The Courts have responded to feedback and family law judgments and Court Children’s Services reports released from 11 December 2023 will be accessible from the Commonwealth Courts Portal (CCP). This will improve the accessibility of these documents and security of distribution.
As part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, representatives from the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (the Courts) will be presenting at the STOP Domestic Violence Conference
It is with pride that the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1 and Division 2) (the Courts) congratulate Senior Judicial Registrar Lisa O’Neill for being listed as a finalist for the 2023 Dame Quentin Bryce Domestic Violence P
This update provides important information about Applications for Review filed after 24 November 2023 in family law.
Lighthouse and the associated bespoke case management for high risk matters focuses on the safety of children and their families by identifying and addressing issues of family violence and other risks.
Registry opening hours from Monday 25 December 2023 to Monday 8 January 2023 for all Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia registries and contact information during this time.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) (the Court) officially commenced the national expansion of its case management process known as the Priority Property Pool (PPP) which provides a simplified way of resolving property disputes and aims to minimise risk, legal costs, and to preserve the parties’ assets
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1 and Division 2) (the Courts) are committed to providing safe, fair, efficient and relevant access to justice for all Australians.
Update 2 on the expansion of Priority Property Pool Cases including a flow chart which summarises how Initiating Applications seeking financial orders will be considered by the Court from the point of filing.
As a result of the sustained success of the highly successful Priority Property Pool under $500,000 Pilot (PPP500), the Courts have received funding from the Commonwealth Government to expand the initiative to all filing registries. The criteria for inclusion as a PPP Case has also been expanded to afford a greater number of parties access to this case management model from 30 October 2023.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (the Courts) have today launched the Court Dog Program. Thanks to the support and generosity of the Victorian Bar and the Victorian Bar Foundation, Therapy Dog Poppy, a fully trained court facility dog from Guide Dogs Victoria, will commence full time work with the Courts from the 4th of October by assisting litigants and children who are involved in family law proceedings in the Courts' Melbourne registry.
The Courts continue to see a high uptake in parties completing the risk screen, with 50% of parties completing the risk screen within 48 hours of receiving the invitation to do so. This impressive response rate means that the Courts’ specialised Lighthouse team are able to provide early service information and support after the filing of a party’s Initiating Application or Response.
This week the Courts have published the updated Family Violence Plan and Family Violence Best Practice Principles.
Both documents have been updated on the advice of the Courts’ Family Violence Committee. They set out the Courts’ commitment to identifying and managing family violence, the actions the Courts will take, and practical guidance to assist court users, legal practitioners and other stakeholders to understand how family violence is managed by the Courts.
The Family Violence Plan refines and updates the last plan issued in 2019. The Best Practice Principles are the 5th iteration, having first been published in 2009.
Today, the Courts officially launched three animated short films that will help educate the public about: What is family violence in family law cases?, How is the voice of the child heard? and How does the court process work for parenting cases?
The Courts’ new films build on the existing online resources developed by the Courts in 2021 which focused on how to ‘separate smarter’.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) and (Division 2) (the Courts) enthusiastically welcome Ms Hayley Foster to continue the Courts’ progressive work in risk identification and providing better support to separating families who have been impacted by family violence.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders, past, present and emerging.
