FAMILY LAW REFORM
Our mission is to expose systemic failures through data and lived experiences, drive a Senate inquiry, mandate perjury investigations and penalties for legal abuse, and integrate mental health support into family law resolutions.
If that fails to address the ongoing issues, overhaul the system through a Royal Commission.
The Need For A Royal Commission
"In my view, if legislation and the ALRC report do not assuage public concerns about the family law system, it must surely be time to consider a royal commission into family law"
Former Chief Justice Pascoe
Why The System Is Failing
The family law system is failing to address four critical issues:
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Perjury Without Consequence: Lies in Court are most often ignored by lawyers and judges, and even when acknowledged, they go unpunished-despite perjury being a criminal offence that damages lives.
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Lack of Penalties for Misconduct: Unreasonable behaviour and misconduct rarely result in penalties, such as the awarding of costs, despite existing laws. The lack of enforcement incentives such conduct.
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Jurisdictional Gaps: Family Court crimes like perjury fall under Commonwealth jurisdiction and are rarely enforced, while state-governed AVOs can be misused through false allegations for strategic gain. This creates a gap allowing state law exploitation without federal consequences.
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Inadequate Emotional and Psychological Support: The deeper factors driving family disputes are fundamentally ignored.
If these issues occur daily in individual cases, as they do, what is the cumulative impact on the system as a whole?
Most cases are delayed for years until a final hearing, leaving children in prolonged uncertainty and families emotionally and financially devastated. These failures erode fairness and trust, incentivise dishonesty, and fuel hostility.
Behavioural economics shows that when misconduct goes unpunished and lawyers profit from conflict, disputes worsen, and costs—both economic and social—skyrocket.
Urgent reform is needed. An independent investigation is essential to restore accountability, fairness, and trust in the family law system.
Questions Requiring Answers
Neglect of Families Wellbeing
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How can a court system meant to resolve family disputes justify using a model that worsens conflicts?
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Why are the psychological and emotional aspects of family disputes overlooked? Are lawyers the best first point of contact for emotionally charged issues?
Perjury & Misconduct
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How can the justice system habitually ignore perjury in family court cases—a criminal offense under the Crimes Act—while claiming to uphold fairness and integrity?
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Why do police and the DPP refuse to investigate these crimes even when there is evidence of it, and what message does this send about law enforcement?
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Why do lawyers dismiss perjury in affidavits as commonplace and advise clients to tolerate it rather than pursue accountability?
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Would strict enforcement of perjury laws deter misconduct, expedite resolution, and ease the system's burden?
Perverse Incentives
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If lawyers profit from hourly billing, what motivation do they have to settle disputes swiftly?
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Does the lack of cost penalties for dishonest or unreasonable conduct encourage such behaviour?
Transparency
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How can the public trust a system that hides its failures behind confidentiality?
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If the family law system’s failures are so widely known and acknowledged, why has reform been ineffective? Has the root causes ever been properly analysed?
The Strategy For Change
To call for a Royal Commission, we are raising public awareness through targeted campaigns and media, engage policymakers via unified advocacy, and present documented evidence of systemic failures supported by compelling data and real-life stories. Together, these efforts will build the pressure and credibility needed for investigation and meaningful reform.
Assemble Stories
It is critical to gather and document stories of how the system has failed families and children. Just as a magnifying glass can ignite a fire by focusing sunlight, a united and concentrated chorus of voices can spark a royal commission into a broken system.
Generate Public Pressure
Curated case studies, videos, and memes for widespread social media distribution. Bringing together disparate reform advocacy groups, and the legal community, to create a united objective, amplify awareness and attract mainstream media coverage.
Political Engagement
Engage MP's, particularly Indepedents, and legal stakeholders by mobilising petitions, presenting evidence and developing research papers. Apply pressure through media, meetings, and calls for a Royal Commission into systemic failures.
Get Involved
You can help make a better system by:
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Sharing your story
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Volunteer
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Pro-bono legal or other professional services
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Provide your insights on system improvements