If you are scheduled to attend the Court’s Child Dispute Service (“CDS”) at the Family Law Courts for the preparation of a Family Report or Child Inclusive Conference the usual court ordered procedure has changed.

If you are scheduled to attend a Child Inclusive Conference at the Family Law Courts, subject to any direction from the presiding Judge or Registrar, your Conference may instead be conducted as a Child Dispute Conference by telephone or video conference without the need to interview the child/ren of the relationship.

All initial individual interviews for Child Inclusive Conference and Child Dispute Conferences between Court appointed Family Consultants and parents will occur by telephone.

If the Judge determines your matter requires a Child Inclusive Conference where the children of the relationship are interviewed, social distancing principles will be complied with to the greatest extent possible.

All interviews between Family Consultants and children, and parent/children observations will continue to occur in person and will be limited to a maximum of 1.5 hours with the same individual(s).

Click here for more information on how your Family Report interview with CDS is affected by the Court’s new protocols.