Case Conference and Directions Hearing

Case Conference and Directions Hearing

The first step in Court proceedings is the Case Conference. This occurs approximately 6 weeks after the divorce application has been filed. Both parties are required to attend the case Conference at the Family court, and will be held in the Registrars Office, not the Court room. This stage of the process allows for both parties to raise issues and presents an opportunity for mediation between parties. If an agreement is reach at this stage, the Terms of Settlement are prepared and no further court proceedings are required.

If there is no agreement during the Case Conference, a Directions Hearing will be held. This usually happens on the same day and simply determines whether or not the process towards agreement is on track. There is no evidence given at these stages and no decisions are made unless an agreement is reached during the Case Conference or Directions Hearing.

If there is no agreement, the spouse responding to the divorce (the Respondent) has seven days from this Hearing to have filed all relevant documentation and indicate what they require or wish for the Court to consider.

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