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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 Standing Council of Attorneys-General today endorsed the National Principles to Address Coercive Control in Family and Domestic Violence and agreed to their public release.

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 (Division 1) and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) are pleased to advise that in response to feedback from the profession, and as part of the Courts’ commitment to modernising court processes, we are introducing eFiling for family law 'Requests to issue a subpoena'. Initially, eFiling will only be available for subpoenas seeking the production of documents where there is an ongoing family law final orders application.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) secures temporary court facilities at the Supreme Court of Tasmania in Burnie.

Fair work small claims jurisdiction change, Fee changes, Form updates

The expansion of Lighthouse supports the Courts’ priorities to shine a light on the scourge of family violence, to improve the outcome of matters involving family violence and other risks, and to keep children and vulnerable parties safe. It has been six months since the commencement of Lighthouse and the Evatt List nationally and the Courts acknowledge the positive response from the profession and parties in supporting the Courts’ aim to provide better-informed and safe outcomes for families involved in family law proceedings.

More than 80 Judges from the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia have travelled to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory to meet with, listen and learn from Aboriginal families. 

Statement from the FCFCOA (Div 1 and Div 2) in response to ABC Report – False Witness

The internationally respected Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) has selected Lighthouse as this year’s recipient of the Irwin Cantor Innovative Program Award. The award was presented at a ceremony held in Los Angeles, USA on 31 May 2023.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) (‘the Court’) acknowledges the challenges for litigants in North West Tasmania as a result of the absence of suitable premises to conduct the Burnie circuit. The Court is doing all it can to work with the local, state and Commonwealth governments to solve this issue and is thankful for the assistance it has received to date, including from the state Attorney-General and the Department of Justice. All parties are working hard to find a solution for the litigants of North West Tasmania.

As part of the 2023-24 Federal Government Budget released last night, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) (the Courts) have been provided funding for two key measures: the national expansion of the highly successful pilot dealing with financial disputes between parents with smaller amounts of assets of under $500,000 (known as the Priority Property Pools under $500,000 or PPP500), and; to employ mediators and Court Child Experts to provide dispute resolution services for Hague Child Abduction Convention cases.