New program aimed to minimise cost for victims of family violence

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Victims of family violence can be so reluctant to take property disputes to court that they instead walk away with nothing. Experts says abusers can use court processes as another way to manipulate their victims.

Transcript

00:00 In five years at the Federal Circuit and Family Court, Chief Justice Will Olstegren has seen

00:07 many people lose more than they gain.

00:12 Costs in family law litigation are often so disproportionate to what they're fighting

00:16 over.

00:17 And it's often the first time people step foot inside a courtroom. The process can be

00:22 even more intimidating for those escaping family violence.

00:26 They might leave behind a property law claim simply because they're too scared to face

00:31 their perpetrators.

00:33 Sometimes we find that women who are experiencing family violence, the perpetrator of that violence

00:39 will not engage in the process or will use the process to continue their control or abuse

00:45 over their former partner.

00:47 From today, a national program will support victims of violence, those with minimal assets

00:52 and other vulnerable parties, to resolve their cases quickly and cheaply, with case management

00:58 from registrars around the country.

01:00 It takes the disproportionate imbalance out of the relationship between the parties and

01:06 allows both parties to really have a say in how they might get to closure. And for victims

01:12 particularly of coercive and controlling violence, that's a really powerful shift in the dynamic.

01:18 It's not unusual for a property dispute to cost parties up to half of what their assets

01:23 are actually worth. The financial impact can be devastating for those trying to get back

01:28 on their feet after a relationship has ended.

01:31 We know that having quick, low cost and safe dispute resolution mechanisms for women will

01:37 help them to leave unsafe relationships.

01:41 With some family law cases running into years, the Chief Justice hopes it will help clear

01:46 the backlog and help families get on with their lives.

01:49 There's far too much harm, there's far too much expense in our family law system and

01:54 the Australian families deserve better.

01:56 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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