As part of its annual report, the Department of Justice has released figures showing that wait times for the Family Court to finalise a case is now 48 weeks, which is almost a year, and that’s without a trial.
On Tuesday 6 October our director Ella Hickman was invited to talk to radio host Nadia Mitsopoulos on ABC Perth Breakfast about the delays in the Family Court system, and how it could impact you.
Ella talked to Nadia about why there is such a backlog and what needs to change.
“I have to say I’m not really surprised by that number. In my experience, when clients are coming into the office now…the discussion about delays is becoming more prevalent. But I do think part of it is that matters are becoming more complex in the court system.”
With so many risk issues becoming part of family court proceedings, such as drug abuse, family violence, mental health issues, and other parties becoming involved like grandparents, Ella can see why there are such lengthy processing times for matters in the Family Court.
“The more people you have, the more hearings you tend to have, the more documents need to be filed, and of course then there can be delays caused as well.’ Ella says.
Listen to the full discussion online here now starting from 2hr 30min – https://www.abc.net.au/radio/perth/programs/breakfast/breakfast/12715624
