Applying for spouse visa Help needed

Hi Guys, I've used this group for advice a couple of times in the past and you have all been very helpful. Now I think i'll be needing a fair bit of help over the next couple weeks as I will be applying for a Spouse Visa to stay in Australia with my girlfriend.

I'm a british citizen currently in Australia on a Working holiday visa which expires jan 06. I have been with my Girlfriend for about 2 years although we have only lived together about 14 months.

Anyway thats my back story out of the way , I have a couple of important questions to start off.

1) A friend of my girlfriends has been through all this with her british boyfriend (although he applied offshore) They had done the whole process through a migration consultant , which i cant afford! :( They brought round their stat decs and all the stuff they used to apply and I noticed that any copied evidence they had (i.e photocopied birth certificate) had been signed and stamped as authentic by a justice of the peace. What i was wondering is, Is that necessary? I've read through booklet 1127, as well as forms 40sp and 47sp, and while they mention the checklist of items to include with the visa application, they dont appear to mention having to get it all stamped by a JOTP. Obviously if this isnt necessary then i'd rather not have to fork out for it. I just figured this would be the best place to ask.

2) The couple mentioned above also included stat decs from the British boyfriends mother confirming that they were an item, etc etc. Although form 47sp only asks for stat decs from the Australian Sponsors parents. Is it necessary for me to get stat decs from my parents as well?

So have any of you out there been in a similar situation to me? i'd love to see some examples of what you all included with your applications, and heard any advice you think i may not be aware of. Sorry for all the questions and if its confusing i apologise too. I would be very grateful for any advice anyone could give me.

Thanks,

Paul