Family Court to be explained

From left, Melissa Russell, Aaron Dooney, Kelly Johnson, Mike Gardam and Shaun Russell.PHOTO/JOHN STONE

Out-of-court settlement on child care arrangements have yielded an 80 percent success rate for Northland families in just six months.

The Family Court Reform Bill that came into effect throughout the country in March this year takes disputes involving the care of children away from the Family Court wherever possible to a mediation process. The aim of the changes is to reduce the stress on children and families by avoiding the conflict, delays and expense going to court can involve.

A Whangarei law firm has organised an open day tomorrow to help inform the public about recent changes and how to access services of law experts such as mediators. Those interested are welcome to drop in to Bank St Chambers from 3pm to 5pm and talk to lawyers Shaun and Melissa Russell, Kelly Johnson, Mike Gardam and Aaron Dooney.

Mr Russell said the changes meant cases could get to the mediation stage in about two months compared with 18 months to two years when they went through the court. He, Mr Gardam and Mr Johnson are approved mediators.

Mr Gardam said there has not been a general awareness about recent changes which the public should be fully made aware of.

"It's the greatest change in the Family Court system since the court started and we'll try and roll out the open days so that people fully understand the changes and how it affects them," he said.

He said there's been an 80 per cent success rate in dispute resolution nationally and that Northland's has a similar success rate. More out-of-court services including Parenting Through Separation (PTS) course and dispute resolution are being made available which, in most cases, are free of charge.

PTS helps focus parents on the needs of children and how to keep them away from conflict during their separation. People will be able to use the new family dispute resolution (FDR) service. At FDR, a trained mediator tries to help parents reach their own arrangements for how their children will be cared for, without needing lawyers or a judge.

People may need to pay for this service and there is funding for eligible people. Maximum penalty for breaching a protection order has been increased o three years imprisonment and the definition of domestic violence has been broadened to include financial abuse.