Last month, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia made changes to the COVID-19 Hearing protocol in order to better suit our current circumstances surrounding the pandemic.
If you are currently involved in a family law matter, it is important that you to stay up-to-date with the new rules and regulations of the Court. We all need to continue acting safe and sensibly in order to protect the wellbeing of vulnerable people in our community.
New COVID-Safe Measures
The new protocol specifies that Court users are to attend Court in-person, only when they have been directed to do so. Only the required number of participants necessary for each matter should attend, and people are still required to check-in using the QR code provided.
Each individual must be (at least) double-vaccinated to enter the premises, and the representatives of each party in a matter must provide confirmation of this to the Court no later than 5 days before the hearing. Face masks are to be worn inside the Court, and all Court users are required to adhere to the normal 1.5m social distancing rules. Make sure to also bring along your own water bottle, as there will be no cups of water available at the premises in order to maintain proper hygiene standards.
If you have tested positive for the virus within 7 days of your hearing, the Court asks that you please attend electronically, rather than in-person. Likewise, if you have COVID-19 symptoms and are awaiting your test results, please contact your legal representative and ask to attend virtually.
The FCFCOA are dedicated to making sure that family law trials can be managed as fairly as possible, especially in light of our current circumstances. Please reach out to our professional team of family law solicitors for further assistance.
If you, or someone you know, is in need of legal advice for an upcoming trial, Contact Us on (02) 4943 3988 to speak with one of our family lawyers. We have years of experience helping people with their family law needs throughout the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter region.
This blog was written by Associate,
Jessica Benson
Jessica practises in the areas of Family Law, Wills & Estate Planning,
Deceased Estates and Will disputes
