• Full Story

Fears children will lose out in Family Court changes

Email
Print

Court changes could harm children - insiders

3News NZ

The changes will be announced later this week

The changes will be announced later this week

There are fears children will suffer if sweeping cuts to the Family Court system go ahead.

After a lengthy review process, the Government is due to announce changes to the court this week, and some working in child welfare are worried.

The Ministry of Justice concedes that the current system ignores children's needs, but RadioLIVE spoke to people working within the family court system who say the changes may not help.

Family counselling may become means-tested, or cut altogether, along with the current system of appointing a lawyer for children in a court case.

More cases are likely to be diverted away from the courts towards mediation. Insiders say that process is still adversarial and hurtful to children, who often don't understand what's going on or how it will affect them.

The changes will be announced later this week.

RadioLIVE

Post a Comment

Before commenting, please take the time to read our moderation guide


(Won't be published)



Comments

30/07/2012 10:25:27 p.m.

I hate Labour wrote:

Labour have done more damage to families then anything else combined. 'Welfare' destroys families, it creats intergenerational unemployment and crime, it promotes, unmotivation, depression, suicide and family break ups. Socialism as pushed by Labour is a corrupt and evil force.

30/07/2012 7:13:37 p.m.

David wrote:

From your responses Mike I can see why 61 percent of women are against.. well infact hate John Key. Thats a big number.... because National have no idea about family. And I see from your impotent responses that you are still just making crap up to justify your baseless arguments. You never change... no matter what name you post under.

30/07/2012 4:46:46 p.m.

Mike wrote:

... and the Labour drive is its loyal paid hacketeers hacking away with abandon like yourself. Were you one of the paid Labour supporters out protesting the other week?

9/10 of your comments attack people blindly with no policy discussed as to discuss policy would require thinking, and in thinking you couldn't find your own backside with 2 hands, a map, and instructions!

Why dont we have positive suggestions instead. How we can use the same money better? That would be a good start. There is nothing done that can't be improved in any industry. Instead we have the lowest denominator from Labour of waste as much taxpayers money for the least return. NZ is coping with a world wide recession, and we are still performing amoung the best in the OECD because we have not blindly been spending buying votes with social policy spend ups as Labour has done for the last 70 years.

If Labour took a little longer view and looked at what is good for NZ than buying the next election result and costing NZ longterm, then NZ would be much better off.

If Labour would admit what it has done badly. Take its direction to ACC/Kiwisaver to invest in thieves like Maddoff which lost NZ $29 billion pre 2008 election. But no, Labour members benefitted from that theft by a few dinners, some finders fees so NZ lost $29 billion due to criminal neglect by Labour. Corruption at its worst - just look to Labour.

Just show me some National corruption that has cost NZ a billion, let alone Labours corruption with those ACC/Kiwisaver losses of $29 billion! The Maritime union industrial action in Auckland cost NZ over $1 billion this last year over 'sociable hours' - oh wait, they have ties to Labour!

I'm no National supporter, never have been. To be honest National are to far left for my liking. I value reward for effort and you wont get that on hourly rates as any hard worker is penalised by hourly rates.

30/07/2012 1:52:06 p.m.

David wrote:

There is no opposition political drums Mike so whatever. National are however making the countries public services more dangerous, far more unreachable, and extremely inefficent. ACC is the perfect example followed closely by Winz and then by the Police... who you can spot by the dozens ticketing people in lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods... but when theres a real crime you can barely find them. The drive of this government is money... they arent fixing anything however as most services are more broken than when National first took power.

30/07/2012 8:11:17 a.m.

Mike wrote:

The Family court system is broken, yet the parasites inside the industry are saying we must not even attempt to fix what is broken?

Instead of banging the opposition political drums, how about they look for ways the family court system can be fixed instead of looking/hoping for the next Kahui twins to blame on the governement.