No Automatic Role For The Family Court

The starting point is this: if it is safe for you and your fellow co-parent to work together, that should be your starting point. The courts will expect you to do so, and research consistently shows that reducing conflict has better outcomes for the emotional health of the children and adults involved.

The family court will not get involved in the arrangements for your children unless you ask it to. The law recognises that a child’s parents, and those who share parental responsibility, are the people best placed to make decisions about that child’s welfare.