Horizons Family Law Centre | Community organisation

Horizons Family Law Centre

Phone: 0298901203

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Community organisation

25.01.2022 Court applications are sometimes the only way of family law resolving disputes. But with increasing numbers of complex cases, more self represented litigants and constraints on funding for Judges, family consultants & legal aid, court is currently a slow, difficult and uncertain process. Whatever reforms we undertake must create faster access to specialised decision-making in this crucial area of our shared life as a society. "The Federal Circuit Court currently has a crushi...ng workload, he continued, with delays of up to three or more years and judges having 500 matters in their case lists, and thus it seems odd to collapse into that complex Family Court matters which involve care of children and relationship issues. As such, NSW Bars discussion paper has suggested that consideration be given to an alternate restructure model whereby the Federal Circuit Court ceases to operate as a separate, third federal court and its current family law jurisdiction and workload is transferred to a new lower level division to be created in the Family Court 2.0, with its non-family law work moving to a new lower level division in the Federal Court." https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au//23746-nsw-bar-proposes-f

24.01.2022 Legal Aid NSW has moved quickly to get accurate & helpful information into the hands of people who are worried about their safety at home in the current circumstances. Quality work done quickly in trying circumstances by a great organisation. https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au//Covid-19_Its_not_safe_200 https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au//Covid-19_Are_you_worried_... https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au///Covid-19_ADVO_200331.pdf

24.01.2022 Not surprisingly, we're already getting calls from parents wondering whether the current issues with COVID-19 change the operation of their court orders. The Chief Justice of the Family Law Courts issued a statement on this today. In simple terms, his Honour is urging parents to remember that "family members are important to children" and comply with their existing orders unless it's impossible to do so or would present too great a risk. Our telephone advice line (02 9890 12...03) is still operating 9am-midday each Tuesday and Thursday for parents who aren't sure how to balance these considerations. Stay well and do what you reasonably can to give your kids the gift of parents who agree on how to keep them safe at this time. http://www.familycourt.gov.au//fcoaweb/about/news/mr260320

24.01.2022 With NSW keeping its stay at home restrictions in place into another week, we wanted to update you on our lawyering in lockdown. Like many of you, our team shifted from wash your hands to work from home with bewildering speed. With the help of a kind friend in the IT industry, we did this without any interruption to our telephone advice line or face-to-face advice clinics. Face-to-face means videoconferencing for now (with a very small number of carefully managed e...xceptions), but clients have adapted well. It turns out were still able to express the compassion of Christ whilst observing physical distancing. What are we doing to be good news in a strange time? 1. As the pandemic broke, the first rush for advice was a mix of people who were anxious about their kids health, those who were always prone to conflict & risked this becoming yet another fight and parents whod been close to a breakthrough & were despairing as courts, Family Relationship Centres and supervision services all changed overnight. Our telephone advice line gave us the chance to bring clarity to the anxious, child-focus to the combative & hope to the hopeless. 2. As the country shifted to stay at home, courts and other key agencies were adjusting their practice almost daily. This page became a channel for getting that information out to you in almost real time. 3. It was immediately apparent that people experiencing family violence would find it harder to access advice & help at a time of heightened risk. Less time away from their partner, high levels of community stress and the wave of sudden unemployment created a unique and worrying situation. We arranged a joint meeting with a NSW Health domestic violence counselling team we regularly work with to plan how we could continue to be as accessible as possible. Its jarring to have clients hiding in their cars or bedrooms during video conferences, and needing breaks to check its safe to keep talking, but were pleased that we can still help them assess and address the risks theyre facing. Thanks to all of you whove made contact to encourage us in these past few weeks. We so appreciate your care! If you'd like to include our work as part of your tax deductible giving, you can do so at www.givenow.com.au/horizonsfamilylawcentre

22.01.2022 For people dealing with the family law courts without a lawyer, there are community resources to help that be as positive an experience as possible. Our Centre provides advice by telephone every Tuesday and Thursday morning, and Legal Aid Victoria have a great family law case kit at https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au//how-to-run-family-law-case.

