Family Court Act 1980, s 5, District Court Act 2016, s 15
Judges – To be appointed as a Family Court Judge, you need at least seven years’ experience as a lawyer, and you must also have the right training, experience and personality for dealing with family disputes.
Registry staff – The Family Court registry staff make some of the decisions that keep a case moving towards a final decision by a judge, for example, scheduling when the next step in the case has to be completed. The registry staff are also responsible for managing individual cases: if you have a question about your own case you should contact the staff member whose name is on any letters you’ve received from the Family Court about your case.
Family Court Coordinator – The coordinator can give you information about the court and its services. They also communicate with other people involved in Family Court processes such as specialist report writers (psychologists for example), social workers and lawyers appointed for children. Most Family Courts have a coordinator. If it’s a smaller Family Court that doesn’t have one, the court manager will be able to help you.
Kaiārahi – This is a new role for the Family Court, announced in April 2021. Kaiārahi are Family Court navigators that work in the community to give you information about the Family Court process and the different options you have when you take an issue to the Family Court. To get in touch with a kaiārahi, you can contact your nearest Family Court.