The Family Law Courts
The Courts take family violence very seriously.
Court staff aim to ensure that all clients feel safe when coming to Court. If you have a personal safety concern, the Courts can assist you:
- If there is an existing family violence order, tell the Courts before the day of your court event
- If you have any concerns about your safety when attending the Courts, inform Court staff so they can put in place special arrangements
- Report any aggressive or threatening behaviour at the Courts to any staff, and
- If arrangements for your security need to be changed, advise the Court as soon as possible.
The Courts are guided by the following principles in responding to family violence concerns:
- Safety is a right and a priority for all who attend and work at the Courts
- Family violence affects everyone in a family, including children
- Family violence can occur before, during and after separation and may affect the ability of people to make choices about their family law matter and to take part in court events
- The Courts have a particular concern about the immediate and possible longer term adverse impacts on children who experience or witness family violence; even if children do not directly witness the violence, they are often very aware of it.
For more information, please see the Family Violence section of this website.