Annual report [1997-98] - Family Court of Australia

The Family Court of Australia – annual report 1997-98
able to meet time standards throughout some months of the year, it should be noted that
urgent requests for appointments were able to be met within the time standard in all registries.
Single interviews in violence cases
In keeping with the Court’s Family Violence Policy, single interviews are offered when
there has been a history of violence in the relationship and one of the parties indicates they
are worried about their physical safety and are afraid of attending a joint interview with the
other party. This option is offered in all appointment letters, information sessions and
through notices in waiting rooms. There were 8632 cases where separate interviews were
requested and held because of family violence.
Information sessions
These sessions are held regularly in all registries to inform customers of what to expect
when they come to Court and to prepare them for any conciliation counselling (children’s
matters) or conciliation conferences they may attend with registrars (financial matters). In
smaller registries they are offered on an ‘as needed’basis. These sessions are also provided
in some remote areas through the visiting counselling services. In 1997-98, 1085 hours
were devoted to information sessions.
Community liaison work
In the spirit of s43 of the Family Law Act 1975, the Counselling Service has, from the
beginning, sought to be proactive in reducing undue personal and interpersonal conflicts
arising from marital breakdown and to assist other helpers to cope with problems arising
from their client’s marriage breakdown to help avoid the demands placed on services when
conflicts reach crisis point. The Counselling Service’s community work role is a major
expression of this aim. Over 3313 hours were spent on this work – down 15% on 1997-98.
The types of people contacted included: students, practitioners in allied professions
(including, among others, doctors, nurses, police, welfare workers, teachers, interpreters,
lawyers), members of community organisations (including refuges and shelters, citizen
advice bureaux, self-help groups, migrant resource centres, government departments, marriage
counselling organisations and community health centres) as well as the general public
through public meetings and the media.
Customersurveys
During 1997-98 the Family Court published a preliminary report on ‘Perceptions of the
Clients of the Family Court of Australia on the Location of Primary Dispute Resolution
Services’ in its response to the Attorney-General’s Department Discussion Paper on
‘Primary Dispute Resolution Services in Family Law’. This preliminary report was based
on a survey of 553 conciliation counselling and mediation customers who attended the
Court Counselling Service and Mediation Service and addressed some of the issues raised
in the Attorney-General’s Discussion Paper concerning the accessibility of services, preference
as to the location of services, the likelihood of court-based services increasing litigation,
perceived benefits associated with proximity to the court and legal system, confidence
in the Court’s services and issues of safety and cost.
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