Number of applications to Family Court has plateaued: CEO

Number of applications to Family Court has plateaued: CEO

The decline in the numbers of applications to the Family and Federal Magistrates Courts appears to have plateaued, according to the CEO of the Family Court and acting CEO of the Federal Magistrates Court, Richard Foster.

Mr Foster told the Senate estimates hearing this week:

  • As at the end of March this year, in the Federal Magistrates Court there have been 11,550 and in the Family Court there have been 2,850 applications filed for final orders, or at a rate of 80/20.
  • Projections for the financial year make it 3,800 applications for final orders.
  • Since the introduction of Family Relationships Centres, there was a drop in the number of applications filed.
  • In 1998-99 there were 21,931 applications filed in the Family Court. Since then, coming to 2008-09, projections are that there will be 17,800 for both courts, which is a
    reduction in family law filings for final orders in the order of 19 per cent over that period of time.
  • It looks as if it might have plateaued in the last couple of years, the numbers being slightly up on last year’s were 17,306.
  • On average it takes 13.5 months from filing to the first date of trial.
Things to Read, Watch & Listen

GAME CHANGER: Friday the 13th brought GOOD luck for overseas surrogacy families!

For many, Friday the 13th is a day synonymous with bad luck and superstition. But on December 13, 2024, this infamous date marked a remarkable turning point for Australian families who have welcomed children through overseas surrogacy.

BREAKTHROUGH: 8 children born through mitochondrial donation in the UK – could Australia be next?

In a remarkable leap forward for medical science and reproductive technology, the United Kingdom has recently celebrated the birth of eight healthy children—four boys and four girls—through the pioneering technique of mitochondrial donation.

Black Friday meant good luck for many children born through surrogacy – and their parents

Friday the 13th, Black Friday, is normally a day of doom and gloom- when things go wrong. However, Black Friday, 13 December 2024 was a good day for many children born through surrogacy – and their parents.

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