The peak body for Australian legal professions has lambasted a proposed shake-up of the country’s family courts, warning the restructure could make a system that is already in crisis even worse. The federal government intends to merge the Family and…
Lawyers pan radical Family Court changes
Dr William Russell Pridgeon Accused of Financing Child Abductions
Dr William Russell Pridgeon and three others accused of helping mothers hide their children in violation of court orders A New South Wales doctor accused of financing an abduction ring that helped mothers take and hide their children in…
As it stands, merging courts unlikely to alleviate family law crisis
The proposed merging of the Federal Circuit Court and the Family Court is unlikely to alleviate the crisis in the family law court system and may place significant extra pressure on already overburdened Federal Circuit Court Judges, the Law Council…
What the Family Court shakeup really means for families
The disputes are acrimonious, often drawn out and, in many cases, financially crippling. And that’s just for starters. The family law system in Australia is groaning under the weight of a vast backlog of more than 20,000 cases and families…
Progress on family law changes
New laws to improve the family law system will be brought to federal parliament later this year. On budget night, the Turnbull government announced it would change the law to protect victims of family violence from the trauma of coming…
Family Court underfunded, letting people down, chief justice says
Australia’s Family Court is letting families down because of huge backlogs and lack of resources, the system’s Chief Justice Diana Bryant says. Chief Justice Bryant said while overall delays in the Family Court were about 17 months from filing to…
How to prevent the risk of international child abduction in family law matters
With the number of child abduction cases rising and children being unlawfully taken overseas, divorced and separated parents are being urged to look for the warning signs, according to a leading international family law expert. Barry.Nilsson. Special Counsel Terrence Trainor…
Family tax rates need an overhaul
In the lead-up to this year’s budget, one of the main things I would like to see addressed is the disparity amongst families when it comes to our current tax rating system. Analysis conducted overseas shows that Australia has one…
Victorian MP pushes for tough law banning dowries
A VICTORIAN MP is pushing for tough new law banning dowries and strict punishments for people who provide and accept payments for a bride. Although requesting a dowry was outlawed in India in 1961, the practice continues in many migrant…