About Us

Kia ora

Welcome to the Family Court Association Auckland, a community of professionals dedicated to excellence in the Family Court and Family Justice sectors.

We are an association committed to meaningful relationships among professionals engaged in family law in Aotearoa New Zealand. At our core is the creation of a vibrant forum for the exchange of ideas, publications, and news. Regular professional development opportunities also provide an excellent networking opportunity.

We seek to raise awareness of the Family Court and the broader Family Justice Ecosystem, shedding light on the issues that shape it. We support the work of individuals, groups and charitable organisations in furthering this goal, as well as liaising with other Family Justice bodies within Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.

Our History

Written by Brian Gubb, founding member.

The Family Courts Association has its origins in the establishment of New Zealand’s Family Court in 1981. Before then, family disputes were largely dealt with through the Magistrate’s Court, while matters such as divorce, relationship property and family protection were heard in the Supreme Court (now the High Court), without a specialist family law judiciary.

The Family Courts Act 1980 introduced a specialist Family Court and represented a significant change in the way family disputes were approached. From its beginnings, the new Court placed greater emphasis on specialist expertise, counselling, education and resolving disputes without the need for contested hearings wherever possible.

Around the end of 1980, Family Court Judges, Court staff and practitioners began discussing the formation of an association that would bring together those working within the new system. The Family Courts Association emerged from these discussions, reflecting a shared belief in collaboration between the Bench, Bar, psychologists, Court coordinators and others working with families.

Education for separating parents was an important part of this early work. In the mid-1980s, the Association produced You Are Always Mum and Dad, a parent education video focused on helping parents understand the impact of separation and conflict on their children. Although it was not widely implemented in New Zealand, the resource attracted considerable international interest.

The Association later supported Professor Fred Seymour in developing a more comprehensive education programme for parents involved in disputes over the care of their children. Originally designed to be delivered jointly by a psychologist and lawyer, the programme was successfully trialled through the Family Court and demonstrated the potential for good information and early intervention to help parents reach arrangements without requiring a Court hearing. The material was subsequently provided to the Ministry of Justice and contributed to what later became Parenting Through Separation.

By the 1990s, New Zealand’s Family Court was attracting considerable international interest. At the 1995 International Family Court Conference in San Francisco, the New Zealand model was regarded as innovative, particularly for its specialist and multidisciplinary approach to resolving family disputes.

More than four decades later, the principles behind the establishment of the Association remain relevant. The Family Court continues to face significant challenges, including delays, access to legal representation, increasing procedural demands and the impact of prolonged proceedings on children and families.

The Family Courts Association has an important role in bringing together those working at the coalface of the family justice system, contributing professional expertise, making submissions to Government and advocating for improvements to Family Court procedures and services.

Our history is therefore not simply one of celebrating what has been achieved. It is also a history of collaboration, innovation and advocacy — and of continuing to ask how New Zealand’s family justice system can better serve children and families.