Reports to the Attorney-General
List of reports submitted to the Attorney-General's Department
Family Violence
A report about the impact of family violence on children and parenting, which acknowledges the compounding issues of mental health problems, alcohol and substance abuse as well as indigenous and cultural considerations. (December 2009)
Improving Post-Parenting Order Processes
A report dealing with the issue of how family law processes can better address the need to vary parenting orders as family circumstances change and the need to distinguish variation issues from situations of serious non-compliance with court orders. (October 2007)
Collaborative Practice in Family Law
Collaborative practice is a unique method of dispute resolution, which has the potential to deliver ongoing benefits to the general public and Australian professionals working in the family law area. (February 2007)
Relocation Report
On 13 February 2006, the Family Law Council released a discussion paper on relocation. There were 43 submissions made in response to the discussion paper. This report brings together the findings of that public consultation, and offers advice on the Attorney-General’s terms of reference (set out in full in chapter 1). (May 2006)
Statistical Snapshot 2003-2005
This is the third edition of the Family Law Council's stand-alone statistical report on various aspects of the Australian family law system.
Report on the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child-rearing practices in family law
On 10 January 2005, Council provided a report to the Attorney-General on the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child-rearing practices in family law. The report recommends four changes to the Family Law Act 1975 to assist courts to take into account the kinship obligations and child rearing practices of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. (January 2005)
Legal Practitioners Guide
Produced by the Child Support Agency, the Legal Practitioner’s Guide was developed in association with the Family Law Council and the Family Law section of the Law Council of Australia. (November 2004)
Pathways for Children
Council has presented a report on the representation of children in family law to the Attorney-General. (August 2004)
Statistical Snapshot 2002-03
This is the second edition of the Family Law Council's stand-alone statistical report on various aspects of the Australian
family law system.
Family Law and Child Protection - Final Report
This report arises from the work of the Family Law Council on the interaction between the state and federal systems when child protection issues arise. (September 2002)
Statistical Snapshot of Family Law 2000-2001
The Family Law Council's first stand-alone statistical report on various aspects of the Australian family law system.
Cultural-Community Divorce
Australian Jewish and Islamic communities experience divorce difficulties that are superficially similar in consequence, but distinctly different in context. This is a result of the differences between their respective cultural-community's divorce rules and those of the Australian family law system (August 2001)
Litigants in person
This report advises that a litigant in person is an applicant or a respondent with a family law matter, on track to appear in a court room in ancillary proceedings, who has given his or her own address for service on documents filed with the Family Court or Magistrates Court. (August 2000)
Child Contact Orders
Complaints about problems with contact enforcement have been consistently voiced over a lengthy period. (June 1998)
Interim Report: Enforcement and Penalties
Interim report on enforcement of Family Court orders and injunctions and penalties for non-compliance. (March 1998)
Parental Child Abduction
"Parental child abduction" mainly involves the wrongful removal or retention of a child by one parent in breach of the rights of the child to have contact, on a regular basis. (January 1998)
Involving and Representing Children
Involving and representing children in Family Law. (August 1996)
Family Law Appeals and Review
The role of an appeals system, to review primary decisions, is integral to the administration of a justice system. Access to an appeals system and the opportunity for judicial review must be seen to exist for people to have confidence in the objectivity of, and consistency in, the application of the law. (June 1996)
Sterilisation and Other Medical Procedures
In recent years, the courts in Australia, as in other countries, have been increasingly called upon to make decisions involving medical issues (November 1994)
Female Genital Mutilation
Council has concluded that for at least one generation, women from countries which practise female genital mutilation will be under considerable pressures to continue this practice. (June 1994)
Comments on the Report of the Joint Select Committee on the Operation and the Interpretation of the Family Law Act
(January 1993)
Interaction of Bankruptcy
The Family Law Council's Committee on the Interaction of Bankruptcy and Family Law delivered its final report to Council after completing its research, investigation and public consultation. (June 1992)
Patterns of Parenting
Australians are confronted with reports of marriage or de facto relationship breakdowns that involve bitter and sometimes tragic disputes over the children. (April 1992)