- Howard shafts families!
- By Jason Frenkel
- Herald Sun
- 30/07/2004 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: admin ( 100 articles in 2004 )
Prime Minister John Howard has soldout average Australian children and families in the lead up to the 2004 federal election.
Men win dramatic family law change
Changes to keep families out of court: PM
Howard pitch to divorced fathers
Divorced dads to get more say
DIVORCED dads are expected to win more time with their children under a major overhaul of custody laws.
In an attempt to defuse the bitter disputes that often accompany marriage breakdowns, separating parents will be given equal responsibility in their children's lives.
The Federal Government will also set up a network of family centres across Australia to handle the lion's share of divorce work and keep acrimonious arguments out of the court.
The planned reforms are expected to save separating parents thousands of dollars in legal fees. They follow a high-profile review of family law arrangements by a parliamentary committee inquiry last year.
The Government rejected the committee's proposal to create a new families tribunal as too costly. And it decided against giving parents equal joint custody.
Instead, the Family Law Act will be reformed to encourage separating parents to play an equal role in decisions affecting their children.
Prime Minister John Howard said the family centres would ease the emotional sting that accompanies many marriage breakdowns.
Couples will receive up to three hours of free marital advice at the centres, which will also provide pre-marriage advice.
The centres will be run by church and community groups.
Breaches of parenting agreements and court orders would initially be handled by the advisers.
Lawyers will be banned from most stages of the process, although parents will still be able to seek legal advice.
Other key features are:
Family groups largely welcomed the proposals, including efforts to give greater weight to fathers in custody battles.
Australian Family Association spokesman Damian Tudehope said the new relationship centres would be less adversarial.
But Men's Rights Agency director Sue Price was concerned the proposed changes would do little to help divorced fathers get more access to their children.
She was worried staff at family centres might be biased against fathers.
"The people who man the family centres, are they going to be the same people who followed the agenda that removed . . . fathers out of their children's lives and support the motion that children belong with the mother?"
Labor's legal affairs spokeswoman Nicola Roxon said the plan lacked substance and the funding increase was an attempt to make up for cuts.
Men win dramatic family law change
29 July 2004
The Age
Men involved in separations will get greater access to their children under changes flagged by the federal government.
Prime Minister John Howard will today release a discussion paper examining changes to family law.
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said today one of the key changes would be an amendment to the Family Law Act to entrench equal-shared parental responsibility as the starting point in disputes.
But the government has rejected a call within its ranks, and from men's rights lobbyists, for equal time and a new $500 million tribunal.
"We will be amending the law as the committee recommended to accept that the starting point in relation to any matter involving children is equal-shared parental responsibility ... and that parents should share the key decisions in relation to the child's life regardless of how much time the child spends with each parent," Mr Ruddock told ABC radio.
"So we will be amending the Family Law Act to refer to the need of both parents to have a meaningful involvement in their childrens' lives and the children have a right to spend time on a regular basis with both of them."
Most cases would be handled by a national network of 65 family relationship centres to be operated by churches and community organisations, but the option remained open for trickier matters to go to court, he said.
"The centres will offer assistance to all separating couples whether or not they've commenced any legal proceedings," Mr Ruddock said.
"It will be focused on providing practical assistance and it will help those couples resolve those disputes promptly and before, hopefully, relationships deteriorate and conflict becomes entrenched.
"We see it as a very substantial change and a very beneficial change."
A task force would report on possible changes to the child support payment system in March.
Changes to keep families out of court: PM
29 July 2004
The Age
Separating couples would have access to family relationship centres under reforms designed to resolve custody disputes to keep them out of court, Prime Minister John Howard announced today.
Mr Howard said the centres would work with families to reach agreements sooner, rather than waiting until family conflicts worsened.
"These centres will provide separating couples an opportunity to resolve their child custody disputes without having to go to court," Mr Howard said as he announced the changes in Perth.
"They will assist couples immediately following their separation, helping them establish positive post-separation relationships as early as possible, while putting up front the principle of the best interests of their children."
Mr Howard said separating parents would have free access to information and up to three hours of dispute resolution sessions with a parenting adviser to help resolve disputes and reach agreements on parenting plans.
The centres would also provide pre-marriage education and provide general family counselling.
The government also plans to amend the Family Law Act to refer to the need for both parents to have a meaningful involvement in their children's lives and for children to have a right to spend time on a regular basis with both parents.
