Navigating Key Laws, Separated Parents & Implementing Best Practice Policies and Communications to Optimise Debt Recovery in Line with School Values
| Date | 26 February 2026 |
| Time | 12.00pm-2.30pm AEDT (Syd/Mel time) |
| Venue | Live Online with recording (recording access expires 26 March 2026) |
| Pricing | $275 Price includes gst. |
| Sector | Non-State Schools |
| CPD | Addresses 7.2 of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. |
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Program
12.00 LawSense Welcome
12.05 Chairperson’s Introduction
12.10 School Fees and Separated Parents: Understanding Legal Rights and Obligations and Optimising Enrolment Contracts
Understanding Family Court Orders and Parenting Agreements After Separation
- Understanding agreements that can be made between parents and the limits of the obligations they can impose
- Outlining how Family Court Orders can dictate the obligations of parents including their obligation to pay school fees
- Understanding parent rights and responsibilities where there are no court orders or any written agreement/arrangement
Impacts of Separation on Obligation to Pay School Fees
- Examining the implications on recovery of fees where parents separate after student enrolment
Optimising Enrolment Contracts/Arrangements
- Examining how arrangement with parents should be reviewed where there is separation
- Implementing key clauses in your enrolment contract to optimise recovery of school fees with parent separation:
Ben Tallboys, Principal, Russell Kennedy; Legal Counsel, Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA)
1.10 Break
1.20 Implementing Best Practice Policies and Communications to Optimise Debt Recovery in Line with School Values
- Exploring the role of school values in developing and implementing debt recovery policies
- Responding to common reasons or arguments raised by parents for delayed payment or non-payment
- Optimising meetings with parents and exploring the potential role of mediation
- Examining options and best practice with payment plans
- Understanding legal options and restrictions in charging interest or late fees
- Recovering the costs of debt recovery
- Understanding debt collection laws and guidelines in recovering fees
- Implementing best practice at different points, including optimum communications:
- school response after initially missing the payment date
- non-payment after reminders
- escalation after non-payment
- Exploring templates for communications at different stages
- Briefing and managing debt recovery agents to optimise recovery and ensure practices consistent with school values
Suzanne Rieschieck, Principal, Debt Recovery Lead, Russell Kennedy
Louise Tolson, General Counsel, Carey Baptist Grammar School
2.25 Chairperson’s Conclusion
2.30 Event Close
Presenters / panelists include:
Louise Tolson is an accomplished in-house lawyer with over 15 years of experience advising executives and organisations across the education, healthcare, and commercial sectors. Currently serving as General Counsel at Carey Baptist Grammar School, Louise brings strategic insight and a collaborative approach to legal leadership. Her expertise spans privacy and data protection, technology procurement, IP licensing, and complex commercial agreements.
Ben Tallboys provides sector-specific, practical legal solutions to schools across Australia. Ben is a passionate and effective advocate for principals dealing with complex matters relating to parents, staff and students, as well as their own employment.
Suzanne Rieschieck is a general commercial litigator, focusing on the Property, Building and Construction, Retirement Living and Education industries. She has experience in a vast range of disputes relevant to these industries, including with respect to leasing, adverse possession, breach of contract, defective building work, expert determinations, fee disputes, Australian Consumer Law matters and some defamation. Suzanne also has experience in Corporations Act matters involving Oppression, breach of director’s duties and insolvency.