21.01.2022 With NSW keeping it’s ‘stay at home’ restrictions in place into another week, we wanted to update you on our lawyering in lockdown. Like many of you, our team shifted from ‘wash your hands’ to ‘work from home’ with bewildering speed. With the help of a kind friend in the IT industry, we did this without any interruption to our telephone advice line or face-to-face advice clinics. ‘Face-to-face’ means videoconferencing for now (with a very small number of carefully managed e...xceptions), but clients have adapted well. It turns out we’re still able to express the compassion of Christ whilst observing physical distancing. What are we doing to be good news in a strange time? 1. As the pandemic broke, the first rush for advice was a mix of people who were anxious about their kids’ health, those who were always prone to conflict & risked this becoming yet another fight and parents who’d been close to a breakthrough & were despairing as courts, Family Relationship Centres and supervision services all changed overnight. Our telephone advice line gave us the chance to bring clarity to the anxious, child-focus to the combative & hope to the hopeless. 2. As the country shifted to ‘stay at home’, courts and other key agencies were adjusting their practice almost daily. This page became a channel for getting that information out to you in almost real time. 3. It was immediately apparent that people experiencing family violence would find it harder to access advice & help at a time of heightened risk. Less time away from their partner, high levels of community stress and the wave of sudden unemployment created a unique and worrying situation. We arranged a joint meeting with a NSW Health domestic violence counselling team we regularly work with to plan how we could continue to be as accessible as possible. It’s jarring to have client’s hiding in their cars or bedrooms during video conferences, and needing breaks to check it’s safe to keep talking, but we’re pleased that we can still help them assess and address the risks they’re facing. Thanks to all of you who’ve made contact to encourage us in these past few weeks. We so appreciate your care! If you'd like to include our work as part of your tax deductible giving, you can do so at www.givenow.com.au/horizonsfamilylawcentre

21.01.2022 When relationships break down and people start talking about going to court they generally mean the Family Courts. When it comes to the kids, the Courts help to... make decisions when parents can't agree. These decisions are called parenting orders. The Courts always decide what parenting orders to make on the basis of what is in the best interests of the child. Check out who's who in the Family Court by clicking on this interactive photo on the Best For Kids website http://bit.ly/1NBUxGL. www.bestforkids.org.au See more

20.01.2022 The Australian Law Reform Commission's first comprehensive review of the family law system since the Family Law Act came into force in 1976 has been released. The report includes a recommendation that the best interests of a child should be worked out using a more simple list of considerations including: 1. What arrangements best promote the safety of the child and the childs carers, including safety from family violence, abuse, or other harm; 2. Any relevant views expresse...d by the child; 3. The developmental, psychological, and emotional needs of the child; 4. The benefit to the child of being able to maintain relationships with each parent and other people who are significant to the child, where it is safe to do so; 5. The capacity of each proposed carer of the child to provide for the developmental, psychological, and emotional needs of the child, having regard to the carers ability and willingness to seek support to assist with caring; and 6. Anything else that is relevant to the particular circumstances of the child. A summary of the report is available at https://www.alrc.gov.au//alrc_report_135_summary_report_we

20.01.2022 The Family Law Courts have set up a specialist list for fast turnaround on COVID-19 related issues, including domestic violence concerns and problems with court ordered supervised time occurring. People wanting to be included in the list will need to provide details about why their dispute is urgent, how their dispute is a direct result of COVID-19 and how they have tried to resolve their dispute before filing. Full details are at http://www.familycourt.gov.au//fcoaweb/about/news/jpd032020.

19.01.2022 If you're experiencing unhealthy control or any kind of violence in your family, this website is a new & helpful resource for how to move forward from that. https://familyviolencelaw.gov.au

19.01.2022 In March, we opened a new advice clinic in Northern Sydney in co-operation with Thornleigh Community Baptist Church. Theres 11 local government areas and more than 700,000 people in Northern Sydney with no permanent office of Legal Aid or government funded community legal centre. We know we cant help everyone, but were trying to be good news to at least some of those who need the kind of help we offer.

18.01.2022 Much of our work is with families with a history of violence and control. Distance to Now (https://vimeo.com/125768604) is an Australian short film reflecting on the long term effects of fear and abuse. Our whole community benefits when we build families marked by mutual love, honour and generosity of spirit.

16.01.2022 ABS data for 2018 has been released showing there were: 119,188 marriages, including 6,538 same-sex marriages (5.5% of the total); and 49,404 divorces. https://www.abs.gov.au///118F4A846EEB21F8CA2576200025DF55

16.01.2022 Our Director, Steve Frost, recently had the chance to speak at the 2018 City of Ryde prayer breakfast on the topic of "Blessed are the peacemakers: Can Christian faith help shape an effective community response to domestic violence?" The audio of that talk is now online at https://soundcloud.com/user-977667344.

16.01.2022 The Commonwealth Government & National Legal Aid have created an online tool that can help separating families get a sense of what parenting or property arrangements might be right for them & record anything they agree upon. It won't replace the need for legal advice for families with complicated problems, but it should be a helpful tool for lots of people. You can find out more, or use the tool, at https://www.amica.gov.au.

