Positively, the government has pledged an investment of $46.5 million to expand the following programs within the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia:
- PPP500 Program
The PPP500 assists separating couples with smaller property pools (less than $500,000) to achieve quicker and cheaper settlement outcomes. $33.1 million has been committed to rolling this program out to all national Court registries.
- Dispute resolution
Dispute resolution processes within the Court system are largely effective mechanisms to assist separating couples to resolve their property and parenting disputes, which are also often greatly assisted by the involvement of Court Child Experts. $13.4 million has been committed to expanding the provision of the lawyer assisted family law property mediation program.
Additionally, the Government has confirmed support for other key initiatives including the following:
- International child abduction
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is the main international agreement that covers international parental child abduction. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia system provides the legal processes available for a parent to seek the return of their child back to their home country pursuant to the Hague Convention. Separately, a total of $18.4 million has been committed to the improved implementation of the Hague convention, including financial assistance for legal representation, early dispute resolution intervention, and improved processes for the Attorney-General’s department to provide evidence about family violence.
- Family Violence Prevention Legal Services
The Government have also committed $66.8 million over two years in continuing funding for this service which aims to provide culturally safe services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victim-survivors of family violence.
Can we help?
Whilst these are all much needed resources for the Court, you may still have some confusion about how this may apply to you or your circumstances. If you would like to have a confidential discussion about your separation, please feel free to reach out to Family Focus Legal on 02 4655 4224 to arrange an initial appointment with one of our highly experienced solicitors.
