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The Family Law Amendment Act 2024 (the Amendment Act) commences on 10 June 2025. As a result, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Family Law) Rules 2021 (the Rules) have been amended.

As a result of the Family Law Amendment Act 2024 (Cth) changes commencing on 10 June 2025, and consequential changes to the Family Law Rules, there will be minor amendments to several family law Practice Directions. The new Practice Directions will be published on 10 June 2025.

On 10 May 2025, the Courts will automatically end legal practitioners’ access to family law files on the Commonwealth Courts Portal (CCP) 60 days after all applications on the file are finalised.

The Chief Justice of the FCFCOA (Division 1 and Division 2) introduced a screening of the powerful documentary created by Safe Steps, Unanswered Calls, which highlights the need for systemic improvement to ensure the voices of children and young people impacted by family violence are heard and help is provided.

From 22 April 2025, changes will be introduced to how urgent Initiating Applications and Family Law (Airport) Watchlist applications are managed in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) and (Division 2). These changes aim to improve the efficient review and prioritisation of urgent applications.

The following Regulations commenced on 1 April 2025: The Family Law Regulations 2024 replace the 1984 Regulations; The Family Law (Superannuation) Regulations 2025 replace the 2001 Regulations; The Family Law (Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners) Regulations 2025 replace the 2008 Regulations. As a result, there will be changes to the following family law court forms which are to be used from 1 April 2025. Please note that the changes are largely updating section references where the Regulations have been renumbered.

The FCFCOA’s Director – Family Violence, Access, Equity and Inclusion, Hayley Foster, chaired a session at the ‘Engaging Men & Boys to End the Cycle of Violence’ conference in Sydney this week.

The Brisbane and Lismore Registries will be open as normal on Tuesday 11 March 2025.

The Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus KC MP, today announced the appointment of the Honourable Justice Jacoba Brasch as Chair of the Family Law Council.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1 and Division 2) (‘the Courts’) are thrilled to announce the expansion of the successful Court Dog Program with the addition of three new facility dogs to operate in the Sydney, Parramatta and Newcastle registries.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia has today ordered the publication of details to assist in the recovery of Molly Rose NOONAN-MEDLEY, who is currently missing.

The Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Honourable Mark Dreyfus KC MP has today announced the appointment of Ms Di Simpson as a Judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) (Division 1). Justice Simpson has been appointed to the Sydney registry of the Court and will commence on 3 February 2025.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) (the Court) is pleased to announce that the Commonwealth Courts Portal has been updated to permit the eFiling of documents in its appellate jurisdiction from 9 December 2024.

The Court is pleased to announce that as of 9 December 2024 appeals will be commenced, and documents in appeals filed, on the Commonwealth Courts Portal

Lighthouse update from the Chief Justice - two years since the implementation of Lighthouse