15.01.2022 The Family Law Courts have published answers to frequently asked questions about parenting arrangements during COVID-19. They've answered most of the questions we're being asked through our telephone advice line and advice clinic. If parents are wondering how these general answers apply to their family, our telephone advice lines are running as normal every Tuesday & Thursday morning (9890 1203; 9am-midday). Our advice clinics are still operating, with conferences happening by Zoom teleconferencing for client's who can make that work, or otherwise by phone. Conferences can be booked by calling our telephone advice line. http://www.federalcircuitcourt.gov.au//ab/covid/covid-faq/

13.01.2022 Some thoughtful insights on the current strain on the family law courts and some possible solutions, from one of the best minds in the field, Patrick Parkinson. https://radio.abc.net.au/programitem/pgoMGryLl7?play=true

13.01.2022 Some thoughts on how to meet the current challenges of co-parenting. Patient, deliberate, creative & child focussed choices are hard, but always the best path. https://www.familylawsection.org.au//FLS_Ten-tips-for-mana

10.01.2022 A recent decision of the Family Court discussed the approach the Court should take when parents seek orders relating to religion, saying: It is not a matter for the Court to analyse any particular faith but simply to decide whether the adherence of a parent to that faith represents a risk to that child. The Court should not assume that any particular beliefs are true nor should it prefer one religion to another or religious belief over non-belief in any particular religio...n. Religion becomes relevant because of its influence on behaviour of parents and other carers. Where the religious beliefs of a person require the person to adhere to an unusual lifestyle or approach to child rearing, the persons behaviour may well be relevant to the childs welfare. Accordingly, there is a balance for the Court between the welfare of the child and neutrality as to different religious views and practices. http://classic.austlii.edu.au//cas/cth/FamCA/2018/795.html

09.01.2022 Unhealthy relationships marked by control or violence have a gigantic, measurable financial cost, and an immeasurable human cost, to the community. Everyone has a role to play in making safe, supportive, generous relationships the norm (D)omestic violence costs the community $2.7 billion a year. At what point is the community going to say this is a waste of my taxpayer money? The taxpayer money is paying for the refuges, it's paying for the court time. Ms Mangan took a ...call from a woman who said she needed somewhere to go. "I said to her 'Are you experiencing domestic violence?' and she said 'No'," Ms Mangan remembers. "And I thought, she has rung the DV line, I better ask this question another way. And I said 'Can I ask you why you phoned?' and she said, 'He's going to kill me.'" http://www.abc.net.au//domestic-violence-hotline-d/6486950

07.01.2022 If you'd like to buy a copy of the Entertainment Book to get some killer discounts AND support Horizons Community Legal Centre, you can order at https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/2095r28 . Books are available for any part of the country and, until the end of July, postage is free!

07.01.2022 These are unusual days, but we're still providing service at all our usual times. We're very aware the community don't have less problems now than they had a fortnight ago & we're still committed to helping families in crisis re-make themselves. Anything that can be done by phone will be at the moment, and we're paying careful attention to health warnings in anything we're doing face-to-face. The courts are still open, too, and have explained their current approach to running... cases for at least the next 2 months. Until further notice: * All documents need to be filed using the courts' online portal (wwww.comcourts.gov.au) or by emailing them to the relevant court Registry. * All documents that would normally be handed up in court need to be emailed to the relevant court Registry or Judge's Associate. * All preliminary court appearances (including interim hearings) will be by telephone unless there is an urgent reason why they need to be done face-to-face. All face to face appearances will be listed at least 1/2 an hour apart to minimise physical interaction. No more than 8 people will be allowed in court at one time, and special seating arrangements will apply in the courtroom. * Any final hearings that can be delayed or conducted by telephone will be, and if any part of a hearing that is being conducted face-to-face that can be done by phone or email it will be. http://www.federalcircuitcourt.gov.au//a/news/covid-notice We'll do all we can to keep you updated on changes. Stay safe & keep doing what you can to help us all get through this as a community.

05.01.2022 Australian police deal with an estimated 657 domestic violence matters on average every day of the year. Thats one every two minutes. (http://www.abc.net.au//2015/domestic-violence-data/6503734) If you feel unsafe at home, or know someone who does, you can call 1800 737 732 to talk about what youre facing or 1800 65 64 63 to talk about options for moving out. In an emergency, call Police on 000.

05.01.2022 Our Director, Steve Frost, will be speaking at the City of Ryde prayer breakfast on 10 August on the topic "Blessed are the Peacemakers: Can Christian faith help shape an effective community response to domestic violence? Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-city-of-ryde-prayer-breakfa.

