As detailed in the first interim report of the committee, a series of issues relating to family violence were raised in many submissions to the inquiry. The committee has made a series of recommendations about the subject including the need to have a consistent definition in Commonwealth, state and territory legislation, and more streamlined and consistent procedures for investigating claims and determining applications.

The committee has made 29 recommendations in this second interim report. Important other proposals include the implementation of procedures to enable the court to investigate claims of a party wilfully misleading the court, and the accreditation of professionals in the family law system. There are also a series of recommendations about making the family law system less adversarial.

Report structure:

• Chapter 2 sets out the committee’s consideration of the key issues relating to delays, costs and other systemic issues in the family courts.
• Chapter 3 contains the committee’s views and recommendations relating to family violence and the family law system.
• Chapter 4 examines potential changes to the Family Law Act for parenting and property matters.
• Chapter 5 considers the support services and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms available to people traversing the family law system and makes recommendations aimed at improving parties’ experience of the system.