Parliament passed two significant family law bills on October 19 this year that are meant to make the family law system simpler and safer for separating families.
The first bill is the Family Law Amendment Bill. This bill places the best interests of children at the forefront of every parenting decision, whether you are in the legal system or not.
Under the new legislation, there will be greater focus on the individual needs of each child and, significantly, the presumption of ‘equal shared parental responsibility’ has been revoked.
The second bill is the Family Law Amendment (Information Sharing) Bill 2023, which has been introduced to provide the courts with critical insights into family safety risks. This will ensure a strong focus on protecting the wellbeing of children and families, especially when there are concerns about child abuse, neglect or family violence.
The passing of these new bills should mean survivors of family and domestic violence are better protected, with more power given to the courts to make orders to obtain information from state and territory authorities relevant to family law matters.
There should be fewer orders made for equal shared time when this is not appropriate in matters where families are at risk from family violence.
The full article is on our website.
Alex Kupka, Special Counsel, Catton & Tondelstrand Lawyers, Kon-Tiki Business Centre Tower 1, Level 3, Suite 315, 55 Plaza Parade, Maroochydore, 5609 4933, ctlawyers.com.au
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