One of the primary objectives of the Court in parenting matters is to determine what the best interests of the children are and to make orders to that effect. In some circumstances, an Independent Children’s Lawyer (‘ICL’) will be appointed. An ICL is a lawyer who represents your child/children and acts independently from either party.

Parents in dispute in the Family Court are usually ordered to get a family report, but not all family report writers are the same. A Family Report provides the court with an independent assessment of the issues in the case for the judge about child/children of the relationship. It can also guide the parties to reach agreement out of the court.

It is becoming the ‘bread-and-butter’ in Family Court proceedings that parties use print outs of text messages, emails and social media posts in their Affidavits. One judge recently said in Court, “It never ceases to astound me how many litigants in [the Family Court of Australia] publish material through social media such as Facebook without consideration as to how poorly it might reflect upon them if adduced in evidence”.

You may have heard that the government introduced “My Health Record” as an online summary of health information for every Australian commencing in 2018.  My Health Record provides you with access to your health information from any computer or device, as well as allowing healthcare professionals to access your information, including in emergency situations.