How Has Lockdown Affected Family Law?

With Victoria coming out of a harsh lockdown and businesses reopening across the state, family lawyers are busier than ever dealing with cases flooding in. It’s apparent that quarantine did little good to easing the already-burdened Family Law courts and judges with the rapidly growing number of cases.

High Tensions Under the Same Roof

The statewide lockdowns in Victoria essentially forced couples to spend more time under the same roof together. For many, it was a time to bond and strengthen a happy marriage, but for others it only exacerbated tensions that may have already been present.

With nowhere to go to, abusive relationships and domestic violence cases have unfortunately spiked during the winter of 2020. As a consequence, family lawyers are working harder than ever to assist clients with the ever-growing number of cases.

Then Came the Pandemic

Before the pandemic, Federal Circuit Courts and Family Law Courts in Australia managed to shorten the clearance time for hearing family law cases to the highest level they’ve been in for 15 years.

When the pandemic broke out and lockdowns were imposed, the consequence was a rapid reversal of these clearance times. Whether due to couples remaining at home waiting for an opportune moment to speak to a lawyer or due to the Morrison government’s proposal to fold the Family Court system into the Federal Circuit Courts, the result simply hasn’t been helpful to the already strained judicial systems in place.

Responses to the Lockdown

As with schools and many offices going digital, the court systems in Australia have also gone digital with promising results. For disputes requiring urgent attention, cases put on a shortlist have been expedited to an impressive three business days.

What family lawyers are dealing with at this point of time is not only the results of the lockdown, but also the shadow effects of domestic abuse, child abuse, and separation cases that have sprung up. It’s helpful that many of these cases, especially the urgent ones, have been cleared rather quickly using virtual technology, but it doesn’t remedy the fact that these cases are a real consequence of the lockdowns.

One of the biggest enquiries family lawyers have received during the lockdown pertained to separations. Living with your partner under the same roof all day, every day, when you are planning to separate can certainly increase tension and lead to individuals choosing to remain quiet until they can retain the backing of a quality family lawyer and a favourable resolution in court.

Do I Need a Family Lawyer?

No matter whether we’ve cleared the first major lockdown or if you required a family law expert during those difficult months, there’s no better substitute than to take action and to contact a reliable family law professional today.

Family lawyers can do their very best to help you obtain a favourable outcome, but they’re also limited in what they can do given the constraints on the judicial system coming out of lockdown. Nevertheless, domestic abuse, separation, child custody, and other family law matters are often beyond the point of peaceful resolution and you’re not alone.

National Family Lawyers

Get in touch with the legal experts at National Family Lawyers for all things related to family law. We will provide you with a professional consultation and work to help you obtain a favourable outcome for your legal matters.

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