Procedural hearing after the child responsive program
3. Procedural hearing after the child responsive program
A registrar conducts your procedural hearing in a parenting case as soon as possible after you have completed the child responsive program.
What happens at the procedural hearing after the child responsive program?
The registrar:
- reviews the children and parents issues assessment
- makes procedural orders to progress the case to a first day before the judge
- allocates a date for the first day of trial before the judge.
The orders made by the registrar may include the following matters:
- referring the parties to family counselling, family dispute resolution or other family services
- appointing an independent children’s lawyer
- directing each party to complete a Parenting Questionnaire at least 28 days before the first day before the judge.
The trial (hearing) fee must be paid within the time directed (or an application made for a fee exemption or waiver). You can obtain details of the amount of the fee at the Fees section of this website, including information on exemptions and waivers. The person who started the case (the applicant) is usually (but not always) the one who pays the fee. If the fee is not paid within the time allowed the trial may be cancelled.
The registrar may also order the parties to attend a compliance check (generally by telephone) about 21 days before the first day before the judge to ensure all orders have been complied with.
What is the next step?
The next step is that the parties attend the first day of trial before the judge (the start of the less adversarial trial).
At least 28 days before the first day before the judge each party must complete, serve and file a Parenting Questionnaire – see Rule 15.77. Forms are available from the Forms section of this website.