Australian Government releases the draft Family Law Amendment Bill 2023, What is it focused on?
On the 30th of January, the Australian Government released the draft Family Law Amendment Bill 2023 (the exposure draft) and there is now an opportunity for the community to provide feedback on the proposed amendments.
Our team at CE Family Law welcomes the Government’s proposed review and update of the Family Law Act in Australia. From our initial review of the prosed reform we can see it is focusing on:-
Being more responsive to family violence and child abuse.
Overly complex and sometimes confusing legislation which can be a barrier to litigants.
Ensuring culturally appropriate Court processes and services are available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
The hardship and financial burdens that can be caused by the protracted and adversarial nature of litigation.
Support for children, including expressing their views.
Non-compliance with and ineffective enforcement of Parenting Orders.
Our direct experience working with children and families shows that there also needs to be careful consideration of family violence and the impact it has on children and their family.
This will be a significant reform and it will take time to gather the industry feedback and to implement and manage it, however, it is a positive step forward for Family Law in Australia.
Our experienced team of specialist family lawyers will be providing feedback on the proposed amendments through the various industry committees and professional organisations that we are active members of. We appreciate this opportunity to share our knowledge and experience so that children and families in Australia are better protected by the law.
To learn more about the Family Law Amendment Bill 2023 and the consultation process visit:
https://consultations.ag.gov.au/families-and-marriage/family-law-amendment-bill/
Author: David Edney, Accredited Specialist in Family Law & Independent Children’s Lawyer
