Consent Orders are a written agreement made between the parties to a dispute that are approved by the court, and can cover both financial arrangements (such as property and maintenance) and parenting arrangements for children.

The primary benefit of Consent Orders is that they provide for a binding outcome without the need for a lengthy, stressful and expensive family court hearing.

Another advantage of Consent Orders is that they are able to address address parenting arrangements (something Binding Financial Agreements cannot do). It is essential however that Consent Orders are:

• Fair and equitable in so far as they relate to financial arrangements and
• Must be in the best interest of the child in so far as they relate to parenting arrangements