To investigate the administration, delivery and current innovations in legal representation schemes for children

Kylie Beckhouse travelled to the United Kingdom and USA to investigate the administration, delivery and current innovations in legal representation schemes for children. Report Recommendations:

• Redesign the initial information-gathering, screening and assessment processes undertaken by Family Courts and the resultant agency responses
• Place an upper limit on the number of files allocated to child representatives
• Review the National Guidelines for Independent Children’s Lawyers and the legislative framework to ensure they lead to an appropriate level of participation for children in family law processes
• For the Children’s Courts and Family Courts, develop principles to guide decision-making about the participation of children in legal processes, including judicial interactions with children
• Introduce a system-wide feedback mechanism for child representation services in order to elicit the views and perspectives of people across the system, including children
• Investigate whether establishing a single-focus advocacy office for children would better ensure that all of their legal needs are appropriately addressed
• In children’s law practices, trial a multidisciplinary team approach to the delivery of child representation services
• Dedicate funding and resources to supporting, monitoring and training child representatives so they can deliver higher quality child representation services
• Forge closer links between children’s legal practices and university law schools and clinical programs.