedmatter-core |
| Matter title | matter.title | text | - | inheritedmatter-core |
| Matter typeⓘ | matter.matterType | text | - | inheritedmatter-core |
| Matter status | matter.status | text | - | inheritedmatter-core |
| Client(1) | ||||
| Client name | matter.clientName | text | Required | inheritedmatter-core |
Complete client intake and identify any joint representation conflict risks.
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Satisfy Schedule 1 pre-action requirements before initiating litigation.
Build the necessary evidentiary schedules supporting child needs and parental capacity.
Verify and execute all court documents under oath, confirming full disclosure.
Securely file all court papers, pay or exempt fees, and serve the respondent.
Conclude the litigation process, distribute support payouts, and archive the file.