Established 1 October 1981 Authorized by | ||
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Composition method Appointed by the Governor-General on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the Prime Minister (Chief Justice) and Attorney-General (Justices) Judge term length Life tenure (Constitution Act 1986, s 23) | ||
The Family Court of New Zealand (in Maori: Te Kooti a Whanau Aotearoa) is a court that specifically exists to assist New Zealanders with family issues. There are 58 Family Courts throughout New Zealand.
Contents
Although the Family Court is technically a division of the District Courts, it retains its own identity.
Role
The Family Court most commonly deals with issues relating to the welfare of children. It also deals with issues relating to births, deaths, marriage, and mental health. The usual course of action from the Family Court is to facilitate the parties involved to solve issues themselves through counselling, conciliation and mediation.
Legislation
The Family Court deals with applications under the following legislation:
References
Family Court of New Zealand Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA