People tend to expect that when they go to Court to have a legal dispute resolved, that there are certain procedures in place that apply to all cases. In some jurisdictions, and in some kinds of disputes, that may be the case. But there is always scope for the process to take another course if the particular requirements of the parties and the case require it.
In parenting cases in the Family Court in particular, the course of the litigation is often tailored to the particular issues of the family involved. However, there are some procedural steps and tools that are available in all cases – whether they are used in any particular case is up to the judicial officer managing the case.
This infographic gives an idea of the procedural steps that may take place in a parenting case in the Family Court. It doesn’t include out of Court processes like Family Dispute Resolution or the current pilot project in the Family Court to try to settle cases by having a conference before the trial.