The Courts are pleased to announce the launch of a pilot program for divorce hearings to be conducted by video for matters in the Parramatta, Townsville and Rockhampton registries.
At present, all divorce hearings in which an appearance before a Deputy Registrar is requested by a party, or otherwise required, occur by telephone only.
The Courts are trialling the use of video hearings to improve court user experience for parties and practitioners in divorce hearings.
Commencing 15 May 2026, all divorce hearings in the Parramatta, Townsville and Rockhampton registries which require the parties to attend a hearing before a Deputy Registrar will take place using Webex via an audio and video enabled link. The link to attend the Webex hearing will appear on the Commonwealth Courts Portal and the daily court list from 4pm AEST the day prior to the scheduled hearing time.
Parties and practitioners can join the hearing by Webex from their computer, smartphone or other appropriate device.
For all divorce hearings taking place by Webex, the presiding Deputy Registrar will attend and be visible by video. It is expected that parties and practitioners appearing in a divorce hearing will also have their video turned on. Parties and practitioners must be dressed appropriately for a court appearance and all usual court etiquette applies.
A party can still appear by telephone if they cannot appear by video. The telephone details for the relevant registries are available on the Pilot program for divorce hearings to be conducted by video webpage.
This shift to hearings by video brings divorce hearings in line with all other electronic hearings currently conducted by the Court, increasing accessibility for all parties and allowing for the efficient conduct of divorce hearings.
In the event of safety concerns or technology limitations, the Deputy Registrar has a discretion to allow parties or practitioners to appear without video. Any concerns should be raised with the Court prior to the hearing.
The pilot will continue for an appropriate period of time to allow video hearings for divorce to be properly trialled. Any change will be communicated in a further practice and procedure update.
For guidance on electronic hearings using Webex, see: Practitioner and Litigant Guide to Electronic Hearings
For further guidance on electronic court hearings, including online etiquette, see: Electronic hearings
