Family Violence has been on the State and Federal Legislative Agenda in recent years, and particularly following the 2016 Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence and the Family Law Council’s 2016 Final Report into Families with Complex Needs and the Intersection of the Family Law and Child Protection Systems.

Australia's family law system can be slow, expensive and emotionally draining for people in already challenging situations, such as disputes over parenting arrangements or property settlement. People can spend years waiting for their matter to be dealt with in court. And it's those unexpected delays and costs that can add to or create new tensions between disputing parties, says Gillian Coote, a family law specialist and principal of Coote Family Lawyers.