Family Dispute Resolution: Certificates now required
Monday July 2, 2007

Family Dispute Resolution: Certificates now required

Monday, July 02, 2007

Family Dispute Resolution

New regulations have been made which will govern the introduction of compulsory dispute resolution in parenting cases and the accreditation of family dispute resolution practitioners.

The Family Law Amendment Regulations 2007 (No 1) amend the Family Law Regulations 1984 to reflect changes introduced by the Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Act 2006. In particular the Regulations:

· Establish the Family Dispute Resolution Register;

· Introduce interim Accreditation Rules for family dispute resolution practitioners;

· Prescribe information to be given to people prior to family dispute resolution;

· Prescribe information to be provided by legal practitioners and courts under the Act; and

· Prescribe matters for the purpose of section 60I of the Family Law Act, which requires that a certificate from a family dispute resolution practitioner be filed with an application for an order under Part VII of the Act.

Members are reminded that from 1 July, courts will not be able to hear an application for a parenting order in a new case unless the person seeking the order first obtains a certificate from a registered family dispute resolution practitioner. There are some exceptions, such as in cases of family violence or child abuse.

All family dispute resolution practitioners must be included on a new family dispute resolution register in order to issue valid certificates.

Source: Family Law Section, Law Council of Australia

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
Paid Egg Donation in Australia: What Can Be Reimbursed

Paid egg donation in Australia: is it legal?

Can someone be paid to donate eggs in Australia? The short answer is no. Human eggs cannot lawfully be treated as something to buy or sell. Australia permits altruistic egg donation, not commercial egg donation. But that is not the end of the story. A donor may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses associated with the… Read More »Paid egg donation in Australia: is it legal?

Egg Freezing in Prison: The High Court’s Decision in Smith

Egg Freezing in Prison: The High Court’s Decision in Smith

Does a prison sentence also mean losing the opportunity to become a parent after release? That question sits at the heart of Smith v Chief Executive, Queensland Corrective Services, a powerful High Court decision about egg freezing, fertility preservation and the limits of punishment. The High Court unanimously found that egg freezing did not fall… Read More »Egg Freezing in Prison: The High Court’s Decision in Smith

Queensland Donor Limits - Lesbian Couples Now One Family

Donor limits Queensland: lesbian couples now one family

A lesbian couple using the same sperm donor should not become two families simply because both women want to carry a child. That is the straightforward principle behind Queensland Health’s reversal of its guidance on donor limits. The revised guidance recognises those women as one family for the purposes of Queensland’s donor limit. It removes… Read More »Donor limits Queensland: lesbian couples now one family

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