From 22 April 2025, changes have been 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.
What’s changing:
- Urgent Initiating Applications and Family Law Watchlist applications will now be immediately listed for a first return date upon receipt of filing.
- The matter will then be referred to a Registrar for assessment of the urgency request.
- If the urgency request is granted, the return date will be changed in accordance with the Registrar’s assessment.
Why this matters:
- Applications will be scheduled for a first return date immediately, ensuring a court date is in place while urgency is being assessed.
- Parties will be advised of any changes to the scheduled date or of any additional steps that must be taken once the urgency of the application has been considered.
For more information, please see:
