Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:C2004A00583:clause:11_15a
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:C2004A00583
Segment Type: clause
Provision Reference: sch 11 cl 15A
Character Range: 38483–40252

15A  Request for assistance of a family and child counsellor—Federal Magistrates Court

 (1) A person who is:
 (a) a party to a marriage; or
 (b) a party to proceedings under this Act in the Federal Magistrates Court;
may ask a designated officer of the Federal Magistrates Court for the assistance of a family and child counsellor.

 (2) If a request is made under subsection (1), a designated officer of the Federal Magistrates Court must, as far as practicable, arrange for the parties to the marriage, or the parties to the proceedings, as the case may be, to be interviewed by a family and child counsellor for any or all of the following purposes (to the extent that the purposes are relevant):
 (a) assisting the parties with a view to a reconciliation;
 (b) improving the parties' relationship to each other or to any of their children;
 (c) assisting the parties and their children to adjust to the consequences of the breakdown of the marriage;
 (d) undertaking any other family and child counselling in order to assist the parties to resolve any matter in dispute between them.

 (3) For the purposes of this section, a member of the staff of the Federal Magistrates Court is taken to be an officer of the Federal Magistrates Court.

 (4) For the purposes of this section, a designated officer of the Federal Magistrates Court is an officer of the Federal Magistrates Court specified in writing by the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Magistrates Court for the purposes of this subsection.

 (5) In this section:

dispute means a dispute about a matter with respect to which proceedings (other than prescribed proceedings) could be instituted under this Act.

Note: See also section 62CA, which deals with counselling in matters relating to children.