Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

FAMILY LAW ACT 1975 - SECT 69ZQ

  (1)   In giving effect to the principles in section   69ZN, the court must:

  (aa)   ask each party to the proceedings:

  (i)   whether the party considers that the child concerned has been, or is at risk of being, subjected to, or exposed to, abuse, neglect or family violence; and

  (ii)   whether the party considers that he or she, or another party to the proceedings, has been, or is at risk of being, subjected to family violence; and

  (a)   decide which of the issues in the proceedings require full investigation and hearing and which may be disposed of summarily; and

  (b)   decide the order in which the issues are to be decided; and

  (c)   give directions or make orders about the timing of steps that are to be taken in the proceedings; and

  (d)   in deciding whether a particular step is to be taken--consider whether the likely benefits of taking the step justify the costs of taking it; and

  (e)   make appropriate use of technology; and

  (f)   if the court considers it appropriate--encourage the parties to use family dispute resolution or family counselling; and

  (g)   deal with as many aspects of the matter as it can on a single occasion; and

  (h)   deal with the matter, where appropriate, without requiring the parties' physical attendance at court.

  (2)   Subsection   (1) does not limit subsection   69ZN(1).

  (3)   A failure to comply with subsection   (1) does not invalidate an order.