04.01.2022 New rules, introduced in NSW with effect from today, direct that a person must not, without reasonable excuse, leave the persons place of residence. They also say, however, that people can leave home to implement existing arrangements for time between parents and children or siblings in separated families. The Rules also allow people to go out to: undertake any legal obligations; access domestic violence services, services for victims of crime and mental health service...s. attend childcare (including picking up or dropping another person at childcare); travel for the purposes of facilitating attendance at a school or other educational institution if the person attending the school or institution cannot learn from the persons place of residence; and obtaining medical care or supplies or fulfilling carers responsibilities. Parents should continue to prioritise their childrens relationship with both their parents (and any siblings) as much as its safe and possible to do so. Ideally, this should be done co-operatively and by agreement. The most widely accepted research in the family law field says that co-operation between parents is the biggest influence on outcomes for children in separated families. For those dealing with unhealthy relationships, its worth noting that co-operation isnt the same as compliance. Co-operation involves two equally powerful, mutually generous, predominantly child-focused parents trying to find genuine solutions for everyone. Compliance is one parent dictating to the other how the family should work (normally for the benefit of the dictating parent). Our telephone advice line (02 9890 1203) is still operating from 9am-midday each Tuesday and Thursday for parents who are trying to plan their way through this time. Dont be bashful about calling us if you need help! https://gazette.legislation.nsw.gov.au/so/download.w3p

04.01.2022 Everyone has a role to play. Australia can become a nation known worldwide for its mutually generous and empowering intimate relationships. "This isnt just a womens issue. When weve just seen new research showing one in four young men believe violent and controlling behaviour is a sign of strength its an education and awareness issue. When approximately 23% of homeless women are on the streets as a result of domestic violence, its a housing a homelessness issue." http://www.ncoss.org.au/content/view/8676/

04.01.2022 Open House interview with Steve Frost is now online at http://www.openhousecommunity.com.au//steve_frost-_the_law.

03.01.2022 The NSW Government's new funding for responses to domestic & family violence will resource: Additional emergency accommodation & support for women & children; Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Teams and Suspect Targeting Management Plans for repeat domestic violence offenders, in line with approaches to other serious crimes; Treatment to make perpetrators face up to their actions, attitudes and behaviours, similar to drug and alcohol offenders; and A pilot program... for Australias first Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme. https://www.women.nsw.gov.au//DFV_DV-Package-Factsheet_Oct See more

02.01.2022 A great morning on the telephone advice line today and this afternoon our principal solicitor is presenting, and part of a panel discussion, at a Healthy Relationships forum at Ku Ring Gai Town Hall.

02.01.2022 As most of us are largely confined to our homes at the moment, the risk of family violence has increased. Restrictions on movement hinders the ability of vulnerable individuals to physically remove themselves from danger, or access important resources. In this difficult time, we have created a resource to help you know what to do if you are worried about the safety of your neighbours.

01.01.2022 After more than 10 years engaging our community and enacting the work of Jesus, it's clear that the biggest need for non-profit legal help is in the area of family law. Last financial year, almost all of the 680 referrals we received were seeking help in that area. So we've changed our name to make it clear that serving families in crisis is our key priority, and we're looking forward to the next 10 years!

01.01.2022 Great feedback from a client we acted for in Family Court this week: "I just want to say a massive thank you to you for everything you have done. I break out in a cold sweat when I think about what I would have done had you not been here to help me through this. When you called me today I rose my arms to the sky and cried in thanks to the Almighty. Not only has he seen me through my toughest moments he also sent me guardian angels to help me. You are one of the best of them. Thank you, thank you, thank you ... I cannot tell you how much this matter has strengthened my belief and resolve in God and brought me closer to him. For that I thank you."

01.01.2022 The Australian Institute of Family studies has released its report into the experiences and needs of young people whose parents had separated and had accessed the family law system. The reports findings suggest that adults listening - and children feeling listened to - is a crucial to children in separating families: Most children and young people (76%) wanted parents to listen more to their views in relation to parenting arrangements and regarding the separation more gene...rally, to provide them with space and time to process events, and for their parents to respect their views as their own even if they disagree with them. Of those children and young people who indicated that they felt both parents listened to them (21% of participants), all except one felt either quite close or very close with both parents. The views of a child should always be taken into account when deciding what parenting arrangements are in their best interests. The report notes that the weight a child's views should be given will depend on the strength & consistency of, and reasons for, their views and the childs maturity, including their understanding of the implications of their views. https://aifs.gov.au//1806_children_and_young_people_in_sep

01.01.2022 To love one another the way Jesus loved is more than just doing good works aimed at the improvement of another persons circumstances. Those good works must flow from a genuine, unwavering affection for the actual, real person whose circumstances we're working to improve - with all their current character and behaviours - and a vision of who they were created to be (and may yet become).

01.01.2022 We've been working with a client referred to us by a local domestic violence service for the past year and a quarter. Late last week, we got the best feedback possible on that work: "After I spoke to you today I had a thankful prayer and fell asleep. Sorry my headache was really sore and I must've just felt relieved to hear from you. I am very, very thankful that ... you have helped and advised me through these tough times. ... It has been really hard to stand up and make the right decision for my children, especially when I am used to being in an abusive relationship and don't know any different. I can say that I am aware, maybe not 100% but my eyes are open, and I want to thank you for helping me to be a stronger woman and mother for my children. ... I am indebted to you for helping me know the difference."