The Family Court will be able to triage urgent parenting disputes relating to children within 72 hours in a newly-designated COVID-19 list.
Over three-quarters (77.3%) of domestic violence workers surveyed in March reported that safe places for child handovers with their abusive ex-partners no longer being open or available was a serious issue of concern for clients in the context of COVID-19, with many women having to compromise their personal safety through makeshift, informal handover arrangements.
The survey also revealed that three-quarters (75%) of frontline domestic violence workers hold “serious concerns” about the numbers of women succumbing to child contact with a violent parent due to their own lack of other supports in the context of COVID-19.
Last year 89% of domestic violence court advocacy workers surveyed across NSW last year reported having issues with police not including children as protected persons on ADVO applications either “sometimes”, “usually” or “always”, whilst 59% reported issues with police reluctance to enact an ADVO breach where family law orders exist, notwithstanding the ADVO overriding the family law order.
Source: Family Court to triage family violence matters within 72 hours