Family Courts a big success, says report

Press, 10 January 1983, Page 12

Family Courts a big success, says report

PA Wellington The new Family Courts established just over a year ago have been a big success, in the collective views of lawyers. A report by the New Zealand Law Society, after hearing comments submitted by district law societies and individual practitioners, says there has been spontaneous praise for the new family law package.

There has been universal praise for the new concepts involved, particularly the mediation conference which appeared to have produced many easy settlements in cases where lawyers were quite sure that mediation would produce nothing. The system and the quality of the Family Court judges can take credit for that, the report says. . The heat that the family law issues generate has been reduced and even removed by mediation and conciliation procedures. In most

cases a solution reasonable to all parties can be obtained. the society found. The report. however, expresses concern about delays in proceedings in some cases, particularly in referral to conciliation and counselling. There was also concern about the lack of oppor- , tunity for counselling between unmarried persons in de facto relationships. It was felt that particularly in the custody field counselling would be of assistance.

Where a custody dispute was between people other than the parents of a child, for example where a grandparent or other relation was involved, a mediation conference could not be convened. It was important this be rectified, the report says. The new procedure for dissolution of marriage is much better than the old one and the informality of the Family Court has enhanced the public's respect for the court and the law, the report says.