Howard pitch to divorced fathers
By Steve Lewis and Patricia Karvelas
July 29, 2004
The Australian
MEN involved in acrimonious divorce proceedings will be given greater access rights to help raise their children, as part of a radical shakeup of family law to be unveiled today by John Howard.
A national network of 65 family relationship centres, to be operated by the churches and existing family relationship organisations, will also be set up as early as next year, under plans to cut back the role of the Family Court and bounce lawyers out of the process.
In a bid to grasp the initiative in what has become a hot-button political issue, the Prime Minister will announce today that, for the first time, children will be legally required to spend time with both their parents after a relationship breakdown.
The proposed changes are designed to remove an alleged vagueness from the Family Law Act that critics claim allows lawyers to steer judges to favour mothers and which reflects other community concerns that Australian children are being brought up in fatherless households.
The changes will ensure men are given greater statutory assurance that they can see their children, proponents claim.
The Family Law Act will be amended to stress the ideal that both parents should have a meaningful involvement in their children's lives. It will also acknowledge a right for grandparents in the custody process.
Mr Howard will release a discussion paper this morning outlining his intentions to overhaul the family law system.
Modelled on the existing Job Network scheme, the "family relationship centres" are expected to be tendered for and run by groups such as Centacare, Unifam and Relationships Australia. They will be set up in capital cities and major regional centres, with the Government to promote them as a visible entry point to the family law system.
The Government believes the centres, which will act as a compulsory first stop for couples involved in custody disputes, will significantly reduce the workload of the Family Court.
In a further move to reduce the role of lawyers, people using the centres will be able to bring only friends and family for support, as the Government tries to lock out lawyers from the process.
Couples using the centres will be given up to three hours of free counselling.
The centres will also offer parenting plans to try to help fathers play a more prominent role in their children's lives.
Despite intense lobbying by government ministers and backbenchers, Mr Howard rejected plans for an alternative to the court, a so-called Families Tribunal that would have cost up to $500million and raised difficult constitutional issues.
A key recommendation of a parliamentary report released late last year urged that lawyers be kept out of family law disputes wherever possible, in favour of a more community-based, mediation-focused approach.
Men win dramatic family law changeChanges to keep families out of court: PMHoward pitch to divorced fathersDivorced dads to get more say
DIVORCED dads are expected to win more time with their children under a major overhaul of custody laws.
In an attempt to defuse the bitter disputes that often accompany marriage breakdowns, separating parents will be given equal responsibility in their children's lives.
The Federal Government will also set up a network of family centres across Australia to handle the lion's share of divorce work and keep acrimonious arguments out of the court.
The planned reforms are expected to save separating parents thousands of dollars in legal fees. They follow a high-profile review of family law arrangements by a parliamentary committee inquiry last year.
The Government rejected the committee's proposal to create a new families tribunal as too costly. And it decided against giving parents equal joint custody.
Instead, the Family Law Act will be reformed to encourage separating parents to play an equal role in decisions affecting their children.
Prime Minister John Howard said the family centres would ease the emotional sting that accompanies many marriage breakdowns.
Couples will receive up to three hours of free marital advice at the centres, which will also provide pre-marriage advice.
The centres will be run by church and community groups.
Breaches of parenting agreements and court orders would initially be handled by the advisers.
Lawyers will be banned from most stages of the process, although parents will still be able to seek legal advice.
Other key features are:
- GIVING grandparents a greater role in the upbringing of children of separated parents.
- EXPANDING relationship support services, such as pre-marriage counselling.
- CREATING a single registry for the Family Court and the Federal Magistrates' Court.
Family groups largely welcomed the proposals, including efforts to give greater weight to fathers in custody battles.
Australian Family Association spokesman Damian Tudehope said the new relationship centres would be less adversarial.
But Men's Rights Agency director Sue Price was concerned the proposed changes would do little to help divorced fathers get more access to their children.
She was worried staff at family centres might be biased against fathers.
"The people who man the family centres, are they going to be the same people who followed the agenda that removed . . . fathers out of their children's lives and support the motion that children belong with the mother?"
Labor's legal affairs spokeswoman Nicola Roxon said the plan lacked substance and the funding increase was an attempt to make up for cuts.
Men win dramatic family law change
29 July 2004
The Age
Men involved in separations will get greater access to their children under changes flagged by the federal government.
Prime Minister John Howard will today release a discussion paper examining changes to family law.
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said today one of the key changes would be an amendment to the Family Law Act to entrench equal-shared parental responsibility as the starting point in disputes.
But the government has rejected a call within its ranks, and from men's rights lobbyists, for equal time and a new $500 million tribunal.
