NSW Government Response to Inquiry into Shared Parental Responsibility Legislation

The New South Wales Government’s response to the NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Law and Justice Inquiry into the impact of the Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Act 2006 (Cth) was recently tabled in the NSW Parliament. The Government’s response includes a number of recommendations including: That the NSW Government work with the… Read More »Custom Single Post Header

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

NSW Government Response to Inquiry into Shared Parental Responsibility Legislation

The New South Wales Government’s response to the NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Law and Justice Inquiry into the impact of the Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Act 2006 (Cth) was recently tabled in the NSW Parliament. The Government’s response includes a number of recommendations including:

That the NSW Government work with the Commonwealth Government to ensure that staff at Family Relationship Centres and accredited family dispute resolution practitioners are suitably trained and use appropriate screening tools in order to correctly identify cases involving family violence.

That the NSW Government work with the Commonwealth Government to establish protocols to enable appropriate NSW Government and non-government agencies to assist Family Relationship Centre staff and accredited family dispute resolution practitioners in dealing with cases involving family violence.

That the NSW Government contact the Commonwealth Government to discuss the option of adopting the NSW Legal Aid Commission’s alternative dispute resolution model at Family Relationship Centres so that NSW residents have the alternative of lawyer assisted mediation.

That the NSW Government discuss the appropriateness of the number and location of Family Relationship Centres with the Commonwealth Government, and request that further decisions about the locations of Family Relationship Centres be made in conjunction with relevant NSW Government agencies to ensure that the decisions are based on accurately identified population and demographic needs.

For a full copy of the report and the response, click here.

Things to Read, Watch & Listen

Forced Marriage

On November 1st 2023, Accredited Family Law Specialist and Page Provan Director Stephen Page presented a paper at the Brisbane Zonta Club about forced marriage. I acknowledge the Jagera and Turrbal peoples, on whose lands we meet today, their elders, past, present and emerging. Ruqia Hidari was aged 21 and living in Victoria, when, according to police,… Read More »Forced Marriage

ACT Government Surrogacy Bill

The ACT Government has today introduced a bill to amend the ACT’s surrogacy laws. The proposed changes are more incremental than fundamental. They include allowing a single person to undertake surrogacy, for the surrogate to be single if needed, a requirement for legal advice and counselling beforehand, a written agreement being required, that traditional surrogacy is… Read More »ACT Government Surrogacy Bill

Planning to resolve: ADR in ART

ADR can help resolve disputes in ART cases. ADR is not limited to mediation and arbitration. Other types of informal dispute resolution can resolve disputes. When assisted reproductive treatment cases go off the rails, they can have the next level of bitterness and volatility. There can be a keen sense of betrayal when things don’t… Read More »Planning to resolve: ADR in ART