Things to Read, Watch & Listen

A Parliamentary inquiry is now underway into proposed changes to child support legislation. The changes are largely to reflect the changes recommended by Patrick Parkinson… Read More »Committee underway as to Child Support changes

The Family Court has long been criticised for delays and undue formality, with mums and dads often critical that they have not been listened to… Read More »Finding a better way- the Family Court changes direction with children

This was recently posted on the blog of Dr Helen Smith, a psychologist in Knoxville, Tennessee. One of the ways to prevent violence is to… Read More »Violence Prevention Toolbox

The Federal Attorney-General’s Department has announced that training will occur in May around Australia for family dispute resolution practitioners and family lawyers. The point of… Read More »Family Dispute Resolution training announced

The Government has announced new regulations that will govern the introduction of compulsory dispute resolution in custody cases and the accreditation of family dispute resolution… Read More »Family Dispute Resolution: New Requirements

Details of the next selection process for organisations seeking funding for family relationship services have been announced today by Attorney-General Philip Ruddock and the Minister… Read More »Selection Process for Family Relationships Centres

The Minister for Human Services, Senator Chris Ellison, has announced efforts to collect outstanding child support payments has returned more than $131 million to children.… Read More »Child Support Agency collects $131 million in outstanding debts

I recently travelled to the US to attend a national domestic violence conference. The key speaker at that conference was Shawrline Nicholson, who was the… Read More »Removing children from their mothers- part 1

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has appointed Deputy Chief Justice John Faulks, Federal Magistrate Norah Hartnett and Federal Magistrate Robyn Sexton to the Family Law Council. Mr… Read More »New Appointments to the Family Law Council

Commonwealth Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has informed the ACT that the Commonwealth would recommend that the Governor-General disallow the Civil Partnerships Bill 2006 (ACT) in its… Read More »Ruddock prepared to veto ACT bill

Commonwealth Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock has announced the funding of 9 new children’s contact centres and 8 new parenting order programs. This funding is welcomed. Properly… Read More »New Contact Centres Announced

Radio National show Life Matters, has conducted a background briefing on Parental Alienation Syndrome: “Parental Alienation Syndrome, also called PAS, is the theory that in… Read More »Parental Alienation Syndrome on the Move

In the Radio National program, Life Matters, there is a useful discussion with Reesa Soren, Senior Lecturer at the School of Education, James Cook University,… Read More »Difficulties in kids moving home

Police responses to domestic violence have been examined by a number of ombudsmans’ offices across Australia, (WA Ombudsman 2003, Qld Crime and Misconduct Commission 2005,… Read More »Policing DV- Barriers and Good Practice

Family violence is a problem in all sectors of Australian society, with particular attention recently being given to its occurrence in remote Indigenous communities. The… Read More »Indigenous Family Violence

To help combat domestic and family violence the Australian Capital Territory arm of the Australian Federal Police, ACT Policing, began the Family Violence Intervention Program… Read More »Children at DV incidents

The Personal Safety Survey (PSS) was a national survey of people aged 18 or older conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2005, following… Read More »Personal Safety Survey

The Australian Institute of Criminology has published research showing that while thankfully the rates of homicide are down, the instruments of choice remain knives or… Read More »Weapons of Homicide

The Australian Institute of Criminology has recently published on its website research as to attitudes towards forced sex in Victoria. It is refreshing that of… Read More »Attitudes to “forced sex”