By Catriona Kilgallon, Consultant
In this day and age, where a google review can either make or break a business, we thought we’d check out how the Family Court of WA is faring.
Interestingly it received 2.5 stars out of 5 with 70 Google Reviews. To be honest that’s higher than we were expecting.
Sifting through some of the bots, it becomes very apparent very quickly that many fathers feel there is a clear theme of gender bias towards women in both parenting and property matters. Some examples of the reviews:
- “I can’t understand why they call it “family court” when it really is completely geared to pandering to spiteful, vindictive mothers. Fathers still do not stand a change of finding any help or justice here…”
- “a shocking disgusting place that works to alienate”
- “Amongst the works most bigoted misandric courts in all of Australia. Responsible, along with the other Family Courts for a holocaust of male suicides”.
- “We have no children yet the OP received 5% adjustment for ironing, cooking and cleaning for herself while I was working away on 12 hour days”.
- “They are happily murdering my child”.
But how do we also ignore the fact that domestic violence towards women and children is also on the rise? With horrific statistics that nationwide a woman dies as a direct result of family violence every nine days. More often than not it’s reported that the victims have often been a party to a family law dispute.
The changes in 2006 where the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) updated the Family Law Act 1975 and inserted the infamous Legislative Pathway to assist judicial officers to determine parenting matters was actually designed to eliminate gender bias and start separated Mums and Dads on the same level playing field. The Court’s main concern has always been that the proposed arrangements are in the best interests of the child. It’s clear that that hasn’t happened. So clear, that the ALRC investigated in 2019 and reported 60 recommendations for reform.
It’s unlikely the Family Court is ever going to get a 5 out of 5 google rating, or be considered the hottest place in town to be seen at. In fact like any exclusive club, it won’t let you in until you’ve exhausted other methods to try and resolve your matter.
The Family Court is at the end of the day a Court where nobody chooses to be. It’s not perfect, but what Family Court is?
Change is coming but it’s a slow burn.