Registrars

Senior Judicial Registrars, Judicial Registrars and Deputy Registrars (collectively known as Registrars) each undertake key roles in the operation of the family law jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (the Court). All three categories of Registrar exercise aspects of judicial power which has formally been delegated to them by the Judges of both Divisions of the Court. A table outlining the powers delegated to Registrars can be found in Schedule 4 to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Family Law) Rules 2021.

In exercising these delegated powers, Registrars manage cases from the point of filing and undertake tasks which would otherwise be completed by Judges. The Court’s use of Registrars in this way allows Judges to dedicate more time to the hearing and determination of complex interim applications and final hearings.

The role undertaken by each category of Registrar is outlined in more detail below.

Senior Judicial Registrars

The primary role of a Senior Judicial Registrar is to preside over interim hearings and determine interlocutory applications, generally in circumstances where there is no agreement between the parties. Senior Judicial Registrars have the following powers to:

  • make interim parenting or financial orders
  • make parenting or financial orders in undefended proceedings
  • vary or set aside financial orders
  • make orders for spousal or de facto maintenance
  • make orders for child maintenance (including adult child maintenance)
  • make location orders and recovery orders
  • make orders for enforcement of parenting or financial orders
  • grant injunctions until further order or in undefended proceedings
  • summarily dismiss a proceeding.

In addition to these powers, Senior Judicial Registrars have all the powers delegated to Judicial Registrars, which are discussed below.

Name Contact email
Senior Judicial Registrar Marianne Bastiani associate.sjrbastiani@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Kara Best associate.sjrbest@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Amy Clarke associate.sjrclarke@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Celia Conlan associate.sjrconlan@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Jennifer Crawley associate.sjrcrawley@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Benita Crocker associate.sjrcrocker@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Andrea Evans associate.sjrevans@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Patrick Fitzgerald associate.sjrfitzgerald@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Tracy Flintoff associate.sjrflintoff@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Kelly Friend associate.sjrfriend@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Brian Glendenning associate.sjrglendenning@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Angela Hayward associate.sjrhayward@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Kathryn Heuer associate.sjrheuer@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Corey Jenkins associate.sjrjenkins@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Sharney Jenkinson associate.sjrjenkinson@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Rasheel Kaur associate.sjrkaur@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Maria Kourtis associate.sjrkourtis@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Clare McCormack associate.sjrmccormack@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Ann-Maree McDiarmid associate.sjrmcdiarmid@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Amy McGowan associate.sjrmcgowan@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Brett McGrath associate.sjrmcgrath@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Sally McNamara associate.sjrmcnamara@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Lynda Maitland associate.sjrmaitland@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Amanda Malinowsky associate.sjrmalinowsky@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Frances Neilson associate.sjrneilson@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Kris Norrington associate.sjrnorrington@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Lisa O'Neill associate.sjroneill@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Anne-Marie Rice associate.sjrrice@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Christopher Spink associate.sjrspink@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Kerrie Stuart associate.sjrstuart@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Katherine Sudholz associate.sjrsudholz@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Bruce Thiele associate.sjrthiele@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Dinh Tran associate.sjrtran@fcfcoa.gov.au
Senior Judicial Registrar Liana Whitten associate.sjrwhitten@fcfcoa.gov.au

Judicial Registrars

Judicial Registrars generally preside over directions hearings and initial court events. They undertake a triage and assessment role, in managing cases through the Court process and conduct the vast majority of internal dispute resolution events.

The powers delegated to Judicial Registrars are more procedural in nature, and include (in summary) power to:

  • make parenting and/or financial orders in undefended proceedings (subject to conditions)
  • make, discharge, vary or suspend orders for spousal or de facto maintenance (subject to conditions)
  • make costs orders, including orders for security for costs
  • make a range of procedural and case management orders 
  • make location orders
  • dispense with the requirements of service
  • appoint an Independent Children’s Lawyer
  • make orders in relation to subpoenas
  • direct parties to attend upon a Court Child Expert.

Deputy Registrars

Deputy Registrars are a type of Judicial Registrar who are approved to exercise a limited range of delegated powers, including power to:

  • make divorce orders in undefended proceedings
  • make parenting and/or financial orders by consent of the parties
  • make a range of procedural and case management orders
  • dispense with the requirements of service.

Deputy Registrars are responsible for conducting divorce hearings, considering applications for consent orders, conducting internal dispute resolution events and reviewing applications for urgency.