Advocates continue to speak out against new Family Court fees

Family violence specialists and other concerned groups continue to speak out against new fees implemented in the Family Court last week. Charges of $220 for parenting orders and $700 for relationship property applications came into effect on 1 July 2012. A charge of $906 for each half-day of the hearing of relationship property applications was also implemented. Read information from the Family Court here, including details of the fees here.

Those speaking out against the changes in the media have included Women's Refuge, National Network of Stopping Violence Services, family law specialists, the New Zealand Association of Counsellors, advocates from Gisborne community services, the Green Party and the New Zealand Federation of Business and Professional Women. The introduction of fees came ahead of the Family Court Review currrently being carried out by the Ministry of Justice, which is expected to be released in the coming weeks.