Family Court: non-lawyer appearing for party
Sunday February 22, 2009

Family Court: non-lawyer appearing for party

Sunday, February 22, 2009

In the Full Court of the Family Court case of Batey-Elton and Elton (No.2), Ms Batey-Elton sought that a Mr B appear for her on the appeal. Mr B was not a lawyer.

The Full Court dismissed the request. Justice Warnick (who gave the lead judgment) stated that the reasons were:

  1. advocates or speakers on behalf of litigants should be legal practitioners who are subject to all of the strictures and obligations that apply to them. Mr B does not fit into that category.
  2. in an extraordinary case a non-lawyer might be permitted to speak on behalf of a litigant but this was not an extraordinary case.
  3. Ms Batey-Elton is able, in effect, to present and support her application. What she anticipates not being able to deal with, are responses. We do not yet know whether any response will be called for or whether it will contain any matter of some nature which troubles Ms Batey-Elton.
  4. Mr B is a deponent in the very application in which Ms Batey-Elton seeks that he speak, effectively in the role as advocate, and I have in mind the nature of the matters about which he deposes.
  5. there is no medical certificate supporting what Ms Batey-Elton claims.

Stephen Page, Harrington Family Lawyers, Brisbane spage@harringtonfamilylawyers.com 61(7) 3221 9544

Request an Appointment
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Request an Appointment - Stephen Page
Things to Read, Watch & Listen
Sri Lanka Surrogacy: A Guide for Australian Parents

Sri Lanka surrogacy: what Australian intended parents must know

Sri Lanka is an often overlooked overseas surrogacy destination for Australians, particularly for people with a genuine connection to the country. It can offer comparatively low IVF and legal costs, prompt surrogate matching and a practical pathway to parentage recognition. However, it also comes with strict eligibility requirements and important Australian legal, citizenship and criminal… Read More »Sri Lanka surrogacy: what Australian intended parents must know

Overseas surrogacy births are 4 times that of domestic surrogacy births

When talking to colleagues, judges and policymakers, it is assumed that the norm of Australian surrogacy is that of domestic surrogacy births. However, as the most recent figures demonstrate, yet again, domestic surrogacy births are the exception. The norm remains that of Australian children being born through surrogacy overseas. That norm and the exception have… Read More »Overseas surrogacy births are 4 times that of domestic surrogacy births

Male Fertility Decline: What Experts Say Is Behind It

Why is male fertility declining? Experts weigh in

Male fertility decline has become one of the most important and unsettling questions in reproductive medicine. There appears to have been a clear decline in sperm quality over the past 50 years, but the difficult truth is that there is no single, settled explanation. That was one of the central messages delivered by United States… Read More »Why is male fertility declining? Experts weigh in

Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board