By Anita Petrovic.
In most parenting cases that come before the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (‘the Court’), the Court makes orders for the preparation of a Family Report. This is a report by a qualified expert who meets with the family, reviews the Court documents and makes recommendations about what orders they consider to be in the children’s best interests.
Family report writers can be internal Court appointed-experts or experts external to the Court. When these reports are prepared by external experts, they are referred to as Single Expert Reports. Internal Court experts tend to be qualified as counsellors and/or social workers, whereas with external experts, parties can select experts who are counsellors, psychologists, clinical psychologists or psychiatrists to prepare their Single Expert Reports.
These additional qualifications do not come without a price, with a typical family report prepared by a clinical psychologist costing between $15,000 and $25,000 + GST.
Court ordered Family Reports are free of charge to the parties, which is also likely the reason why the waitlist in the Sydney Registry for interview appointments is approximately 6-12 months.
The Court places significant weight on the views of the report writer in making final parenting orders. Whilst the expert’s view is not determinative, choosing the right expert can be vital to your parenting case.
Working squarely in the area of family law as both party representatives and Independent Children’s Lawyers means we review these reports regularly and can help you assess which level of expert is right for your case – contact Tiyce & Lawyers – we are here when you need us.