"We will be amending the law as the committee recommended to accept that the starting point in relation to any matter involving children is equal-shared parental responsibility ... and that parents should share the key decisions in relation to the child's life regardless of how much time the child spends with each parent," Mr Ruddock told ABC radio.
"So we will be amending the Family Law Act to refer to the need of both parents to have a meaningful involvement in their childrens' lives and the children have a right to spend time on a regular basis with both of them."
Most cases would be handled by a national network of 65 family relationship centres to be operated by churches and community organisations, but the option remained open for trickier matters to go to court, he said.
"The centres will offer assistance to all separating couples whether or not they've commenced any legal proceedings," Mr Ruddock said.
"It will be focused on providing practical assistance and it will help those couples resolve those disputes promptly and before, hopefully, relationships deteriorate and conflict becomes entrenched.
"We see it as a very substantial change and a very beneficial change."
A task force would report on possible changes to the child support payment system in March.
Changes to keep families out of court: PM
29 July 2004
The Age
Separating couples would have access to family relationship centres under reforms designed to resolve custody disputes to keep them out of court, Prime Minister John Howard announced today.
Mr Howard said the centres would work with families to reach agreements sooner, rather than waiting until family conflicts worsened.
"These centres will provide separating couples an opportunity to resolve their child custody disputes without having to go to court," Mr Howard said as he announced the changes in Perth.
"They will assist couples immediately following their separation, helping them establish positive post-separation relationships as early as possible, while putting up front the principle of the best interests of their children."
Mr Howard said separating parents would have free access to information and up to three hours of dispute resolution sessions with a parenting adviser to help resolve disputes and reach agreements on parenting plans.
The centres would also provide pre-marriage education and provide general family counselling.
The government also plans to amend the Family Law Act to refer to the need for both parents to have a meaningful involvement in their children's lives and for children to have a right to spend time on a regular basis with both parents.
Howard pitch to divorced fathers
By Steve Lewis and Patricia Karvelas
July 29, 2004
The Australian
MEN involved in acrimonious divorce proceedings will be given greater access rights to help raise their children, as part of a radical shakeup of family law to be unveiled today by John Howard.
A national network of 65 family relationship centres, to be operated by the churches and existing family relationship organisations, will also be set up as early as next year, under plans to cut back the role of the Family Court and bounce lawyers out of the process.
In a bid to grasp the initiative in what has become a hot-button political issue, the Prime Minister will announce today that, for the first time, children will be legally required to spend time with both their parents after a relationship breakdown.
The proposed changes are designed to remove an alleged vagueness from the Family Law Act that critics claim allows lawyers to steer judges to favour mothers and which reflects other community concerns that Australian children are being brought up in fatherless households.
The changes will ensure men are given greater statutory assurance that they can see their children, proponents claim.
The Family Law Act will be amended to stress the ideal that both parents should have a meaningful involvement in their children's lives. It will also acknowledge a right for grandparents in the custody process.
Mr Howard will release a discussion paper this morning outlining his intentions to overhaul the family law system.
Modelled on the existing Job Network scheme, the "family relationship centres" are expected to be tendered for and run by groups such as Centacare, Unifam and Relationships Australia. They will be set up in capital cities and major regional centres, with the Government to promote them as a visible entry point to the family law system.
The Government believes the centres, which will act as a compulsory first stop for couples involved in custody disputes, will significantly reduce the workload of the Family Court.
In a further move to reduce the role of lawyers, people using the centres will be able to bring only friends and family for support, as the Government tries to lock out lawyers from the process.
Couples using the centres will be given up to three hours of free counselling.
The centres will also offer parenting plans to try to help fathers play a more prominent role in their children's lives.
Despite intense lobbying by government ministers and backbenchers, Mr Howard rejected plans for an alternative to the court, a so-called Families Tribunal that would have cost up to $500million and raised difficult constitutional issues.
A key recommendation of a parliamentary report released late last year urged that lawyers be kept out of family law disputes wherever possible, in favour of a more community-based, mediation-focused approach.
1Will not be visible to public.
2Receive notification of other comments posted for this article. To cease notification after having posted click here.
3To make a link clickable in the comments box enclose in link tags - ie.<link>Link</link>.
4To show an image enclose the image URL in tags - ie.<image>https://fredspage.com/box.jpg</image>. Note: image may be resized if too large
To further have your say, head to our forum Click Here
To contribute a news article Click Here
To view or contribute a Quote Click Here