📜 Family Court Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2013

Assented toLCBill 1412 June 2013

This Bill amends the Family Court Act 1997 (WA) to better protect children and families at risk of violence and abuse. It prioritises child safety in parenting matters, changes definitions of abuse and family violence, strengthens adviser obligations, improves reporting requirements, and facilitates child protection authority participation in family law proceedings.

Impact

Children and families involved in Family Court proceedings are affected. The changes aim to improve safety and ensure the court has better information about family violence and abuse.

Key Changes

["Prioritises the safety of children in parenting matters.", "Changes the definitions of 'abuse' and 'family violence'.", "Strengthens obligations of family consultants, counsellors, dispute resolution practitioners and legal practitioners to prioritise child safety.", "Improves reporting requirements to ensure courts have better access to evidence of abuse and family violence.", "Makes it easier for state and territory child protection authorities to participate in family law proceedings."]